Cool day out... ice cream farm is a top UK attraction
A FAMILY-run ice cream theme park has scooped the accolade of becoming one of the top 20 most visited free attractions in Britain.
Cheshire Ice Cream Farm in Tattenhall, Chester, was transformed from a struggling dairy operation to the world’s largest ice cream parlour.
Visit England has revealed that the park attracted 821,000 visitors last year, on a par with paid-for trips to the Houses of Parliament, Canterbury Cathedral and Hampton Court Palace.
Rides and attractions include a giant ice cream tree “overflowing with giant scoops of melting ice cream” and the Strawberry Falls crazy golf course, decorated with oversized candy cones.
Owners Tom and Margaret Fell sold off their herd of cows due to a cut in EU subsidies and embarked on a £5million farm transformation which has Europe’s largest indoor sand and water play area.
The couple’s son Jonathan said: “We could never have imagined we would be ranked above some of the most well-known attractions across the country.
“We’re in a rural location, so I think many families still want to go out and experience the countryside.”
The family source milk from a neighbouring farmer’s herd for ice cream.
A Visit England study found that the British Museum was the top most-visited free attraction followed by the National Gallery.