The Retreat Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary and Cafe

The Retreat Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary and Cafe Home to around 1200 rescued animals, including farmed, domestic and wildlife. Glamping, shops & café
(1526)

Here is a 3 minute video that explains what we do at The Retreat Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary and Cafe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3c0szZ7VYI

We are loving Ava’s new hat! What do you think of it?😆
10/10/2025

We are loving Ava’s new hat! What do you think of it?😆

The M&S Duckling Chronicles: From Supermarket Egg to Sanctuary Residents 🦆Some of our newest feathered friends have quit...
08/10/2025

The M&S Duckling Chronicles: From Supermarket Egg to Sanctuary Residents 🦆

Some of our newest feathered friends have quite an unusual origin story! 🐣 Two tiny ducklings hatched from M&S supermarket eggs in someone’s home incubator. At just days old, they were given to our sanctuary.

Week 1: Arrival 👋🏼
When these tiny fluffballs (now named Mark and Spencer) arrived, they were incredibly vulnerable - just days old, peeping nervously and huddling together for warmth. Our care team immediately set up a new home for them in our treatment room with specialist baby duckling food and a tiny shallow bath to play in. Every morning when we went in to check on them, it was like they’d doubled in size - we couldn’t believe it! 😲

Week 2: Finding Their Feet 🤗
By their second week with us, the ducklings were already showing distinct personalities! The smaller one (Spencer) is curious and always first to investigate new things, while the slightly larger duckling (Mark) seems to follow in his sibling’s footsteps and copies what he gets up to. They grew so much every day!

Current Day: 📆
These little ducklings are doing great in our treatment room. They’re too young and little to be out and about, as they could easily get hurt. Once they’re a bit bigger (which, judging by the rate they’re currently growing…won’t be long!), they’ll be introduced to our resident duck flock and will begin learning important social skills. From commercial products to cherished residents, these lucky ducklings will never know the fate that might have awaited them. We’re so grateful we can provide them sanctuary where they’ll be able to free roam our site and have access to our enormous lake that we built especially for our waterfowl friends.

Thank you to all of our supporters who keep us saying “yes” to animals who need us 🫶

We’ve just relaunched our Patreon - check it out to get behind the scenes updates and news before anyone else ✨

If you’d like to contribute to their lifelong care (up to 12 years!) head to our bio for our sponsorship and donation options 🙏 or visit: https://www.retreatanimalrescue.org.uk/donate

Follow to stay tuned for more updates on these special sanctuary residents!💛

On Saturday 25th October we're hosting a close up table magic night with magician Terry Rea 🎩🪄🃏The event is from 6-9pm, ...
05/10/2025

On Saturday 25th October we're hosting a close up table magic night with magician Terry Rea 🎩🪄🃏
The event is from 6-9pm, with tickets costing £29.99, which includes a 3 course meal!

We have a limited number of tables available to ensure everyone has the best experience possible. You can book tables for 2, 4, 5 or 6 people. When booking you'll be asked for your menu choices:
Starters - arancini balls or BBQ cauliflower
Mains - carbonara or pizza boats
Desserts - biscoff cheesecake or prosecco tart
Tables must be booked in advance by emailing [email protected] - get in quick!

We'd like to wish volunteer Erin a happy birthday and hope she's had a wonderful day!Erin started volunteering around 4 ...
05/10/2025

We'd like to wish volunteer Erin a happy birthday and hope she's had a wonderful day!

Erin started volunteering around 4 years ago with her mum who is also still a regular volunteer, and both of them are dedicated members of the team.
Due to her work schedule Erin volunteers every other week, and we're always happy to be flexible with how volunteers fit in helping out around their other commitments.

“I love volunteering at the sanctuary because it gives me a chance to give back to the animals - seeing them safe and happy makes every moment worthwhile"

If you'd like to become a member of Team Retreat, just like Erin, please drop us a message!

03/10/2025

The love we feel when we’re around animals isn’t a coincidence - it’s a reminder that we’re all connected, and all deserving of kindness and care 🥰🌿⁠
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At the Retreat, we celebrate that connection every day. Be kind, it’s easy! 🤍⁠
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Visit the sanctuary or support our life-saving work via the 🔗 in our bio 🙌

It's hard to put into words just how much reviews like this mean to us! Thank you so, so much to Mj R for such thoughtfu...
02/10/2025

It's hard to put into words just how much reviews like this mean to us! Thank you so, so much to Mj R for such thoughtful, encouraging feedback 🥹🥰

If you've visited us recently, we'd really appreciate it if you could please leave us a review on Google! It really helps us to continue spreading awareness about our work, as well as the pure joy of the sanctuary 🤍🌱

Our lovely lads Alfie and George are raising money to try and cover some of our winter hay bill. They'll be cycling 100 ...
01/10/2025

Our lovely lads Alfie and George are raising money to try and cover some of our winter hay bill. They'll be cycling 100 miles in a day, and knowing them there'll have been no training beforehand, and Alfie is bound to put his stilettos on at some point!

The boys have been very conservative in their calculations for how much they want to try and raise, and are only looking to cover hay, not straw, so their target is £4650, but the reality is far more daunting if you read further below. Any amount you can spare to support them will not only help care for the animals, but spur George and Alfie on during their challenge 💚
https://www.justgiving.com/page/alfie-george-100milecycle

With around 1200 animals to support, we get through an awful lot of hay, straw, and specialist animal feed, even when the animals are out enjoying the lush grass. But when animals come in, as is necessary to avoid the wet mud causing problems for their feet, and to avoid the fields becoming damaged and unable to grow nice grass next year, we have to spend far more on hay for them eat and straw for them to make nice cosy beds. Ordinarily we use around three times as many bales over winter as we do in summer, so three times the cost. But this year it is looking to be 6-8 times the monthly cost over winter.

Across the country there is a shortage of hay and straw because of an unusually dry spring and summer. This means suppliers have fewer bales than usual, consumers such as The Retreat have had to use more than usual over the summer months because of poorer grass quality in the fields due to low rainfall, and this all means there is a desperate scarcity for the winter months. As a result, prices have massively gone up. We have been paying £30 per large round bale, but now we're having to pay £60, and we've been warned that it is likely to go up to £75 for a single bale in the next couple of months.

Factoring in our necessary increased use, alongside the huge increase in price, we suddenly have to find around £18,000 per month just for hay and straw, rather than the £2,500 a month we've been spending over summer!

01/10/2025

Becoming an Animal Buddy is an absolutely wonderful experience! As well as getting a new best friend, your generosity enhances their quality of life and supports their care & future 🐽🫶🏻⁠
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If this sounds like something you’d love, head to the ‘Donate’ section on our website, download the form, then return the completed form to us via email or post! 💌

A few months ago, you may remember that we shared a post discussing the horrific truth about school Chick Hatching proje...
30/09/2025

A few months ago, you may remember that we shared a post discussing the horrific truth about school Chick Hatching projects 😔🐣

These projects are harmful for many reasons - but to keep it short.. they are mishandled, face health issues due to improper incubation, and the chicks are often killed or abandoned upon completion of the project. In addition to this, it ultimately teaches children that animals are disposable 😥

At the Retreat, we regularly face undue expectations to care for these poor animals when they are no longer wanted. In the past, we've received over 700 enquires in just one year related to taking in animals from these projects 🤯

Instead of participating in such cruelty, we ask schools to consider fostering some of our sanctuary chickens instead. You can get in touch with us if you'd like to make arrangements 🐔💗

Address

Brickyard Farm, Cripple Hill
Ashford
TN263LJ

Opening Hours

Thursday 12pm - 4pm
Friday 12pm - 4pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+447514114613

Website

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Rescued animals in need of your support

The Retreat Animal Rescue Farm Sanctuary and Cafe, based in Kent (UK), is entirely voluntary and a not-for-profit animal rescue organisation aimed at rescuing and educating. All funds raised go to the welfare of the animals. Here is a 3 minute video that explains what we do and why we do it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3c0szZ7VYI