Marsh Farm Country Park  is probably the most well known place to visit in South Woodham Ferrers. It's a great place for families with young children.

There's a farm trail to follow which takes visitors around the paddocks with sheep and goats, into the chicken run, past the horses and into the farm itself with its modern piggery, cow and sheep pens.

Children will enjoy the swing park and indoor soft play area. Various interactive educational exhibits are found in the different areas of the farm and visitors can watch the cows being milked, and animals fed. Pony and tractor rides are available during the summer months at peak times. There's also a tea shop and excellent gift shop. Family season tickets are available.

Tropical Wings Butterfly Farm

The Tropical Wings Butterfly Farm is relatively new addition to South Woodham Ferrers.  It is located behind the Four Acres farm shop at the bottom of the Old Wickford Road, just before it joins the A132. A mini tropical butterfly paradise has been created inside a greenhouse complex.  Visitors may wander through this indoor garden and watch enormous exotically coloured butterflies fly over the surface of the waterlilies in the pond or settle on the beautiful flowers.  Children will delight in seeing the large fat hairy caterpillars munching their way through leaves. Plant enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy seeing exotic plants and creepers flourishing in the tropical indoor climate. You and your children will also be able to hold a conversation with a variety of brightly coloured parrots, which were housed in a separate room when we visited. A few chickens, pigs and goats add a little more interest.  There is a small seated area for light refreshments.

The farm shop itself specialises in organic food and local produce. It has an excellent freezer section where customers can purchase frozen fruit and vegetables by the scoopful.

Close to South Woodham Ferrers

Battlesbridge Antiques Centre is a pleasant place to visit, especially on a summer afternoon.  The old mill houses a collection of businesses, not all directly related to antiques, but worthy of interest.  Visitors will find numerous antique shops and market stalls open at weekends. The village pubs offer good food at sensible prices to complete an enjoyable day. Battlesbridge is about 4 miles away from SWF, slightly further south on the A130 from Rettendon turnpike.

Southend on Sea (half an hours drive), apart from being one of the tackiest seaside resorts in the country, offers a fun day out  for families with numerous amusements, funfair, theatres, Sea World, and the pier with its railway.  Adult, evening entertainment is available in the form of clubs, pubs, theatres, cinemas and a casino.

Festival Leisure Park in Basildon (8 miles away) - The Festival Leisure Park is a purpose built entertainment complex with several nightclubs, multi-screen cinema, bowling alley, and numerous restaurants, built around an enormous free car park.

Parents with young children will appreciate the indoor ball pond and soft play area which is attached to the HoneyPot restaurant-pub.  Your children can play safely whilst you recharge your batteries over a drink and bag of crisps. The restaurant also caters for children's parties.

There's a terrific new soft play centre for young children next door to the swimming pool in Maldon, called Madison Heights.  It covers two floors and has an exciting Bouncy Castle, very high slides, and loads of fun stuff for children from the ages of 2 upwards.  A cafe overlooks the play areas so that parents can try to get a moments peace and a snack. They also cater for children's parties.

Another part of the building houses a state-of-the-art bowling alley, pool tables and a bar/cafe.

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