I’d heard of Snugbury’s and we’d seen the sign for it enough times passing through Nantwich on our way home from one of our trips, but we’d never been. I didn’t know what was there other than ice cream. But it was a hot day, and after a disappointing morning at Alton Towers we were in need of a refreshing treat, so this time when we was the Snugbury’s sign, we took a detour!
Just 40 minutes or so outside of Wrexham is Snugbury’s Ice Cream Farm and it’s more than just a shop selling ice cream. There’s animals to see, fun trails and statues, hot and cold drinks and did I mention ice cream? We followed the sign and the first thing we spotted was a giant Paddington Bear in the middle of a field. Just after this was the entrance to the car park.
Even for an afternoon on a random Sunday it was busy. We were in the overflow car park area which itself was pretty full. It was a hot day though and who doesn’t like an ice cream on a hot day? There were families with children, teenagers, adults, people waking their dogs, it was full of people taking advantage of the good weather.
The car parks lead you to a small courtyard area which was home to some of the farm buildings, the main ice cream parlour and, thankfully, some toilets. I was bursting.
The Ice Cream Parlour
The queue for ice creams was massive. Quite literally out the door and along the courtyard, but it was moving quickly. There are boards outside showing you the wide selection of ice creams so you can pick before you get in. I still hadn’t settled on a flavour by the time we’d gotten in, there’s that much!
Ice Cream Flavours
Amongst the smorgasbord of flavours there was vanilla, crème brulee, salted caramel, raspberry ripple, marmalade, Snugtella, cherry gateau and the one that appealed to Elliott the most: Death by Chocolate! You could get your ice cream in a variety of combinations. In a tub, cone, single scoop or double scoop with prices starting at around £3 for a scoop in a tub. It was ‘go big or go home’ for me with a double scoop cone of Creme Brulee and Cookie Dough, Jo went for a single cone Sea-salt Caramel, Evan went for Honeycomb in a tub and Elliott being Elliott was all for a tub of Death By Chocolate. He does like chocolate ice cream. Our total came to £15, so not cheap, but a nice treat.
You could even a special ‘frozzys’ ice cream just for the dogs for £3.
Drinks and More
Just around the corner opposite the massive Snugbury’s sign, there was another shop – the Snugbury’s pop up, selling ice creams and drinks. Here you could pick up hot drinks, teas and coffees from £3, milkshakes for £5, small ice cream tubs from £3.70 plus other snacks and chilled drinks. There were also some tables and chairs and a small canopy area to escape the sun.
It also had one of those massive wooden chairs for a photo op.
Dinosaur Trail
A fun little activity to enjoy while eating your ice cream was the dinosaur trail. Its nothing massive but a nice little addition. A winding path through the field leads you to find several large wicker dinosaur models. They were really good and quite detailed models too. You could see Stegosaurus, Diplodocus, a baby Styracosaurus, Triceratops and a T-Rex.
Paddington Bear
Standing proud in the centre of the field was the massive Paddington Bear statue. Replacing the previous statues like the Bee and Peter Rabbit, Paddington was a 50ft tall metal frame, stuffed with straw, with a hand painted blue cladding coat and woven willow iconic hat and suitcase. I can only imagine the size of the marmalade sandwich he’d be hiding in there. You can find info on the Paddington sculpture and the charity it supports at the Snugbury’s website.
Animals
Across the other side of the car park were some small animal pens. We could see some large goats, baby goats and a very tired looking pig. It was a hot day and he looked exhausted. Another nice little touch to make visiting Snugbury’s more of an experience.
Did We Enjoy Snugbury’s?
Snugbury’s was a great stop on our way home from Alton Towers and I really enjoyed it. It was only a fleeting, unplanned stop, but we had a good look around and there was plenty to see while enjoying our treats.
Pricey, yes, but no more pricey than other fancy ice cream parlours or coffee shops. It’s a treat, and isn’t mass produced so you’re always going to shell out a little more for the quality. Plus, its a farm with great views, free parking, animals and activities and is definitely worth a visit.
Find more about Snugbury’s here.
