FAQs

Yes. Many younger children enjoy meeting, feeding and spending time with our friendly animals. Unlike our alpaca treks, there’s no long countryside walk, so little legs can take their time exploring the farm.

However, the experience takes place on uneven farm paths, rocky slopes and grassy areas, so it isn’t suitable for buggies. Children will need to be able to walk around the farm themselves or be carried where needed.

Because the experience is guided and lasts around an hour, children will get the most from it if they’re happy spending time outdoors, listening to simple instructions and taking things at a relaxed pace. Every child is different, so we recommend parents consider whether the experience is a good match for their child’s interests, confidence and attention span.

Yes. The Meet the Alpacas & Farm Animal Encounter is a lovely experience to enjoy across generations. Grandparents often tell us how much they enjoy sharing the experience with their families, whether that’s introducing young children to farm life or simply spending quality time together outdoors.

The experience is taken at a relaxed pace, but it does involve walking around the farm on uneven paths, grassy areas and rocky slopes. Visitors should be comfortable walking on uneven ground and standing for periods of time.

Unfortunately, the Meet the Alpacas & Farm Animal Encounter isn’t suitable for wheelchair users. Holly Hagg is a working community farm on a steep hillside, and the experience takes place on uneven farm tracks, rocky slopes and grassy areas. There are no surfaced paths or handrails, and some areas can become muddy in wet weather.

Visitors should be comfortable walking independently on uneven ground and standing for periods of time. The experience is taken at a relaxed pace, so there’s no need to rush, but you’ll need to be confident negotiating the terrain throughout the visit.

The farm itself is not suitable for buggies or pushchairs, as most of the experience takes place on uneven farm tracks, grassy areas and rocky slopes. However, you’re welcome to bring a buggy or pushchair and leave it in the top meadow during the encounter.

Many families choose to do this while they explore the rest of the farm. If you’re visiting with a baby or toddler, you’re also very welcome to spend time relaxing in the top meadow. It’s a lovely spot to sit, enjoy a snack, breastfeed or simply take a break while older children continue exploring with the rest of the group.

You’ll spend time getting to know our friendly alpacas and our resident llama, Jefe, before meeting the rest of Holly Hagg’s animal family. During the encounter you’ll also meet our pigs, sheep, ducks and chickens, with opportunities to feed many of them and learn about their different personalities and how we care for them.

You’ll have the chance to feed our friendly alpacas, Jefe the llama, our pigs, sheep and chickens. If it’s the animals’ usual feeding time, you’ll help serve their dinner. At other times, they’ll enjoy a few tasty treats instead.

If you happen to find a juicy worm while exploring the farm, you’re welcome to offer it to the ducks – they’ll be delighted!

Every animal has its own character, and one of the joys of visiting Holly Hagg is discovering that they’re all individuals. Our volunteers love sharing their stories and introducing you to some of the farm’s best-loved residents.

As you explore the farm, you’ll also be surrounded by local wildlife. Depending on the season, you may spot butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies, bumblebees and honey bees, while the farm is always alive with birdsong from our wild bird visitors – including one particularly cheeky magpie with a habit of helping itself to eggs!

Yes. During the encounter there will be an opportunity for those who’d like to have a go to walk one of our friendly alpacas around the meadow. Our knowledgeable volunteers will be on hand to show you what to do and help you every step of the way.

There’s never any pressure to take part. If you’d rather spend your time feeding the alpacas, getting to know their different personalities or just relaxing with them while they graze, that’s absolutely fine too. Our guides will be there to support you and will make sure the experience is enjoyable and appropriate for both visitors and animals.

The meadow walk is a short introduction to alpaca walking. If you discover you’d love to spend longer exploring Sheffield’s beautiful countryside with one of our alpacas, you can always join us for one of our woodland Alpaca Treks next time.

The Meet the Alpacas & Farm Animal Encounter is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. As Holly Hagg is all about creating meaningful connections with both the animals and our visitors, we increase the number of guides as group sizes grow.

This means larger groups are naturally split into smaller groups throughout the experience, giving everyone plenty of opportunities to meet the animals, ask questions and enjoy a more personal experience.

One of the things that makes Holly Hagg special is that you’ll spend time alongside many of our animals, rather than simply looking at them over a fence. You’ll often be sharing their space, feeding them and getting to know their different personalities, so our knowledgeable volunteers will show you how to behave safely and confidently around each species.

Like all large animals, alpacas, llamas, sheep and pigs can accidentally knock or push people if they become excited about food or are startled. That’s perfectly normal animal behaviour, and it’s why our guides are always on hand to help everyone interact safely and respectfully.

Our alpacas and llama are extremely unlikely to spit at visitors. Spitting is something alpacas mostly use to communicate with each other, usually when they’re having a disagreement over food or personal space. In fact, if anyone does end up wearing a bit of alpaca spit, it’s almost always one of the handlers who’s accidentally been caught in the crossfire of a disagreement between two alpacas, rather than being spat at deliberately.

Our sheep are generally gentle, although they can occasionally become a little pushy around food. Chickens and ducks can peck enthusiastically if they think you’ve got something tasty! The pecks can be surprisingly firm but are usually more of a surprise than anything else.

Our pigs are intelligent, curious and incredibly food-motivated. Like all pigs, they have powerful jaws, so our volunteers will show you the safest ways to interact with them. One of their favourite things in the world is a really good scratch with a brush, and we’ll show you exactly where they love to be brushed.

Sensible shoes: Sturdy footwear such as wellies, walking boots or trainers is recommended, as you’ll be walking across uneven ground, grassy fields and gravel paths. Even the friendliest alpaca can accidentally stand on your foot, so open-toed shoes such as sandals and flip-flops are best avoided. Farms can be muddy for much of the year, so boots are ideal – or at least old shoes you don’t mind getting a little muddy.

Dress for the countryside: Long trousers are recommended, but not essential. They help protect against nettles and scratchy plants.

Dress for the weather: On sunny days, don’t forget a hat and suncream. It’s also worth bringing a jumper or waterproof coat, as the weather can change quickly, even in summer. Our animal encounters go ahead in light rain, so a waterproof coat is much more useful than an umbrella, which can startle the alpacas.

Don’t worry if you don’t have specialist outdoor clothing – comfortable clothes that you don’t mind getting a little muddy are perfect.

Our Meet the Alpacas & Farm Animal Encounter goes ahead in light rain, so please come dressed for the weather with a waterproof coat and suitable footwear. We ask visitors not to bring umbrellas, as these can startle the alpacas.

A little rain is all part of life on a working farm, and some of our most memorable encounters have taken place under grey skies! However, if the weather is particularly severe or we feel conditions aren’t safe for visitors or animals, we’ll contact you as soon as possible to rearrange your booking.

Yes. There is free on-street parking on Long Lane, opposite the entrance to the top field.

There’s usually space for several cars, but we kindly ask visitors not to park directly opposite the farm gate, as this needs to be kept clear for farm vehicles.

Full directions, including maps, photographs and what3words, can be found on our Directions page: https://hollyhagg.org.uk/about-us/holly-hagg-directions/

Yes. We have a waterless composting-style toilet and handwashing basins for visitors.

Holly Hagg is an off-grid community farm, so our facilities are simple and similar to those you might find on a campsite rather than in a visitor centre or café. One thing we can’t promise is spotless floors – muddy boots are part of everyday life on a working farm!

No. As an off-grid community farm, we don’t have a café or drinking water on site, so we recommend bringing a bottle of water and any snacks you might like during your visit.

You’re very welcome to bring your own drinks and snacks to enjoy during your visit. We have picnic tables overlooking the Rivelin Valley where you’re welcome to sit and relax.

We know many dogs are much-loved members of the family, but unfortunately we can’t allow them onto the farm or to the Meet the Alpacas & Farm Animal Encounter.

Our animals aren’t accustomed to unfamiliar dogs, and even the calmest dog can change their behaviour. To help keep everyone relaxed and safe, we ask that dogs are left at home.

If your plans change, please let us know as soon as possible. We’ll always do our best to help where we can.

Any changes, cancellations or refunds are subject to our booking terms and conditions, which you’ll find when making your booking.

At the moment, we only offer gift vouchers for our Alpaca Trekking experiences.

If you’re looking for a unique gift, our treks make a wonderful present for animal lovers and anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors.