Welcome to Wilderness Farm

Not far from Wrexham, between Gresford, Llay and Bradley, the River Alyn flows around a bend in its wooded valley, hidden from its surroundings. On either side of the river are the Wilderness Fields, in which is set Wilderness Farm, a complex of buildings which is almost a small village.

Chickens cluck and scrape on the edge of the wood, and give up their eggs somewhat reluctantly. They seem to want to revert to their wild state in the surrounding woods, but the rabbits are inclined to the opposite view, and have become increasingly tame over the years.

A colony of jackdaws populate the wood behind the buildings, while a buzzard or two are usually in view, patrolling the nearby field on foot, or lazily circling the air, searching for food. A host of small birds take advantage of the feeders by the house, but are continually on the lookout for the sparrowhawks which also recognise the feeders as a food source, but from a slightly different angle.

The river supports Kingfishers, Dippers, Mink and Otters as well as the more common waterside creatures. It has good fishing, even sea trout and the occasional salmon, but is managed with the objective of maintaining a wide diversity of habitat for wildlife.

It normally chuckles along quietly, with shallow rapids and still pools, but rises up in spate, even to the point of recapturing the fish from the lakes in the nearby field.



Wilderness Farm, set in its river valley and surrounded by fields and woodland, is a haven for wildlife, containing a wide range of habitats which are managed with the aim of encouraging the maximum biodiversity. There are numerous mammalian species on site including Badgers, Foxes, Polecats and as a wildlife sanctuary there are also Fallow Deer. Its natural beauty and rich communities of animals and plants make it a wonderful place to both relax and learn about our British wildlife.