Visit a working farm centre with soft play facilities, café, camping, and outdoor activities for families in County Durham.

Thorpe Farm Centre is a multi-purpose family destination located in the North East, offering diverse activities and attractions for visitors of all ages. The venue features an indoor soft play area perfect for young children, complemented by a dog-friendly Courtyard Café & Restaurant where families can enjoy refreshments. Beyond play, the farm centre operates as a working agricultural facility with a farm shop, gift and interiors boutique, and antiques/reclamation centre for those interested in browsing unique items. For families seeking extended experiences, Thorpe Farm Centre provides caravan and camping facilities as part of their holiday park, along with opportunities to purchase holiday homes on-site. The outdoor grounds include heritage woodland, a country park and wetlands area, and marked local walks and cycle routes, making it ideal for families who enjoy nature-based activities and exploration. The venue caters particularly well to families with young children (ages 0-8) through its soft play offering and family-friendly events programme. With both indoor and outdoor amenities, free entry to the grounds, and comprehensive facilities including food options, pushchair accessibility, and dog-friendly policies, Thorpe Farm Centre provides a well-rounded family day out or holiday experience.

Venue Details

What this place offers

Toilets

Public transport nearby

Accessible toilets

Free WiFi

Baby changing facilities

Food available

On-site parking

🐕Dog-friendly

Parking nearby

Pushchair friendly

☕ Food & Drink

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Jim forsyth

a month ago

1st visit yesterday. We must of past this jewel hundreds of times. Glad we stopped this time. Great service, fantastic environment and cakes are delicious. Definitely won't be our last visit. Highly recommended

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Jeffrey “Jefmond” Almond

a month ago

Usually stop off here on the way back from the Lakes. Nice relaxed atmosphere after a long drive. Great coffee and nice meals. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Also a nice shop.

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Lynn Morgan

2 months ago

What a great farm shop and gift shop (separate). Endless time could be spent browsing and buying. Nice friendly staff and just off the A66, which is very (too) handy for more visits.

J

Judi Williams

4 months ago

Just stopped off for a bowl of soup on our way up to Scotland. Service was good but the leek and potato soup was revolting! No flavour, it had been puréed to death and thickened with flour which made it thick and gloopy and had a texture like custard. No improvement even with salt & pepper. It could have been made with anything. The best thing was the watercress on top! And this is a farm cafe/restaurant - would have expected so much better for £6.95 a portion. It’s such a simple soup to get so wrong.We won’t be back.

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Sarah Holmes

4 months ago

Excellent little soft play centre but would benefit from slots that are not fixed, slots are bookable but theres only 3 windows to choose from. Being able to book for an amount of time rather than a restricted time slot would be much more beneficial to busy mums!

Reviews last updated: 7 October 2026