The Farm at Layer Marney Tower is a livestock farm with animals on display in the mediaeval barn and surrounding fields. Some of the animals are East Anglian breeds such as the Saddleback pig and Norfolk Horn sheep. The other animals are traditional breeds, be they cattle, deer, goats, ducks, chickens or turkeys.

There are 120 acres that can be explored around Layer Marney Tower, including a Wildlife Walk of about 1.5 miles, and an outdoor children’s play area.

Woodland trees at Layer Marney include oak, ash, elder, wild rose, cherry and silver birch. Other trees and shrubs include elm, hawthorn, field maple and dog rose. Over 47 species of bird were recorded in a winter survey carried out at Layer Marney
Home Farm, including chaffinch, robin, dunnock and wren. Listen for the little owl, the only owl that calls by day and night. Watch also for jackdaws & pied wagtails and, in winter, skylarks and teal.

In the winter of 1997 hundreds of tonnes of silt were removed from the pond at Layer Marney; at its centre it is now 8ft deep. The most important areas of a pond are usually those around the shallow margins and it’s in these areas that frogs and newts spawn; toads wind their eggs around submerged plants in deeper water.

Learn more about rare breeds by visiting the Rare Breeds Survival Trust web site.

In April and May there are often baby lambs that need bottle feeding and visitors are welcome to help.

© Layer Marney Tower Partnership 2003