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If you’re not sure what to do with kids in Welling, the George Mead Memorial Stables is a great idea to get out for a couple of hours!
George Mead Memorial Stables is a family run riding stables with farm animals, in memory of George, who sadly passed away aged 21 months old. The family want to share his love of horses and animals for other children to enjoy.
Despite being named a stables, there are so many more animals than just horses and ponies – it’s much more like a small farm! When we visited, we saw:
In addition to having a look at all the animals and feeding them with the supplied food (do not feed them anything other than the food provided!) you can also book onto pony rides!
There is a small play area for children with slides, swings, play houses and climbing frames which was a lovely addition, all with plenty of shredded rubber underfoot for soft landing. We visited on a Saturday, and there was a catering van selling drinks and food, as well as a bouncy castle – I’m not sure if these are there every day or only weekends, though. If your child is a fan of bouncy castles, they’ll love Toe Rags play group in Dartford – there’s a bouncy castle there every week!
They often hold special events too – when we visited they were hosting rock painting which was £2.50 per child. Other types of events they hold can be things like cake decorating, arts and crafts fairs, book sales, horse shows, dog shows, occasional events and lots more! They’re most active on Facebook, so if you want to keep an eye on upcoming special events or any updates or news, be sure to like their Facebook page.
The address for George Mead Memorial Stables is George Mead Memorial Stables, Upper Wickham Lane, Welling DA16 3EP, and it is open from 10am-4pm every day.
From what we could see there is no on site parking, but plenty of free street parking in the roads surrounding. We parked right outside Lodge Hill Playground which is a great park to extend your day out after visiting the farm in Welling.
Here’s the best part – George Mead Memorial Stables is free! As a non profit it solely relies on donations, so if you’re able to, please do donate on your way out (there’s a little well to drop your money in by the gate!).
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We visited George Mead Memorial Stables on Saturday 26th February 2022. It was easy to find, and we were able to find street parking easily – we parked outside Lodge Hill Playground, on Lodge Hill.
On arrival we were admittedly a little confused that there wasn’t a kiosk or anybody welcoming us, but I guess we’re much more used to more stereotypical, large farms! We passed the playground area, promising my eldest we’d play after seeing the animals, and started walking around the animal enclosures.
The paths were boggy in some areas, but our Uppababy Vista pram, the beast that is, didn’t have any problems. In hindsight, I definitely should have just popped my youngest into our trusty ergobaby carrier and left the buggy in the car. If you’re able to babywear then I definitely would recommend it when visiting this farm – boots are also a must if it’s recently rained, as is a good waterproof coat. I’ve been loving my Lighthouse Clothing Outrider 3/4 Length Raincoat recently – it gives Sherlock Holmes vibes but is smart and practical, and great to wear on blustery walks and family days out.
Arthur, my 2 year old, had a great time seeing the animals. He loved that the animals came up to the fence and were happy to be petted, and found it hilarious that the goats climb up onto the fence to say hello! He wasn’t a fan of the ostriches (or emus – I’m not sure exactly what they were!) and was a little bit scared walking past them, but in the same breath he hasn’t stopped talking about them since we’ve been home.
On our way around the farm we saw people feeding the animals animal feed and carrots – on our way out we noticed that there is a big stand full of animal feed at the entrance which we must have missed on our way in. There were no signs displaying the cost of these, so I can only presume that these were free, but please of course remember to donate on your way out.
Once we finished seeing all the animals, our son had a play on the play equipment – there was even a bouncy castle when we visited so he had great fun!
The George Mead Memorial Stables and Farm in Welling was truly such a lovely find (thank you to the mum friend of mine that recommended it to me – you know who you are!). If you’re local to Welling or passing through the area the I highly recommend stopping by!
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PS – If you visit off the back of my recommendation, please tag me in your photos on Instagram and use the hashtag #JodetopiaInKent
Are you looking for other ideas for family days out in Kent? Why not try Dinotropolis in Bluewater, or if you fancy venturing further then I highly recommend Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford!
