We take a look at the he reality of animal cruelty in the tourist industry and how we can all avoid being part of the problem.
Looking for the best place to visit in Essex with kids? A day out for the whole family that is fun, heartwarming, and teaches compassion along the way? Look no further than Hopefield Animal Sanctuary in Brentwood.
Unlike traditional animal attractions, Hopefield isn’t just about entertainment – it’s about empathy, education and giving a second chance to nearly 700 rescued animals who have found a forever home after facing abandonment, neglect, or worse. From cuddly alpacas to curious cows, from mischievous goats to gentle donkeys, every resident has a story that they would love to share with you all.
There are plenty of places to see animals in Essex, but not many where you can do it knowing that every penny you spend goes directly back into animal care and animal welfare. Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is a registered charity that never buys, sells, or breeds animals for profit, and everything we do is to give the animals in our care all the love, care and support that they need for a second shot at a happy, peaceful life. You won’t find baby lamb bottle-feeding sessions or “meet-the-calves” experiences that end in heartbreak later down the line, because here animals aren’t part of a business plan – they’re part of a family.
Our animals have already been through enough. Hopefield exists so they’ll never again be treated as commodities, entertainment, or stock. Your entry fee, your cuppa in our plant-based café, Max’s, your souvenir from the gift shop – it all helps us feed, shelter, and provide veterinary care to all of our amazing residents.
Here’s what families love most about visiting:
🐮 Meeting our rescued residents – From horses and sheep to cats, pigs, and even exotic animals like skunks and meerkats (which are currently only on public display 6x per year as per legislation, more on which you can find out about here), there’s somebody to meet for everyone here at Hopefield. Our free Sanctuary Trail is a digital trail which will take you round the 53-acre home of all these feathery, scaly and furry residents and tells you about how they came to be here.
🌳 Beautiful Essex countryside setting – The perfect picnic spot surrounded by peace and fresh air – and with plenty of space for children to run around and let off some steam.
☕ Our plant-based café – Delicious, family-friendly food and treats. As many of our animals are rescued from the meat and dairy trade, it would be hugely hypocritical and wrong for us to serve up these products anywhere on site. We hope that when you meet our enormous dairy cows and scratch the noses of our pigs, you too will understand our reasoning behind this. This is also where we differ from a farm park, and whilst we respect your diet outside of the sanctuary, here at Hopefield we will always remain plant-based in alignment with our ethos. We promise that plant-based food is quite delicious.
🎨 Kids’ activities & events – Educational, interactive, and full of heart, we’re all about teaching compassion in action. We also have our soft play bus and inflatables up and running when the weather permits at the weekend and in school holidays.
💚 Real stories, real connections – Every animal here has a name, a story, and a safe home for life. Do you have a favourite? Lots of our most popular residents have sponsorship packs available either onsite or online if you would like to be part of their continuing care.
Many family animal attractions in Essex offer experiences like bottle-feeding lambs or “petting farm” visits. While they might look adorable on social media, there’s often a hidden truth: once those animals grow up or stop bringing in crowds, they’re quietly sent away – often to auction or slaughter. At Hopefield, we believe children deserve to know that kindness shouldn’t come with conditions. When your kids meet a lamb here, they can rest assured it’s a rescue who is loved, safe, and staying put.
There’s something special about walking through Hopefield. You’ll see rescued cows sunbathing without a care, ponies who once knew fear now trotting freely, and cheeky goats who can’t resist making new friends. It’s a reminder that compassion is contagious, and that the smallest act of kindness (including every visit, donation, or sharing our blogs or social media posts) can make a huge difference.
📍 Location: Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex
🕒 Opening Times: Friday to Monday, 10am until 3pm and every day during the school holidays, 10am until 4pm. The sanctuary is closed from 23rd December until late March / early April but you can still support us by joining our Save a Life monthly donation scheme, sending our animals a gift via our Amazon Wishlist, sponsoring our animals, volunteering with us, getting your dogs groomed at our onsite groomers, Brentwood Bubbles ‘N’ Barks, boarding your small pets with us at Hopefield Boarding for Small Animals, finding out more about our Legacy Club or donating to our Winter Campaign (which we usually launch in November).
🎟️ Tickets: BOOK HERE. We are open for general admission until 28th November, and then we go into our Christmas event. We also have our amazing Halloween Festival happening in the October half term.
Every visit helps us rescue, rehabilitate, and care for more animals who need a safe haven and we cannot thank you enough, so next time you’re planning a family day out in Essex, skip the commercial zoos and farms, and come meet the animals who’ve already been through so much, yet still greet the world with love.
Come for the animals. Stay for the hope.
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