Staffordshire farm park PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm has been highly commended at the 2025 National Farm Attraction Network (NFAN) awards.
The venue was named runner up in the Jim Keetch Best Large Farm Attraction at a prestigious ceremony at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens – the first time it had been nominated for the top award.
Other finalists included Farmer Palmers Farm Park in Dorset, Stockeld Park in North Yorkshire, Tulleys Farm in West Sussex and the winner, Hall Hill Farm in Durham.
Since opening in 2020 after lockdown, PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm has welcomed more than 450,000 visitors. The farm offers a mix of indoor and outdoor play, animal zones and farm-themed educational activities, along with seasonal ticketed events throughout the year.
Farmer Richard Bower, who runs PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm with his father Ray on their 750-acre working beef and arable farm just outside Penkridge, said: “We’re still pinching ourselves. It was an absolute honour to be named a finalist in these awards, and against such established competition we never expected to be recognised any further.
“It’s an amazing result and testament to the great team we have built that go above and beyond to ensure families have a fantastic day out with us on the farm. We’re not going to rest on our laurels, though – we have some exciting new events planned in 2025, including a daffodil walk and spring tulip fields event, and have started work on the expansion of our indoor play area and animal zones, as well as improvements to the outdoor play. This is just the start.”
Tom Pearcy, NFAN chair, added: “So much hard work goes into running a successful farm attraction, and we are proud of the brilliance of all our members. These awards once again demonstrate just how high the bar has been set in terms of this industry’s ability to deliver memorable experiences and high-quality service to visitors.”
PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm has previously received a number of awards, including recognition at the Enjoy Staffordshire Food & Tourism Awards as Best New Visitor Attraction in 2022 and Best Small Visitor Attraction of the Year in 2023. It was also named Family Business of the Year at the 2024 Express & Star Business Awards and was a finalist in the 2024 Staffordshire University Business Awards.
