REVIEW: Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm's Shaun the Sheep AR Trail

A mere 6-mile drive out of Bristol, down some beautiful yet winding country lanes (not far from National Trust Tynsfield site), you will find Noah's ark, a family-owned zoo and activity park set in 100 acres of glorious North Somerset countryside.

On top of its usual animals, play barns, and interactive petting zoos, Noah's ark is now also the home, for summer 2023, to the brand new HIDE AND SHEEP AR trail from Aardman. The trail is free to participate in and runs every day from 1st April 2023 - 3rd Sept 2023, weather permitting.

Grab your fun Shaun hats and park map as you enter, and pop on a comfy pair of shoes as you embark on a hunt around the whole site to locate and take photos with 11 different AR Shaun the sheep. 

Look out for the markers to scan with your app, as they’re hidden far and wide (HINT: some are close together, are some aren't) 

This is a great day out and can literally span the whole day if you take things slow enough and stop at all the play parks. You could also quite comfortably do this in an afternoon if you don’t have lots of little legs slowing you down.

The special app you need to do the trail itself is bright, colourful, simple to use, and has some great familiar sound effects. The kids really enjoyed taking AR photos with a wide variety of different Shaun the sheep in different locations all around the park. This is a great activity for fair to good weather (I don’t think you would have too much fun if it were raining), and we recommend wearing suitable footwear as even though it wasn’t raining when we went, there were some really muddy spots around. There are lots of animals and play parks throughout the site to keep all ages entertained (and where adults can have a nice sit down while being able to see the kids play).

We found 9 out of 11 in the 4 hours we were on site, but there were a couple of places, such as the maze and the lookout tower, that was just a bit too much for our tired little legs to manage, and we suspect those might be where the last 2 markers were located.

Worth noting:

• A recent smartphone (check their website for specs, but the app has been developed for devices that run at least Android 7 and upwards and ARCore) and a free-to-download app are required for this trail 
• The wifi and reception on site are very weak, so I highly recommend downloading and setting the app up BEFORE you go. 
• The app itself can be quite glitchy while using it, but we found if you put your phone on airplane mode, it improves its performance. 
• Getting Shaun aligned properly can be a bit tricky sometimes, but if you close the app and re-open it to recalibrate, then it seemed to do the trick. 
• You can save your fun snaps directly to your camera roll from the app.
• No dogs are allowed on site (except guide dogs).

Ticket prices: 

The trail is free to do, but general admission to the park is required in order to get to the trail 

• £23 per adult 
• £18.80 for those under 16s 
• Under 2’s are free.

Opening times:

Opening times are seasonal, so it’s best to check their website directly, but generally, through the nicer months (Feb - Nov), They are open 7 days per week, 1030am - 5 pm. The last entry is 3 pm.

Getting there:

It’s a short drive from Bristol / Portishead / surrounding areas with free on-site parking.

For those using public transport, there is a bus stop directly outside the entrance to the site. Please check local bus timetables for more information on days/times/services.

Accessibility: 

There are a lot of hills and dirt paths, and these are suitable for more robust prams and buggies. We did see a few parents struggle with the rockier terrain with lighter pushchairs.

You can hire mobility scooters and wheelchairs should you need one from Noah's ark directly, but some of these services carry a charge and require you to call ahead and book in advance.

Food & drink:

There are a few different onsite cafes and places to grab food and drink that generally cater to most dietary requirements. Still, it is worth noting that we found these very expensive and would be inaccessible to many families on a budget (£7 for a Panini or pasty, £1.20 for a packet of crisps, and £3 for a basic smarties ice cream), so with 2 take away coffees and 3 basic ice creams costing over £15, we suggest it wise to try and bring your own drinks and snacks. There are lots of picnic tables both inside and outside where you can stop and have lunch, and you are free to bring in whatever food and drink you wish. 

Summary: 

This is overall a great option for a lovely day out with the kids to tire them out and see some lovely animals and make Shaun sheep-shaped memories along the way.

While the AR trail itself is free to do, to help keep costs down, we do recommend taking your own food and drink to help offset the entrance fees (for an average family of 2 adults and 2 school-age kids, this would cost £83 in total entry (if you book in advance these are slightly discounted). These prices are slightly higher than similar attractions in the area and do make it slightly inaccessible to some families due to price. If you are on a budget, as long as you factor in the entry fees and take your own food, this is a lovely day out for all the family.

To find out more please visit their website here.

Written by Laura from @mama.massive & www.mamamassive.co.uk 

Laura is a highly experienced Blogger, Copywriter, Content Creator, and Marketing Manager based on the outskirts of Bristol / North Somerset where she lives with her partner, daughter, and cats.

She has over a decades worth of experience within the world of social media, advertising, and marketing in both a corporate and freelance capacity having worked across a multitude of industries including music, construction, and leisure. She currently also runs her own successful blog / Instagram where she covers topics such as parenthood, lifestyle, and reviews of both products and places.

Laura applies a creative flair and strategy to whatever she does and has an extensive portfolio of creative work backed by data-driven results.

When Laura isn't working, she likes to spend her time at the theatre, listening to true crime podcasts, or doing her favourite thing in the world... sleeping.