Reviews of Mistley Place Park, Animal Rescue Centre,
Review by CLIFF Tolley on 27th February, 2017
Add your review Date visited: 24/2/17
My partner and i visited the park and although run down thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.A lot of the animals there have been rescued and are well looked after. If it wasn't for the park a lot of the animals there would not have survived so credit were its due. We both would like to go back there again and we are sure that families wont be disappointed.It must cost a fortune to look after so many animals so the modest entrance fee must only skim the surface of how much it actually costs. The animals come up to you and like all gods creatures just want kindness and love and i truly believe they get it there.
Review by mo on 22nd December, 2014
Add your review Date visited: 12 4 14
reading comments about the park,well let me tell you the lady and man that runs this place takes care of all animal that other people don't wont,she does this out of her own money,and her mother.were there are animal there is always going to be dirty and muddy,and rats so before wring comments just think thank you
Review by Gertie Wood on 15th March, 2014
Add your review Date visited: 2013
2 visits First discussed at the state of the place. Not many water bowls/troughs for the animals, what are their feed times? what do they feed on? no information available. Cant educate the kids how to look after animals here. Second visit looked the same as the first. Had anyone been there to feed/water/tend to the animals (not that there were many to see anyway)
The place had better be checked out for the animals safety/welfare. This supposed to be a rescue centre, I think that the animals need rescuing from here. Where is the money going cos its definitely not going to the farm. Owners, what do you say in support of your rescue centre?????????? Do you actually work on the farm? or just get volunteers?
Review by katie on 19th February, 2014
Add your review Date visited: 19th feb 2014
I was disgusted with this place. It was a total waste of 12 pound. It took all of 5 mins to walk round the muddy filed being chased by geese and chickens. There are about 15 rabbits in a hut in different cages and a few goats one pig 2 lamurs and a couple ponys. Which u was not allowed to feed. So the 3 bags of food I bought was thrown on the floor to the chickens and geese to stop them chasing u. All the kids asked to go soon as we was there 2 mins. Will never go again. I was f***** not impressed.
Review by Paula on 1st May, 2013
Add your review Date visited: 10 3 2013
Took my 2 year old Daughter and my 21 year old Son. We have visited many but we won't be going back. Bought several bags of food expecting to feed plenty of animals. All the owls had gone. Only 2 pigs 3 goats and 1 sheep. The rest were chickens ducks geese and rabbits. The rabbit hutches looked like they hadn't been cleaned out in weeks. The straw was soaking wet.
I got the impression they're more concerned with the cafe.
Review by Bee on 26th July, 2012
Add your review Date visited: Regularly
Sadly I'm unsurprised at all the negative comments as so many people don't really like animals out of cages. Yes, this is a tumbledown place, an Old MaDonalds Farm of nursery rhyme, where goats and ducks wander about freely, pigs roll around in the mud, bales of hay and bits of old farm machinery are left dotted about in the fields. Shire horses are kept alongside the goats and ponies, ducks swim on the pond, you can feed the goats and chickens (but watch out that they don't snatch the bag of feed from you). It's a ramshackle, tumbledown delight, where the animals are happy, well cared for and allowed to be themselves. And guess what? Animals love dirt and ponds and grass! It's humans who want everything to be made of concrete and plastic. I love it there; I love the ethos, the animals, the freedom they have, and I love the funny old tumbledown ramshackle-ness of it all. Children will definitely enjoy it, but the kinds of parents who disapprove of children mucking about in puddles or stomping in mud, should stay well away. Oh, and for those who prefer concrete to grass, beware, animals make poopy smells too!
Review by julie on 6th September, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 01.09.11
For starters this is a working farm. If you want to take the kids to a nice clean child safe environment, pay £15.99 each and go to the zoo!
I have visited this farm on many occasions and have never seen anything I wouldnt expect to see on a farm.
Nearly all of these animals have been rescued by the Park, they never ever turn any animal away. The place must cost a fortune to run and they are doing the best they can with what they have.
You lot on here slagging it off must have plenty of spare time on your hands? Go up there, lend a hand and help them get the place up to YOUR standard. Im sure they would love new holding kennels and cages!
Review by Valerie Sims on 21st May, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 21/05/11
I do have to "ditto" what others have said, but understand also that a place like Mistley Park takes a lot of funding, which obviously they do not have.
The only thing that did bother me, probably because I am a dog lover, is that we had to wait for the dogs to be brought out, it did not seem that there was any chance of viewing them in their surroundings, what ever they were.
But will add they seemed bright and lively.
Just wish for them some lottery money could be given to help them.
Review by Sandra on 13th April, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 12th April 2011
I was very shocked at the state of this Rescue Centre - the various cages which kept owls and other birds in were of a disgusting condition - filthy and really upsetting to see them kept in this way. The whole site was run down with broken cages, fences and the ground had lots of holes which can be dangerous for the little children when running around and that is without the worry of the dogs muck when the rescue dogs are taken for a walk in the centre area where the public are allowed to walk. Quite shocked at the behaviour of the dog handlers not picking up their business just leaving it where it fell!! All in all I will not be recommending this as an outing for my friends grandchildren and especially my grandchildren. Plus I will question, anybody who says they thought it was a nice place to visit - by asking whether they are animal lovers because anybody who is surely would not allow animals to live in such filthy conditions. Sorry but this is my opinion on the place. Terrible.
Review by Liz on 4th January, 2011
Add your review Date visited: 31.12.2010
The cafe and toilets at the centre are child-friendly and clean. The farm area we found to be extremely dirty, run down, and thoroughly unpleasant to visit. There were rats running around into different animal enclosures; broken metal gates and many dog droppings in the walking areas - not easy for toddlers or adults to negotiate. I appreciate that this must be hard work to run during the winter but have questions about whether it should be open to the public in this condition. I am sorry to say I would not encourage anyone to visit the farm or to pay any entry fee.
Review by jack on 30th August, 2010
Add your review Date visited: august 2010
The place is a bit of a tumble but from my long experience with animals they don't care about that! An animal wants food and water and space and to be able to shelter in bad weather. They also want to be able to walk about which is what happens at that park. I think the people who have written the bad comments mean well but haven't thought it through properly. I also spoke to the mature gentleman who runs the place. A very nice man. Go in and help him if you are so concerned~ I'm sure he'd be really pleased.
Review by Claire on 4th November, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 4.11.09
I took my two year old son here today and was disgusted ; having paid a moderate entrance fee, we left in under 10 minutes. We were so shocked at the unkempt, dirty state - broken cages, pieces of wire and wood on the floor which were a hazard for small children, no safe walk-way or track to follow, and even dead chicks in one cage that had plainly been there some days. Awful.
Review by Rebecca on 21st August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 21st aug 2009
I took my two year old son there today and was very dissapointed. Considering you have to pay £3.75 to get in you would at least expect to see the cages that some of the animals are kept in to be maintained and not over grown with weeds. I have to agree with Judy, it was very untidy and run down. I didnt see one member of staff apart from one taking money! You could see 95% of the animals from the entrance, the other 5% were stuck in the back field.
I was really looking forward to a day out at the farm and only got pestered by pidgeons!
It is supposed to be a rescue centre, i thin the animals need rescuing from there! Especially all of the dogs that were kept in the house!!!!
Review by Jess on 20th August, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 5times
Hang on there Judy how many animal parks have you been to?,I dont expect you to understand why animals are roaming about in a bit of dirt thats what they do across the world i dont expect you to know that but uts common sence,,i bet you dont have a dog & cat if you have mind the carpet,i wouldnt like to be you,Instead go there & help out Oh dear forgot you like everything clean & tidy,sorry your review got me going live in the real would ,,dirt is what animals like pigs goats all make amess i dont think we would get on do you,,my live is animals across even to Aus anywhere im needed as i save them from the likes of you,,i hope your grand kids see the real life,,Jess animal healer.
Review by JUDY on 6th August, 2009
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I used to take my 2 daughters there when it was called Mistley farm Park, I even assisted on several school trips there.
So now I have a 3 year old grand daughter I was excited at chance to take herwith her mother and my husband.
I was horrified, and disgusted at the state of the place. There is piles of rubbish everywhere, old vehicles dumped in the middle of the fields.
the only animals you can see is : chickens, ducks, and 3 goats, who do not have one single patch of grass!!! 2 pigs and a pony.
The main group of horses are tucked away in a field, behind a field, so you cant go anywhere near them, there was a few ponies that you could see but not get near because of stinging nettles. A couple of owls and a red squirrel. Now what are they doing with a red squirrel when they are an endangered species??
The admittance was £3.75 each and we stayed 10 minutes because we were so disgusted, the place is no better than a landfill site.
Does anyone ever visit these places before advertising them? If not why not.
I will be contacting my local newspaper to also send them the same pictures and see what they have to say.