The Garden House
Charity and Care Farm in Marple, Stockport
The Garden House Marple
Social Farm and Community Garden
Welcome to The Garden House
‘Enhancing the wellbeing and empowerment of individuals and the wider community through heritage and the natural environment’
The Garden House is a registered charity and community farm in Marple, Stockport providing a calm place of wellbeing for families, individuals, groups and organisations.
We’re home to a variety of animals including; Pigs, Alpacas, Rabbits, Goats, Shetland Ponies, Donkeys and Guinea Pigs. Our sensory garden and riverside walk offer a tranquil space to enjoy nature.
Public entry is by a recommended minimum donation of £5 per person. You can make a donation on entry by cash or on your phone. Under 3s go free. Booking is required for any visiting group of 6 or more. Please enquire here
We’re open 10-4 Tuesday to Sunday and CLOSED every Monday, including Bank Holiday Mondays, for essential maintenance.
The day to day running of the farm and the Riverside Cafe and Icy Bar is led by a dedicated team of volunteers.
We welcome organisations and groups who support children and young adults with a range of physical and mental health challenges and we can provide opportunity for a low cost one-off group visit or regular placements.
We promote sustainability, active lives through nature, and raise awareness of mental health and animal welfare.
Nick Griffiths
16:16 28 Apr 25
An unexpected treasure. Lovely spot with a good range of things to do apart from the animals which are great.
Patrik Krizek
11:08 28 Apr 25
A charming community farm nestled by the River Goyt in Marple. Operated by volunteers, it offers a serene environment with a variety of animals, including alpacas, goats, pigs, and Shetland ponies. The sensory garden and riverside walk provide a peaceful setting for visitors. Entry is by a suggested donation of £5 per person, with under-3s going free. The Riverside Café serves light refreshments and ice creams. While the site is generally well-maintained, some visitors have noted areas needing attention. It's a lovely spot for families and nature enthusiasts.
Peter Hallam
22:12 24 Apr 25
The intention of the garden house must be commended but the lack of funding and animal management and care is more than apparent. Today we took our three year old granddaughter again, the water troughs for the animals are full of green algae and look awful, they’ve been like this the last three visits we’ve made. And the four water bottles in the guinea pigs enclosure were absolutely bone dry, we filled them up and the guinea pigs could not stop drinking, another visitor, a lady also with her grandchild followed us in and said she’d also recently had to fill the water bottles for the guinea pigs as they were empty. I came away feeling uncomfortable about the welfare and care of the animals. I appreciate that the organisation has to rely on funding and donations but it appears that these donations aren’t reaching the level where care meets the ongoing animal welfare requirements. Without additional funding and resources with a more professional animal welfare programme I wouldn’t be comfortable knowing the Garden House remains open.
Jay Diamond
15:26 10 Apr 25
Great little community farm, in a lovely place where you could have a walk if you wished. There's swings and a slide for the children too, and definitely worth a visit. The only downside is cafe only really serves toasties and ran out of bread early in the day so we had to leave for lunch, which was a shame.
R
13:15 18 Mar 25
Nice place to be outdoors with kids, it's pretty by the river and there's a little play area and a range of animals, sand pit & some pans etc to bang for sensory play. Bit run down/rough & ready. Good size car park but be aware it's up and unmade, pothole-y road.
Anna Bridgehouse
16:49 23 Feb 25
Not worth the £5pp they ask for. Not much to see, the place needs a bit of TLC
S Sykes
22:52 26 Jan 25
Been going for years always given a donation bought 4 or 5 hot chocalates ect even signed the petition a few times prior to covid...lastvtime I went in 2024 I put z fiver plus all spare change in bucket probly around £8Me missus baby and son ....owner come over said £20 entry I'd £5 each ....told him it takes the pss many others behind us turned around tooNo restoration going on just greed now
Malc Walstow
15:31 18 Jan 25
Staff need to get act together. Spoke to two male staff . Both friendly but ultimately not in charge and the keyholder was late. Operates on a donations basis. Struggled with QR code to donate. The place itself needs a bit of love. Run down and animals to me didn't look happy.
Emdawgs
13:05 15 Jan 25
Fabulous place! Not only is there a farm and plenty to do for my little one, the walk along the river is so scenic and refreshing ???? Come here often with my 3 year old and we always have lots of fun! Staff always smiling and helpful at the cafe xAlso bought some of the fresh eggs from there yesterday... they are divine thank you so much! Will definitely be getting more they are far better than supermarket eggs. Nice bright orange yolks ????
Jake Stringer
12:22 01 Nov 24
There isn’t really much to do, unless you lived close by it isn’t worth the energy
Mikeandbecks Jozefczyk
17:24 17 Oct 24
Visited again last week. I absolutely love this place. Hidden gem. Great place to bring teenagers who prefer quiet, young adults who may be anxious and not enjoy the crowds. Can walk around as many times as like and discover all animals. Gorgeous pigs, donkeys, goats and chickens enjoying themselves. There are ping pong tables for a quick out side game, children's play equipment. A river to walk along. A cafe to sit have a snack and drink. Squirrels running up and down the trees. Some animals look like they are rescue animals and are obviously being taken care of by the farm.
leia frater
18:48 04 Oct 24
such an amazing and inspiring place! one of my favourite visits for a long time! such welcoming staff and friendly animals ????
Anita Barber
08:03 02 Sep 24
Feel like it's gone a little bit unkempt. Strong smell of urine in the guinea pig pen. Chairs and tables very dirty.
Garry Harrison
08:30 31 Aug 24
Great fun day out with the grandchildren. Lots of climbing frames. Animals. Cafe. Toilets.
Sarah Dwyer
16:39 13 Aug 24
After checking the website and speaking to friends who had visited I decided to park in the car park next to the midland pub rather than use the farm car park - I was told the road was incredibly pot-holed. It took a little whilst to find the entrance to the river side walk to take us to the farm but eventually we did, though it would be helpful if there was some sort of signage there rather than just further on as you really don’t know if you’re going in the right direction or not!The farm itself is a little shabby looking but given that it’s a charity and all volunteer led you don’t really mind. We went on a gloriously sunny day in the summer holidays and it was very quiet but the staff in the cafe area and walking about were very friendly. The food was nice for a nibble and not over priced. For spending an hour or so to get the kids out it’s worth it on a nice day.
Terri Oldacre
12:12 07 Aug 24
Lovely place to take little ones. Play areas and animals to look at. Little cafe for lunch too. Entrance is a suggested donation of £5 per person. This is a charity run place.
James B
17:05 31 Jul 24
Good for children but I’m an adult, and the staff are all disabled so it is really a good thing
Ruth Murray
23:14 28 Jul 24
Small farm you can walk around with 10 minutes. No petting or feeding allowed.
Sara L
07:25 21 Jul 24
Love this place, the kids always have a wonderful time here seeing the animals, playing in the park and dipping the toes in the river when it’s warm. I’ve come to know the owner of this place over time who is absolutely amazing and very passionate about his work and always goes the extra mile to accommodate everyone
Rich Kenyon
15:04 29 Jun 24
Quite a good place for young children, with a small collection of animals to see and some swings etc. Café is OK but very basic & pretty useless on a cold wet day. Service is very, very slow because of 1 member of staff who moves slower than a snail. He needed a calculator to work out the change from a £10 note for an £8.50 bill. BTW - tried to charge me £10.50 at first. Next customer was overcharged too, so be warned. Far too many signs begging for donations too.
Jordan Marshall
21:28 25 May 24
Fantastic Charity run farm to visit, staff very friendly and helpful, play area for children, with an oniste cafe.
mol
15:14 21 May 24
So disappointed by our visit. i previously emailed to confirm if the site had guinea pigs that we were able to hold, we were told yes which was the reason for our visit. when we arrived the site was so underwhelming and several animals seemed to be in a bad condition, particularly the donkeys.we went over to the guinea pig area where the guinea pigs were labelled as being anxious, and to not attempt to hold them. we respected this of course, but were obviously frustrated to have been told otherwise before visiting. the guinea pigs were also left with no water in any of the 4 bottles they had. i went and told a member of staff about this as they were attempting to drink but couldn’t, and was told they’d sort it. the staff member did not sort it whilst we were there and did not seem bothered by this.in the duck and chicken enclosure there was a hen that was in a very small hutch who seemed completely distressed. there were also baby ducks and chickens roaming in this section, with signs saying “give us space, we’re new”. we watched people holding and following the animals, with no staff to enforce giving them space, or ensuring their wellbeing.our visit lasted for 20 minutes, and we left feeling disappointed that we supported a place that did not seem to care enough about the wellbeing of their animals.
Holliewilman
11:04 12 May 24
Wouldn’t recommend at all , all the animals had skin issues , there were chickens with sores on the backend which looked infected and every enclosure had dirty green water with very little food (the ponies were desperate to have some grass as their enclosure had none ) . All the play areas for children were dirty and didn’t seem safe .Also there were donation posters everywhere ! It didn’t seem necessary as we already donated at the gate.
Alex Norman
10:39 12 May 24
Let me start by saying the only reason this review is getting one star is due to sizeable enclosure/s the animals were in. Aside from that fact, there is very little that is appealing about this place.Many of the animals were in a less than acceptable condition, particularly the chickens. The water in their troughs was almost entirely green and completely stagnant. The donkeys looked as though they had a skin condition that was causing their hair to fall out. There was very little food for the donkeys and horses.The play area for children was also less than satisfactory, it looked barely able to take the weight of my 2 year old son, never mind that of an older child.To top it all off, every other sign around the park was telling you to "please donate", as though it was voluntary. I say that as before we even walked through the gate, an older gentleman was stood there telling us it is entry by donation, but last time I checked a donation is voluntary by definition, but for the sake of my son I paid the £5, albeit it regretfully by the end of our visit which lasted all of about 25 minutes.Overall, I would really not recommend this place for a a visit of any kind.
Cerridwen Ford
07:21 07 Apr 24
Lovely little farm with fantastic play area. The river that runs along side is great for walks and playing around. Nice picnic spots as well.
Alex H
16:29 30 Mar 24
Grim. Outdated and tired/filthy play equipment, not many animals, “cafe” was terrible. A real shame as lots could be done quite quickly and cheaply to improve the set up, but it just feels totally unloved and messy.
David Gunther
13:46 28 Mar 24
Good place to look at some animals and go for a walk. Please donate and help support the care of the animals.
Olivia
14:21 10 Feb 24
One of my favourite places in the world. Love to see how happy and well looked after the animals are! Everyone is friendly and the walk through the woods into Marple is very nice too. Thank you!
C H
06:07 03 Jan 24
Awful. Nothing really there. Everything is dirty and make sure you take hand sanitizer and wipes
Steve Hatton
15:45 22 Nov 23
Thanks for everything you do and what you have all created - it gives us all hope for humanity!
Tracy Wilding
23:21 19 Nov 23
Fantastic experience for kids many animals, lovely walk by river, play area good with a few facilities to buy drinks,ice creams, also toilet facilities well worth going .
Liz Saville
13:57 18 Nov 23
Good selection of animals and cafe nice and reasonably priced. Put your wellies on if damp. Donation entry so easy.
Joanne
13:28 26 Aug 23
A pleasant enough wander round for an hour. Decent playground for kids and plenty to keep them busy. Lots of chairs around to sit on.The river walk is really lovely and would be great to paddle in during hot weather.Greatly advise parking somewhere else and walking down if you can, the road to the actual car park is abysmal.
Colette Boswell
07:43 26 Aug 23
What a fantastic place. My 5 year old niece loves it here. Not only animals but play areas for the children and a lovely little cafe. This place is a gem of a find and being a charity too. I'd rather give my money to visit here
Peter McMurray
14:41 18 Aug 23
Just posted one star by mistake, should have been FIVE stars love this place with our grand daughter, great day out .
Chris Barnard
08:09 14 Aug 23
Lots of animals. Alpacas, donkeys, rabbit, Shetland ponies, goats,pigs and chickens..
Sofie Lou
06:19 04 Jun 23
Lovely hidden gem ran by volunteers. Variety of animals, food available and ice cream at reasonable prices. My 18month old had a brilliant time. They ask for a donation. Large car park but can also park in the car park near the midland pub and walk down the trail where you will find the secret tunnel!
Aaron Michael
17:14 28 May 23
Great place to visit, lots of animals cared for by voluntary staff, all very friendly people, animals are well looked after, wide variety, where else would you get to meet an alpaca? Great day out and for and goes towards a worthy cause.
Emmer Winder
06:15 09 May 23
Not a huge farm but you can spent 2 hours wondering round and have a coffee in the cafe. Beautiful little garden too. Quails are the best birds to visit!
Jimi Cooper
20:10 07 Apr 23
Really nice day out as a family here. My daughter loved the animals. There is also a play area and cafe. For the price of the donation to the charity which we were more than happy to pay
Jack Jarvis
11:51 01 Apr 23
Amazing morning spent here in the Easter holidays. Well worth the entry donation fee (£5). Cafe was good too, prices have gone up recently but that’s to be expected! Very good value and will be returning soon! Donkeys and chickens were the highlight!
Lisa Hillman
19:51 17 Sep 22
Definitely a highly recommended from us. Great family trip out. Play area is great. Animals are friendly and well looked after.Great ice cream. Definitely recommend
Jana S
21:10 08 Aug 22
Love it there, visited 2nd time, very peaceful place surrounded by trees, my children 3, 6 and 9 had a great time, spent there 3-4 hours. Few small play areas, sand pit tennis table, slides and swings. Not a petting farm so visitors cannot feed the animals but you can touch the run away pigs or friendly lamas. Shallow river on site where children can soak their feet and throw some rocks.Free entry with voluntary donation is a bonus.Ice cream, food and drinks can be purchased from from little buffet, toilets and washing facilities on site.
Keith Edleston
05:49 27 Jun 22
Great place to visit with the kids, such a heart warming place to go. All volunteers who work hard to make sure the animals are looked after and plenty for visitors to see/do. Definitely go again
Basheer Khan
17:11 15 May 22
The farm is nice for kids to visit and see the various animals but there is also a fabulous place to walk along the river which is really peaceful and calming, snuggled under loads of trees. There is also a little spot at the farm where you can get close to the water and dip your feet in when it gets hotter. Will definitely be going there again!
Lenka Treskova
07:11 01 Apr 22
Lovely place for children! My little one loved it. There is cafe so you can get some refreshments. It's also dog friendly (on lead at all times) which is great
Leona Kenyon
10:20 28 Mar 22
A cute little community farm, perfect for a lovely afternoon out. Free but a donation is grateful so we paid the suggested £3 each which was worth it. My daughter loved it. Although you can’t actually feed the animals anymore, we were lucky enough to be around when the staff were so they let my daughter join in. The lovely lady volunteer answered lots of her questions & was happy to teach her a few things about the animals and you could tell she enjoyed working there and passing on her knowledge.There are a few free roaming animals and animals behind the wired fence, but you still get a good interaction with them.Cute little cafe under a shelter, that sold lovely chocolate cake at a fair price.The river side walk is lovely and peaceful, especially on a sunny day. With different birds to spot in the trees.There is a little play area and wishing well & great hand washing facilities.If your looking for a pleasant morning or afternoon out then here is perfect. Not sure you could do a full day there as it is just a small place. However perfect way to support local farm/community & entertainment the kids without the massive expense!
Emma Fenlon
00:16 26 Mar 22
Absolutely lovely day out - has a bit of everything! What was meant to be a couple of hours turned into a whole day of fun and exploration! Thank you! Much more than worth the suggested donation.
Human McBeing
16:30 16 Sep 21
Absolutely loved our visit here. Animals are well looked after and a few are wandering about freely,friendly too. Free entry but donations welcome. Helpful staff and a great walk by the river too.Definitely worth a visit for animal lovers and nature fanatics.
Robyn Mckay
14:14 14 Sep 21
Fantastic local community farm, all staff are volunteers and are super friendly. Great place for kids and family. There’s a lovely little cafe on site too, there’s many activities you can do from petting the animals, walking along the river bank, little sand pits for the children, a zip wire. I would highly recommend visiting. The Garden House rely solely on donations to keep the place running.
colin mills
07:29 13 Sep 21
The Garden House is a great day out for all the family. The staff are friendly and helpful and the animals look healthy. It also provides volunteer work and work placements for people with special needs, which is extremely beneficial for them. I'm very impressed by the care and attention for all concerned on the farm. The owner is also very friendly and kind.Nicola Mills.
Peter Bushell
12:03 01 Sep 21
Great day out for the family FREE entrance only donations which is good but if recommend a minimum of £5 as I've seen people put about 80p in from such and amazing place for the kidsKids get to play see animals and have a walk around a river what more could you ask for fit FREE? owners was nice and friendly greeted us as we entered and told us about the area and what's going on today which was goodHIGHLY RECOMMENDED5 ⭐
Christine Boden
13:12 31 Aug 21
Lovely little place with some animals and a play area, beautiful little river surrounded by forest to the side. Ice cream and food/coffee available (nice bacon barm).Be warned, the road to get there is very bumpy/holey!Just up the road is the ruins of an old mill and more views to explore
Cath Hand
22:54 24 Aug 21
Lovely place, friendly staff. Good selection of animals. Great children's play areas. Lovely river walk.Unfortunately the road down to it could wreck your tyres as it had very deep potholes.
Zappy Lynn
23:41 22 Aug 21
Rustic, natural, a great story to its history, beside the River Goyt too. We'll kept animals, allowed to roam freely when it's their turn.. Funny alpacas & pot bellied pigs, not forgetting lots of goats Plenty other animals too. Fab play areas. Yes several!Lovely staff. Very reasonably priced all round, incl the fab ice cream from the kiosk.Low key, family half a day out.Basic but sufficient choice from the cafe. Good coffee too.
Katrin Randles
17:28 12 Aug 21
Brilliant place to visit. Really well organized. Big thank you so all the staff who were very friendly and helpful. Definitely will visit again.
Stuart Montgomery
06:50 25 May 21
We had a lovely walk along the river to here from Marple Bridge. Never knew this place existed until a month ago. A lovely set up with pigs, goats, ponies and alpacas and a children's play area. Lots of seating. Unfortunately the 'cafe' let this place down. We were going to have coffee and cake but the queue was so long and slow, we left. They are missing a big opportunity here to make money for the farm. I'm really not sure why they were spending ages making bacon butties!!!?? Simple, quick food is all that is need in my opinion.
