Burntwood Alpaca & Animal Experience

You're standing in a field near Rugeley watching someone's alpaca spit - and honestly, it's brilliant. Burntwood Alpaca & Animal Experience is exactly what it says on the tin: a working alpaca farm where you can get up close with the animals and a selection of other creatures they keep on site. The alpacas are the main draw, obviously. They're weirdly elegant and constantly entertaining, whether they're being polite or deciding your shoulder looks like lunch.

It's the sort of place where families with young children absolutely thrive. Kids get hands-on experience feeding and handling the animals rather than just pointing at them through fences. Older children and adults will find it relaxing if you're not expecting something wildly elaborate - it's a farm visit, not a theme park.

The experience works brilliantly as a mid-week break activity if you're camping at Cannock Chase Camping & Caravanning Club Site or one of the other sites dotted around the area - you're only 2.5 miles away from the nearest base. Combine it with a walk through the actual Cannock Chase forest and you've got yourself a proper morning sorted. Expect to spend a couple of hours here without rushing. Alpacas aren't performers; they do things on their own schedule.

Check ahead for admission fees and opening times before you head over - details aren't readily available online, which means a quick phone call beats a wasted journey.