Bickley Hall Farm

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is the leading environmental charity in Cheshire offering high quality environmental education field trips and sessions to schools or community groups. We provide fantastic opportunities for outdoor learning at a range of locations across the county all complimenting the National Curriculum. All our delivery staff are experienced environmental educators, first aid trained and DBS checked. We provide risk assessments for all our activities.

Bickley Hall Farm Wildlife Discovery centre is located in south Cheshire around three miles from the village of Malpas and around eight miles from Nantwich between the A49 and A41. The 210acre (85ha) site allows children to experience both farming and wildlife first hand.

The countryside classroom is a converted barn which provides an excellent indoor facility to support our fantastic outdoor education opportunities. The 100 year old traditional farm buildings have been converted into 2 fully equipped classrooms with bag storage, girls and boys toilets with hand washing facilities and a kitchen with tea and coffee making facilities. It is based in the heart of our wildlife-friendly working farm surrounded by native-breed livestock and plenty of wildlife. There is a safe self-contained outdoor education nature area set in stunning countryside looking out toward the Cheshire Sandstone Ridge. It provides a place for children to play learn and discover.

Bickley Hall Farm is a great place to bring a school group for an outdoor environmental education session. It provides a safe environment where children can discover, explore and learn about the natural world. The farm hosts a range of wildlife habitats which are accessible and excellent for educational use.

There are seven ponds on site, some of which are suitable for pond dipping session and are home to the many aquatic species including protected Great Crested Newt. There are also hedgerows and wild flower rich grassland which provide excellent habitat for minibeast, butterflies, moths, small mammals and many arable farmland birds.

Bar Mere, an SSSI borders the site and is an excellent place to see Dragon and Damselflies, Kingfisher, Great Crested Grebes and many more species. Other wildlife living on the farm includes badgers, harvest mice, water fowl, bats, lesser silver water beetle and barn owl.

At Bickley Hall Farm Cheshire Wildlife Trust caters for all ages. We offer varied environmental education packages linked to the national curriculum embracing Science, Geography, Maths, English, Art and Design and History over early years and all key stages. We focus on exploring the four seasons, Living things in their natural habitat, Wildlife friendly farming, People farming and wildlife, Cheshire’s icy past. We can also offer fun Team building activities.

A typical visit to Bickley Hall Farm would involve a largely outdoor learning experience where children immerse themselves in wildlife explorations such as pond dipping and minibeast hunting. By studying wildlife and the wild place first hand they will learn about life cycles, food chain, interdependencies and adaptations of species. Remote camera equipment and a goosenecked camera used for magnification in a sharing situation give a close view of either very small or very secretive wild creatures. Games, stories and art activities are used throughout to reinforce learning.

Visits can be tailored to accommodate groups differing circumstances and needs. Our website gives details of the frame work around which we tailor our offer.

• A chance to learn about farming practices, in particular the importance of conservation grazing in farmland habitats. Children will experience farm animals first hand and learn how their husbandry can benefit wildlife. Thus developing an appreciation of how farming and wildlife can have a harmonious relationship.Farmland habitat studies which will involve real life wildlife experiences. These educational sessions will look at farm habitats such as ponds and ditches providing first hand wildlife experiences
• A study of nature’s harvest looking at autumn fruits and seeds and how this can provide food for both wildlife and people.
• Art – art on the farm is an important part of many sessions taught here when we use the world around us to inspire a piece of art which the children can take away
• We also offer an option to spend the afternoon in the woodland at Cholmondeley Castle for woodland minbeast hunting, tree study art and games.