“Oooh! Look it’s a horsie!”
“Oooh! Ahhh! Isn’t he sweet?”
“It’s a SHE actually!”
I’ve just been helping out on a school trip to the Isle called Wight and listened to many of the above conversations from the girls aboard the coach who were very knowledgeable about equine matters. Year 5 & 6 children generally are knowledgeable about a particular subject and there were a number who were suitable gifted in horsey matters and were delighted to go to Brickfield’s Horse Country to see what they could see.
Being a somewhat equine knowledgeably-challenged individual I can honestly say, after seeing that this was one place we would be stopping on our tour of the Island, I wasn’t terribly looking forward to it…
***GETTING THERE***
Hop on a ferry / fast ferry / hovercraft from Portsmouth or Southampton and within half an hour you’re there.
Wightlink (www.wightlink.co.uk) are the biggest ferry operators with approximately 200 crossings a day and offer three routes onto the Island.
For example:
A sailing from Portsmouth to Fishbourne or Lymington to Yarmouth in the summer months will cost:
Cars etc up to 6 meters in length £37.00 (Day Return), £57.10 (1 day – 1 month stay) and £80.80 (flexible return).
Cars etc up to 6 meters in length plus a trailer £79.20 (Day Return), £98.00 (1 day – 1 month stay) and £123.20 (flexible return).
Obviously prices are higher in peak times and it’s far cheaper without a caravan or trailer.
It’s far cheaper too to take a night time crossing though that means from Portsmouth after 11.00pm!
A fast ferry operates on the Portsmouth – Ryde route and is for foot passengers only so if you intend to travel round it’s the train (not a great network on the island), the bus, the taxi or hiring a car when you get there.
The fast ferry takes only 15 mins to get there and the ticket prices range from £8.20 Adult Half Day Return (£4.20 for a child aged 5-15 inclusive) up to £13.60 Adult Standard Return valid for 90 days (£6.80 for a child).
Once you’re on the Island, Brickfields Horse Country is situated on the A3054 on the outskirts of Ryde, approximately 2 miles from the Fishbourne Ferry.
Bus number 44 stops right outside the main entrance.
***HOW MUCH DOES ENTRY COST?***
As I went with a rather large group I have no idea of the group cost of getting in, but I have found the following admission charges:
Adult £5.50, Senior Citizen £4.50 and Child £4.00
***WHAT’S THERE?***
Ummm… Horses?
Funnily enough, yes. And plenty of them of all sorts of shapes and sizes.
But first!
There is a museum dedicated to the horse with a full horse skeleton proudly heading up the collection. We had an incredibly interesting tour of this area provided for us being a school group, but I guess you would be able to ask someone to give you a tour if you really wanted one!
There is an extensive collection of old carriages dating back many years including an old horse and man powered fire engine, a septic tank on wheels that also doubled as a (human!) muck spreader, hearses and proper riding carriages for two!
Following the path through the museum brings you to the stables where you can meet the equine-ous residents ranging from studs and fillies through to the magnificent shire horses.
We were given a demonstration of preparing a Shire Horse with all the right equipment to pull a cart. Very technical, but highly interesting.
In the stabling area there is also a blacksmiths to visit and we were lucky enough to see a horse having it’s shoes fitted. I cringed when the nails were being hammered in and I must have looked incredibly worried as a little voice from the school party said, “It’s OK Mr Critchley. They can’t feel anything.” Need-less-to-say, I felt highly reassured.
In the summer months there is the opportunity for a cart ride, pulled by one of the Shires, though as it was a nice day we were allowed the opportunity of a quick trundle around their grounds pulled very well by a horse called ‘Winston’.
***A MUSEUM AND HORSES? ANYTHING ELSE?***
Hang on – I’ve not finished telling you about the horses yet!!
There is the opportunity to visit Mini-World which, sadly, is not home to cars but small horses. Shetlands to be precise. And I shall admit it – they were quite sweet. Especially the month old foals. Expect lots of coo-ing and aaah-ing in Mini-World.
A short walk across the yard – very muddy, wet and stinky – you get to Farm World and Porker’s Paradise, home to various farm creatures including huge sleeping pigs and as many variety of chickens as you can shake a stick at. Actually, a word of advice, don’t shake sticks at chickens ‘cause they get cross and run after you. One of my group found that out, much to my own amusement!
***OTHER STUFF***
There is a relatively cheap – albeit small – gift shop hidden inside the main horse shop so you will find sticks of rock alongside something like saddle polish. In fact, you could buy a saddle too if you really wanted an expensive memory of your visit.
There is a decent children’s play area too for the little ones to run round and use up some excess energy.
If you want food and drink there is a bar and restaurant though I can’t comment on these as being a school trip we all had sweaty sandwiches to eat!
Brickfields also has a riding centre so there is an opportunity for riding lessons or country walks, although you would need to phone up or email for details regarding these things. Contact details are posted below for you.
Carriages are hired out for weddings and horse-drawn hearses for funerals. Easily shipped too so can be used on the mainland as well!
Brickfields is a working stable too and whilst we were there we had to keep the noise down as there was a dressage competition running and we weren’t to distract the attention of the competitors. The diary on the website points to a lot happening each month so if you’re really into watching dressage then you will have a great day!
***CONCLUSION***
The blurb on the website says “Come and Spend the Day There’s So Much to See and Do!” but I really would question that rather bold statement.
Yes the tour and the museum were interesting. Yes it was great to see all the horses and go on a cart ride. Yes the other areas were interesting enough. But I really don’t think there was enough to fill an entire day. Not by a long shot. A couple of hours in the morning or the afternoon would be great, but surely not the whole day?
Great for schools, Primary and Secondary, OK for those not too fussed but looking for a morning or afternoon to fill, but HEAVEN for those obsessed with horses!
An entertaining morning out though probably not much more than that.
Prices are OK, depending on what else you intend to see or do on the Island and I guess go some way to covering the huge costs they must have in feeding and caring for their menagerie of animals.
I would advise though to look around and see, especially if on a tight budget, what else would be worth a visit before choosing to spend £5.00 or so on a morning in a farmyard.
Please note - it is incredibly dusty and dirty especially in the museum. Wear sensible clothing and shoes and if you are dust sensitive avoid the museum!
***STUFF WHAT I LEARNT!***
An educational moment. Are we sitting still and waiting to listen? 3 gems I found out.
• Horses walk on the equivalent of our middle finger, so are landing on their fingers when the jump.
• Horses have poor eyesight and when they jump over fences in races or competitions are jumping blind. It’s up to the jockey to get them both over.
• Horses are not intelligent and have a brain the size of a chickens egg.
***OTHER INFO***
Open Daily all year (except 25th and 26th December) from 10.00am through till 5.00pm with ample free parking.
www.brickfields.net
Tel: 01983 566801
Fax: 01983 562649
NB: If you love horses add 50 stars on to my rating. Subtract 50 if you are allergic to them or to dust and straw.
by (2%):
29.05.2004 23:20
I can't believe I'm the first to give this an E. I'll be running out at this rate. One point though, you make it sound far better than your conclusion states. And couldn't one spend a whole afternoon watching ones little offspring riding in the dressage competition? Finally, your last heading whilst deliberatly in slang would have been more effective if you'd put ' Wot' instead of 'What'.
16.05.2004 14:31
Ah, school trips. That cerrtainly brings back memories!
30.04.2004 23:35
Horses are great, I might go there some time.