The Farm at Layer Marney Tower is a livestock farm with animals on display in the medieval barn and surrounding fields. In April and May there are often baby lambs that need bottle feeding and visitors are welcome to help. Feeding times are listed in our Special Events listing. 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.

© Layer Marney Tower Partnership 2003/2009