If you go down to the woods today you won’t see a bear, but you will see lots of monkeys at Trentham Monkey Forest! This monkey forest enclosure houses 140 free-roaming Barbary macaque monkeys.
Follow the everyday antics of these cheeky monkeys in the
Staffordshire Forest for £10 per person! You'll get access to
two huge primate-themed play areas, a
Willow Barbary macaque
Monkey Maze, Meadow Walk, a
Hidden Trail & so much more!
Things to do
In Staffordshire, there are 140 free-roaming monkeys living in total freedom, and you can visit and walk amongst them for just under £10 or under per person!
Trentham Monkey Forest is a sanctuary in
Stoke where Barbary macaques can simply be themselves within a
60-acre Forest. It’s as close to seeing these animals in their natural habitat as you can get in the UK. The woodland is the monkey’s tranquil home in Trentham, they can go wherever they like within the enclosure as they aren’t restricted by any bars or cages. There are lots of information boards throughout the woods that give you information on the endangered species and friendly guides are on hand to answer any of your questions!
Also, there are 2 Huge Primate Themed Play Areas for your little monkeys to let off some steam! So, you can enjoy a great family day out without the big cost attached.
Feeling passionate about the conservation of monkeys? If you've attended the fascinating hourly feeding talks and you've enjoyed this educational experience, why not leaf through some baby monkey adoption packs and donate? Finish off your perfect experience at the Trentham Monkey Forest helping out a monkey or two!
Still got some energy left in your bones? Enjoy many more exciting outdoor activities from a Meadow Walk to a Hidden Trail, and the Willow Barbary macaque Monkey Maze. And once you've finished your exploration you can grab an epic souvenir from the Jungle Shop!
Food & Drink
Looking for some light refreshments? Head to The Banana Cafe - it serves a selection of both warm and cold meals as well as hot drinks.
Want to take it outside? There are plenty of benches and tables to rest your legs, relax, and dig into your jacket potatoes in the vast picnic area.
There is also a lovely shop packed full of monkey memorabilia! The Jungle Shop is the perfect place to bag some souvenirs. If ever you can't buy something on the day, don't worry, there is an online gift shop too.
Accessibility
There is free onsite car parking, with disabled bays and plenty of room for coaches and buses. Make sure you bring your blue badge on the day of your visit!
Onsite toilets are located next to the Banana Café. There are joint baby and disabled facilities, as well as additional baby-changing facilities in the men's and ladies toilets.
The pathway that runs through the monkey enclosure is ¾ of a mile long. The trail is wheelchair and mobility-scooter friendly, however, due to some steeper slopes, some wheelchair users do find the steeper areas inaccessible. Please ensure you ask for an accessibility leaflet on your visit.
The Banana Café and Jungle Shop are all accessible and the staff are more than happy to help assist. Disabled toilets are located next to the café.
Guide dogs are prohibited in the park due to dogs being a natural predator of Barbary macaques. With that being said, if you ring in advance other arrangements can be made and the monkey forest staff are happy to keep guide dogs in the office during your trip.
You cannot hire wheelchairs or mobility scooters at Monkey Forest.
There are disabled toilets and there is disabled access to the majority of the site.
Travel & Parking for Visitors
There is free onsite car parking, with disabled bays and plenty of room for coaches and buses.
By Car:
From the M6: exit 15, take the A500 towards Stoke and leave at the exit A34 towards Stone. Go straight over the roundabout to The Trentham Estate and we are the next roundabout on the right – look out for the brown ‘monkey forest’ signs.
From the M1: exit 23a or 24a and turn onto the A50 to
Stoke on Trent. Follow signs to Trentham on to the A34. Then follow the brown signs to Monkey Forest. The Entrance is located at The Trentham Estate south entrance on the A34.
Type ST12 9HR in your GPS and it will guide you to the Strongford Garage, we are directly opposite.
By Train:
The nearest station is Stoke train station.
By Bus:
From Stoke train station to Hanley bus station – Number 21/21A. From Hanley bus station to Monkey Forest – Number 101. Please visit
First Bus journey planner for all your nearest bus services before you plan your journey.
By Taxi:
Taxis can be found outside the train station. It is approximately 5 miles away and will cost roughly £10 each way.
- Discover Barbary Macaques living as they would in the wild
- Guides explain the monkey antics as they occur & run hourly feeding times.
- It's a perfect experience for kids with 140 free-ranging Barbary macaques, Trentham Hall & there's a fun-packed adventure playground to explore too.