Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary
Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary
Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary
4
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
4 within 3 miles
Attractions
56 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- Katie T1 contributionGreat little find.Great little find. We visited Porfell as a late afternoon trip, spent around 2 hours there. Visited with our 16 month old daughter, so took a little longer to walk around. Enclosure viewing open so she could see without been lifted up at every point. Staff all welcoming/friendly. Agree with some of the comments around it been a little run down, but think you need too see past this. Advised by staff that the park is ran solely on visitor admissions and donations. I imagine Covid didn't help with this. I wouldn't say it's a full day trip out, but more of a couple of hours. Cost wise, we didn't find it expensive but think this very much depends on personal views etc. We enjoyed it :) and would recommend.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 10, 2023
- jinks21812 contributionsReally Lovely PlaceWe visited while on holiday. The price was great for the family and we got feed for some animals. There were many animals here and it was very organized. They had enough space and all looked happy to be there. Very well laid out and when it was feeding time for all, they were all aware and you could see them all waiting for their peppers, sweet potato ect :) We would definitely visit again as its lovely to help small business with the up keep of these animals xVisited July 2023Written July 11, 2023
- KatierosebBrockenhurst, United Kingdom12 contributionsLovely animals!We come here every year and it’s a big highlight of our holiday, the kids absolutely love this place and so do I! It’s not a huge zoo type place, the sign in the photo sums it up perfectly, but we spend ages watching the monkeys and talking to the lemurs and going and having a good look at all the other animals too. Friendly knowledgeable staff doing the meerkat feeding and lovely to meet the owner too. A lovely place to visit doing great work for their inhabitants.Visited July 2023Traveled with familyWritten July 27, 2023
- Anne niven20 contributionsBeautiful PorfellAll of it, absolutely fabulous. Animals well cared for and so many species. A quagga zebra which I’ve never seen, a Savanna Cat beautiful, donkeys, goats, snakes and so much more. It took us around 3 hours it’s well worth the visit. All of the animals have been rescued and saved, lovely staff too.Visited August 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten August 9, 2023
- Delfim Afonso HenriquesLondon, United Kingdom5 contributionsDifferent way of seeFabulous place to spend a day with family. Lovely welcome at the main ticket entry with a lovely dog to great us. Prices well deserved and good placed for kids to look and enjoy. They provided little cups so you can feed animals special Meerkats ( £1 per cup/little paper bag food). Animals looks well and cared. If you drive just is a 1 way in and out ( off road ).Visited August 2023Written August 15, 2023
- Brian G4 contributionsOkay for few hours not all day.Was a okay park to kill a few hours. Was nice to feed some of the animals. Is a big run down but fit for purpose. The picnic area could do with some love and full of wasps. My children seemed to enjoy themselves though.Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 18, 2023
- Philip palmerPlymouth, United Kingdom29 contributionsA lovely little wildlife parkLovely wildlife park. The animals are obviously a little aged,but it's not a zoo it's an animal sanctuary,where abused,old, and neglected animals live out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort. There's a lot of interaction with the animals. A very nice three hours spent there. A slight negative,the to ladies behind the till were very unwelcoming.Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 21, 2023
- Rhiannon GPoole, United Kingdom5 contributionsLovely wildlife parkLovely wildlife park and sanctuary. Got up close to ringtailed lemurs and sika deer. Food could be bought at reception to feed the deer, ponies and goats. Spent about 2 hours here- we all enjoyed it. Nice to see the purchase price goes back into the sanctuary.Visited August 2023Traveled with familyWritten August 25, 2023
- SPoppyBarton-upon-Humber, United Kingdom139 contributionsGreat park not to be missedUpon arriving in the car park and spotting the park entrance I thought what a dump, however once inside you realise that the park owners aren’t really concerned about the overall appearance of the park, their main responsibility and focus is caring for the wide selection of animals they have. The wife, children and grandchildren loved feeding the donkeys, sheep and goats. We also got to see many different kinds of animals from around the world, including very large owls. We all had a very nice casual afternoon wandering around at our leisure. Not to be missed if you are in the area.Visited September 2023Traveled with familyWritten September 15, 2023
- WhiteheadsPreston, United Kingdom21 contributionsA haven for unwanted animalsYou aren’t visiting a zoo, it’s made clear that you’re visiting an animal sanctuary so, yes, it may not have all the bells and whistles you’d get at a zoo but you’re supporting a sanctuary so, pay the relatively low entrance fee, buy the bags of food and feed the goats, donkeys, horses and sheep - your kids will love doing that. Stay for the owl flying show and leave a generous donation on your way out then you can say you’ve done your good deed for the day. We visited in September 2023 and so glad we did. Thank you Porthfell for looking after these unwanted animals.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 21, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
635 reviews
Excellent
305
Very good
174
Average
77
Poor
45
Terrible
34
mrsgerrard8
Lancaster, UK12 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
Lovely place. We took a very nosey 9 month old baby on a rainy day and we had a great time. We could take our time and show her the animals and get up close with out the huge crowds you find at the zoo.
We took a buggy and had no trouble pushing it around on the paths. We took walking boots thinking the paths would be muddy. The woodland walk was muddy as it has rained for the past few days but trainers still would have been OK. You can buy food to feed animals and they also have shows. I think owls were 2.30 off the top of my head.
I think its reasonably priced and you are supporting a great cause. The cages have plaques informing you of each animals journey and how it ended up at the sanctuary. The tea rooms are shut due to covid but it's still a great afternoon out.
We took a buggy and had no trouble pushing it around on the paths. We took walking boots thinking the paths would be muddy. The woodland walk was muddy as it has rained for the past few days but trainers still would have been OK. You can buy food to feed animals and they also have shows. I think owls were 2.30 off the top of my head.
I think its reasonably priced and you are supporting a great cause. The cages have plaques informing you of each animals journey and how it ended up at the sanctuary. The tea rooms are shut due to covid but it's still a great afternoon out.
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Molly B
Redditch, UK1 contribution
Jun 2021 • Family
We arrived at around 11am on a Saturday. We were one of the first to arrive along with another family. The member of staff on the front desk wasn’t very friendly or helpful. Unfortunately this was the only physical member of staff we saw the entire time we were there. The first part of the park was a dismal, the animals including the donkeys, sheep and few other smaller animals looked sad & a bit rough. I understand some of the animals were elderly but some general grooming & tidying up of the animals and their pens wouldn’t have gone amiss. The second half of the park was much better, with much more exotic & active animals. It was still looking tired & run down but it made up slightly for the first half. Toilets are okay, a little untidy & old looking. Overall we spent £30 for 4 adults & 1 under 2, and we spent the best part of just under an hour here. It seems as if the pandemic has affected this place massively, and could do with some money spending. I’m not sure how much longer this place will last.
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charlotte Q
Camberley, UK90 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We visited as a group of 6, aged 26-73, and overall we think it was a good little place. The entrance fee reflected the park (it’s not a zoo!) and there was a good mix of animals. Felt some of the enclosures seemed a bit small, especially for owls?
We got to see the gorgeous 5week old ringtail lemur and the rusty-spotted kittens (I think they were) were adorable! Cafe closed due to COVID which I think is a real shame and a big loss of money for them - with so many other food outlets operating now, it seems a shame this wasn’t open as there’s not any other immediate food places around. However I understand they probably have their own challenges which is why it wasn’t open.
It felt a little run down overall and could do with a revamp but I’m sure loss of earnings this year probably hit them hard.
Overall I would recommend for a visit, especially if you had young children.
We got to see the gorgeous 5week old ringtail lemur and the rusty-spotted kittens (I think they were) were adorable! Cafe closed due to COVID which I think is a real shame and a big loss of money for them - with so many other food outlets operating now, it seems a shame this wasn’t open as there’s not any other immediate food places around. However I understand they probably have their own challenges which is why it wasn’t open.
It felt a little run down overall and could do with a revamp but I’m sure loss of earnings this year probably hit them hard.
Overall I would recommend for a visit, especially if you had young children.
Written September 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pingu7813
Bicester, UK22 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We had a wonderful time at Porfell today. It’s important to remember this place is an animal sanctuary not a zoo!! My son (aged 6) loved reading about all of the individual animals and why they were at the park. We spent a good 2.5 hours there and were lucky enough to chat with a volunteer who was feeding he animals so we got to see more of the animals than we would at an actual zoo. You are able to get closer to the animals and as it wasn’t that busy it was an ideal place to learn new facts and see animals interacting.
Written August 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karen B
Bottesford, UK20 contributions
Jun 2021 • Family
We got there for 10am when it opened and walked in with a couple of other families but hardly saw anyone else while we were there. We spent about 1.5 hours here. You need to take the park for what it is, it’s a sanctuary not a zoo and is funded by the public. We loved it, we saw lots of animals up close. Yes some of the cages look over grown but that’s how they would live in the wide so was nice to see the monkeys jumping round in the bushes. The lemurs were great and came right up to the glass/fence. All the animals have a little plaque telling you their story and how they arrived at the sanctuary which were lovely to read.
Would definitely recommend especially if you have children or just love animals and want to support a local business.
Would definitely recommend especially if you have children or just love animals and want to support a local business.
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tink10000
Oxford, UK674 contributions
Jul 2020
Visited in the last week as a none bookable activity as found most of the cornish attractions we visit regularly required at least a weeks advance booking to guarantee entry (great for crowd control, not so much if weather is rubbish)
Was £31 for a family ticket which we felt was a fair price. A few exhibits are closed including reptile house as inside activities but on a drizzly day the sanctuary was lovely. Not too many people. My children especially loved walking next to the resident peacocks and especially found the lemurs entertaining. We enjoyed the woodland walk down near the farm area of the sanctuary and would definitely visit again.
Was £31 for a family ticket which we felt was a fair price. A few exhibits are closed including reptile house as inside activities but on a drizzly day the sanctuary was lovely. Not too many people. My children especially loved walking next to the resident peacocks and especially found the lemurs entertaining. We enjoyed the woodland walk down near the farm area of the sanctuary and would definitely visit again.
Written July 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Genna H
Eastleigh, UK19 contributions
Jun 2021
We found a leaflet for this place on our holiday camp. It was a short drive from where we were staying. The road to and from it was quite narrow but we were in a pickup so wider than a standard car. Reasonable price to get in and from the moment we got inside it was amazing. We saw so many animals and they were all so easy to spot. You can pay for food for feeding which is well worth doing as our little girl loved it. We visited Monday and we are still raving about it now it’s Wednesday. It has been the hands down best day out so far. We spent a good few hours here. The only downside was there was no food onside due to the tea room being shut otherwise we would of had lunch and wondered around again. We would highly recommend visiting here. With or without kids it’s a lovely half day out.
Written June 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christine R
Cornwall, UK3 contributions
Aug 2021
A lovely, quiet animal sanctuary with friendly staff. The owl show was a right hoot as the owls had individual personalities. Everyone was laughing at the owls antics and the commentary was educational and entertaining. The resident peacock had a birds eye view. He was sitting on a roof and even the chickens joined in. There was so much to see and the animals we saw were fun to watch as we walked round the sanctuary. Reading the stories on the cages of rescued wildlife was poignant and this is certainly a sanctuary that needs people and animal lovers to visit this lovely place and/or donate.
Written August 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shell1085
Cardiff, UK9 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We visited in August while staying in Bodmin. I thought it was reasonably priced, as there were quite a few animals to see. There were also African huts, although closed due to COVID, you can still peek through. There's a woodland walk and children's farm and park with an opportunity to feed the animals and the chickens freely roaming. We had an enjoyable time and glad our money was going to help the sanctuary to support their ongoing work in looking after these animals. There are stories for each of the animals about their history too, in how they became adopted by Porfell.
Although the cafe is currently closed, they do have a coffee machine, a selection or drinks and snacks. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables to bring your own food.
My family loved coming to see the animals and visiting the park. Definitely a worthwhile visit. Although not a wildlife park as big as Longleat, it is definitely a lovely nice sized park with a variety of animals to see. It is priced accordingly too. The meerkat feeding was definitely the highlight for me and the owl display was great too!
Thanks for an enjoyable visit!
Although the cafe is currently closed, they do have a coffee machine, a selection or drinks and snacks. There are plenty of benches and picnic tables to bring your own food.
My family loved coming to see the animals and visiting the park. Definitely a worthwhile visit. Although not a wildlife park as big as Longleat, it is definitely a lovely nice sized park with a variety of animals to see. It is priced accordingly too. The meerkat feeding was definitely the highlight for me and the owl display was great too!
Thanks for an enjoyable visit!
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RockgirlLondon
London, UK97 contributions
May 2021
I loved this place. I so enjoyed seeing the animals and reading their stories - the sanctuary does a great job homing animals and looking after them. One of my favourites was the cockatoo whose feathers were starting to grow back - he even said hello and bye to me!
We spent about three hours here and didn't feel rushed and enjoyed talking to the keeper who was really friendly and gave us lots of information. We also enjoyed the peacock who followed us around the park - such a lovely experience.
There is a shop at the start of the park where you can get cold drinks and snacks and I think normally there is a cafe but this was closed due to covid when we were there but it didn't matter, we loved this place and I will definitely visit again if I am in the area.
We spent about three hours here and didn't feel rushed and enjoyed talking to the keeper who was really friendly and gave us lots of information. We also enjoyed the peacock who followed us around the park - such a lovely experience.
There is a shop at the start of the park where you can get cold drinks and snacks and I think normally there is a cafe but this was closed due to covid when we were there but it didn't matter, we loved this place and I will definitely visit again if I am in the area.
Written June 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
billi160
Newcastle-under-Lyme, UK519 contributions
Can you bring a small dog or is their anyway to leave a dog
sue06
Brixham, UK46 contributions
Is this suitable for a person with mobility problems
salamander135
5 contributions
Not really, though it depends on your mobility problems. There's a lot of walking to do, some on uneven ground, some on grassy areas. We skipped the woodland walk as my mum has mobility issues but made it everywhere else
Claire P
4 contributions
Is Porfell suitable for a rainy day? Just wondering if its a mix of indoors and outdoors?
tracey10d
Bristol, UK43 contributions
hi
we went when it was drizzle. it would be better in he dry weather as a lot of it outdoors bu thither are covered areas. take a umbrella if you go when its raining!
Lisa1357924680
5 contributions
Are dogs allowed on the grounds my daughter has asphers and anxiety and jess is her tool to get around although not an helper dog she is to us
james h
Cornwall, UK25 contributions
Very possibly,The staff all seem very helpful and I did see a man with a beautiful Rottweiler in the cafe area. Hope this helps
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingPorfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary
- Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
- Hotels near Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary:
- (0.95 mi) Stonerush Lakes
- (3.74 mi) Fox Valley Cottages
- (4.55 mi) Treworgey Cottages
- (4.47 mi) Penrose B&B
- (3.16 mi) Valleybrook Holidays
- Restaurants near Porfell Wildlife Park & Sanctuary:
- (0.86 mi) The Old Mill Restaurant at Stonerush Lakes
- (4.31 mi) Asquiths
- (5.63 mi) The Three Pilchards
- (6.34 mi) Daisy's Cafe Looe
- (5.74 mi) Tapenades