PG42-44 Old MacDonald Final 3/26/07 2:34 PM Page 42
Park Profile
From the fair
to the farm
Joseph Jnr and Chanel Manning
Joseph Manning had been looking to take on an back as 1355, but has operated as a visitor
attraction of some kind for a number of years. The attraction since 1994. Though children loved visiting
UK amusement operator never would have to see the animals, it wasn't, believed Joseph, the
guessed, however, that he would soon be as well most exciting day out when he and his family first
versed on feeding sheep and breeding livestock as visited back in 2004. What excited them as much as
he is in maintaining rides and attractions. Welcome the content was the farm's location - right alongside
to life on the farm. London's M25 orbital motorway.
“There's 40,000 cars pass here every day!“ notes
L
ike his father before him, Joseph is known to eldest son Joseph Jnr. Such a large amount of
many in the industry for buying and selling rides passing trade convinced the Mannings of the site's
via the family business JEA Manning & Sons potential and, after getting the money together, they
International. He’s also a travelling showman, and his took over the 16-acre site and reopened it in April
well-run fairgrounds are a popular fixture throughout 2005.
the year at various sites in and around London. Both Having noted the success of other farms and small
Joseph and his brother Scott were looking to diversify, attractions around the country, and been particularly
but whereas Scott ended up on the South Coast at impressed with Sundown Park in Leicestershire, Joseph
Fort Fun in Eastbourne, a traditional seaside decided to continue down the same route at Old
amusement park, Joseph took on something a little MacDonald's Farm.
closer to home, geographically at least. A much wider selection of animals were introduced,
The farm provides a break from the
Located at Brentwood in Essex, Old MacDonald's including various rare breeds reflecting the farms of
noise and the traffic for Londoners Farm, as it's now known, began life as farm as far the world. Simple to understand ‘traffic light’ signage
was implemented so children knew which animals they
could or couldn't touch or feed, and a little more
imagination was put into the displays. The goats, for
example, must cross a bridge to get their food,
creating a great focal point for the younger visitor.
Extreme makeover
A lot of money was spent erecting new animal
enclosures, walkways and fencing, and some of the
old farm buildings, which had become rotten, were
dismantled or rebuilt. A 'mini FEC' was created by
adding play equipment and a seating area in a barn
alongside the café/gift ship, and this remains a
popular meeting place for parents and kids when it's
cold or wet outside.
New buildings are planned in the future too, which
should create a bit more visibility from the M25.
Planning regulations mean the Mannings can't exploit
the roadside location as well as they'd like to, but a
42 APRIL 2007