Alpaca, Donkey and goat walking and experiences at Felley Ranch

Walking around Felley Ranch with an alpaca in tow is properly brilliant - they're soft, inquisitive, and utterly unbothered by your fumbling with the lead. The goats are equally entertaining, bouncing about and attempting to nibble your jacket, while the donkeys offer a gentler pace if you prefer something less chaotic. You get to spend proper time with the animals rather than just gawping through a fence, which makes a real difference.

It's the sort of place that genuinely works for families with young kids who've had enough of sitting in the car. Parents with stroppy teenagers might find it just engaging enough to avoid the phone-staring epidemic, though probably not for long. Walkers passing through the Alfreton area will appreciate it as a break from the Derbyshire paths, though it's hardly a full day's entertainment on its own.

The experience format means you're getting hands-on interaction rather than passive observation, which costs a bit more than standard zoo entry but feels worth it. Allow an hour or so depending on how much you faff about with the animals - and you will faff about. It sits well alongside the nearby holiday parks: Riddings Wood and Golden Valley are both within a short drive, so you could easily tack this onto a caravan weekend without overthinking it. Go on a quieter weekday if you can stomach the school run timing - the animals are noticeably more relaxed when there's not a queue of people waiting.