The Big Sheep

What The Big Sheep does

The Big Sheep is a privately held family-run farm and theme park located in Abbotsham, Bideford, North Devon (EX39 5AP), operating since 1988. The business combines a working Devon farm (lambing, livestock, Highland cows) with a multi-attraction theme park, an indoor soft-play complex (EWEtopia), thrill rides including the Rampage Roller Coaster, live animal-based entertainment (sheep racing, duck trials), and an extensive annual events programme spanning music festivals (Pigstock, Country Music Festival, Tabsfest, Outlaw Folk Festival, August Bank Holiday Festival, CREATED Festival, Taylor VS Sabrina), Father's Christmas Experience, Toddler Fest, Toddler Christmas Takeover, and Fireworks Spectacular. The business has been in the Turner family for six generations and is led by Rick Turner (Director of the Flock). The park employs 51-100 staff and has won multiple regional and national tourism awards, including consecutive TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence (2013-2018), Visit Devon Gold (2014), National Farm Attraction of the Year (2006), TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2025, and UK Theme Parks Bronze 2025.

The Big Sheep makes money through a diversified ticket- and experience-led revenue model. Primary revenue is general-admission tickets (adults £12.95-£18.95, children £6.50-£10.00, babies under 12 months free, plus £0.99-£1.00 booking fees), seasonal event and festival tickets, gift vouchers (£10-£70, 12-month validity), group bookings, and on-site food, beverage, and retail including an on-site brewery and souvenir photos. Recurring revenue is generated via an auto-renewing 12-month Annual Membership with monthly direct-debit instalments and a Summer Pass offering unlimited July-August entry. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the park's own website and DigiTickets-powered ticketing portal, augmented by two key channel partnerships - Tesco Clubcard Rewards and John Fowler Holiday Parks - and on-site walk-up sales. Supporting technology is a standard commercial stack: DigiTickets for ticketing, Sage Pay for payment processing, Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity for marketing analytics, New Relic for performance monitoring, and CookieYes for consent management, alongside the Lambcam live-stream camera for year-round visitor engagement. The customer base is concentrated on UK families with children (toddlers to teens), school groups, holiday-park guests in North Devon, and (via festival programming) adults seeking nostalgic or evening entertainment.

Name

The Big Sheep

Legal name

The BIG Sheep Limited

Website

https://thebigsheep.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Big Sheep is a privately held, family-run farm and theme park in North Devon (UK), open since 1988 under the Turner family. It combines working-farm animal experiences, indoor and outdoor rides, live shows, and an annual festival and events programme for UK families and regional tourists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bideford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Theme park general admission tickets: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for park entry across Spring/Summer/Autumn seasons. Tickets are sold per person with pricing tiers for adults, children, babies, disabled visitors, and carers. Peak summer and school holiday pricing is higher than off-peak term-time rates. Online pre-booking is encouraged with pricing incentives. Annual memberships provide recurring revenue from repeat visitors.
2. Annual and Summer memberships: Annual memberships offer unlimited park entry for 12 months with monthly direct-debit instalments or single one-off payment. Summer Pass offers unlimited entry specifically for July and August. Both generate recurring pre-committed revenue and drive repeat visits.
3. Event and festival tickets: Major events including Pigstock music festival, Country Music Festival, August Bank Holiday Festival, Outlaw Folk Festival, Taylor VS Sabrina, Tabsfest, CREATED Festival, Fireworks Spectacular, Christmas events, and Toddler Fest are sold as premium add-on tickets. Festival bundles and VIP packages are also offered. Camping pitches at affiliated Adventure Camping site are sold alongside festival tickets.
4. On-site food, beverage, and retail: On-site food and drink outlets include Bo Peep's Cafe inside Ewetopia. The park operates its own brewery producing bottled beers. Additional retail includes sheep food (bag of sheep food, £2), festival merchandise (cowboy hats, reusable cups), and carving pumpkins at Halloween. Souvenir photo sales from rides (coaster camera).
5. On-site attractions and rides (supplementary charges): While general admission covers most attractions and shows, some individual rides carry a nominal additional charge (e.g., Mini Tractors, £1). The Combat Zone and £1 coin-operated rides are excluded from standard admission. This creates supplementary per-transaction revenue on top of entry tickets.
6. Gift vouchers: Pre-paid gift vouchers sold in denominations from £10 to £70, redeemable against park entry tickets online. Valid for 12 months from purchase. Drives advance revenue and gifting purchases.
7. Group and corporate bookings: Discounted rates offered for group bookings handled via telephone. Includes birthday parties, school visits, and large family days out. Generates bulk ticket revenue and drives demand from price-sensitive institutional buyers.
8. Father Christmas Experience: Premium ticketed Christmas experience priced from £10–£25 per person with a £2 booking fee. Includes a magical Christmas tour, elf activities, show, meet Santa, gingerbread decoration, teddy making, festive photos, and free parking. Flexi Ticket Insurance (£5) allows date changes with 72-hour notice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Big Sheep is a working Devon farm and multi-attraction theme park in North Devon offering a single-ticket combined experience of farm animal interactions (lambing, petting, Highland Cows), thrill rides including the Rampage Roller Coaster, the Ewetopia indoor playground, live shows (sheep racing, duck trials), outdoor activities, and an on-site brewery. The park extends its offering through annual memberships, seasonal music festivals, Christmas events, toddler events, fireworks, private birthday and venue hire, on-site camping, gift vouchers, and food and beverage.

Product overview

The Big Sheep is a multi-attraction farm and theme park in North Devon offering a combined experience of animal encounters, thrill rides, indoor play, live entertainment, and seasonal festivals. The core product is general admission to the park, which includes access to farm animal experiences (lambing, petting farm, Highland Cows), family rides (Rampage Roller Coaster, Twister, Train, Swan Pedalos), EWEtopia indoor playground, live shows (Sheep Races, Duck Trials), and outdoor fun (jumping pillows). The offering extends through seasonal events (Father Christmas Experience, Halloween, Toddler Fest, Toddler Christmas Takeover) and annual music festivals (Pigstock, Outlaw Folk Festival, Country Music Festival, Tabsfest, CREATED Festival). Supplementary paid offerings include Annual Memberships, Summer Pass, Birthday Party hire, Venue Hire, Camping, Gift Vouchers, and on-site food & beverage (Bo Peep's Café, brewery). Online ticketing is powered by DigiTickets with Sage Pay payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EWEtopia: Mega indoor play zone with slides, soft play, climbing areas, and sensory room.
• Rampage Roller Coaster
• The Twister
• Eweston Station
• Animal Barn
• Swan Lake Pedalos
• Bo Peep's Café
• Lambcam
• Adventure Camping

Products and services

• General Admission Tickets Standard park entry tickets valid for Spring, Summer, and Autumn seasons. Includes access to farm animal experiences, family rides (Rampage Roller Coaster, Twister, Swan Pedalos, Eweston Station train), the Ewetopia indoor playground, live shows, and outdoor fun. Prices range from £12.95 to £18.95 for adults and £6.50 to £10.00 for children; babies under 12 months enter free.
• Annual Memberships 12-month recurring payment membership providing unlimited park access. Available via monthly direct-debit instalments or single one-off payment. Auto-renews unless cancelled 28 days before expiry. Members receive booking references, access to member-only events, and friend referral discounts.
• Summer Pass Unlimited entry pass valid from 6 July to 31 August. Adults and children £30, under 3 feet £16. Named membership with £1 booking fee per visit; excludes events and festivals.
• Music Festivals & Adult Events Series Annual ticketed music festivals and adult-only events including Pigstock (May 2026), Outlaw Folk Festival (July), Country Music Festival (August), August Bank Holiday Music Festival, Tabsfest (June 2026), CREATED Festival (September), Taylor VS Sabrina Tribute Celebration (June 2026), and Big Sheep Big Kids adults-only evenings. Festival bundles, VIP packages (Silver and Gold), camping add-ons, and bus transportation are available.
• Father Christmas Experience Premium ticketed Christmas experience featuring a magical tour, elf activities, live show, meeting Santa, gingerbread decorating, teddy making, festive photo opportunities, and access to indoor play and rides. Adults from £10, children from £15, with optional Flexi Ticket Insurance (£5) for date changes. Pre-booking mandatory.
• Toddler Fest Ticketed event for under 5s featuring Jiggy Wrigglers, Pets Corner, foam party, live shows, toddler rides, soft play, crafts, and entertainment. Early bird adult £12.00, baby under 12 months £4.00, members at discounted rates. Book in advance required.
• Toddler Christmas Takeover Festive toddler event featuring Ms Rachel (UK Tribute) and Stitch, Christmas show, marshmallow toasting, crafts, photo opportunities, and a present for each child. Park open 9:30am-3pm across December 12-15.
• Fireworks Spectacular Guy Fawkes Night celebration with bonfire, main fireworks display (7:30pm), toddler fireworks (6pm), indoor fireshows, disco, and food/drink. Free park and ride shuttle from Affinity Devon (Atlantic Village) between 4pm-8:30pm. Picnic bench (up to 6 people) £70-£75 and pod (up to 10 people) £115-£125 tickets available.
• Birthday Parties Private hire of the Ewetopia indoor play zone for birthday celebrations. Packages tailored for birthdays include access to attractions, live shows, and catering options. Booking handled by telephone with discounted group rates.
• Adventure Camping On-site camping at Skern Adventure Centre across the road from the park, with 25m² pitches, shared toilet/shower block, and washing-up area. Tent camping from £10 per person per night. Caravans and campervans welcome with surcharge. Located adjacent to The Big Sheep for festival-goers and visitors.
• Gift Vouchers Digital gift vouchers available in denominations from £10 to £70. Valid for 12 months from purchase. Redeemable online for general admission tickets only (not valid for annual membership, events, festivals, camping, or extras).
• Private Venue Hire Private venue hire for corporate events, weddings, and functions. Event space rental for celebrations and gatherings; pricing varies by event type and duration.
• Food & Drink (Bo Peep's Café and On-site Brewery) On-site dining including Bo Peep's Café inside Ewetopia serving food, snacks, hot and cold drinks, and ice cream. The park also operates its own on-site brewery producing bottled beers served at live shows and events.
• Bag of Sheep Food Animal feed sold for £2.00 per bag (3 for £5 online discount). Allows visitors to hand-feed sheep and other farm animals. Available online and on arrival.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unbroken chain of 47 five-star TripAdvisor reviews, demonstrating sustained high visitor satisfaction
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John Fowler Holiday ParkscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJohn Fowler Holiday Parks is a partner accommodation provider offering discounted The Big Sheep admission tickets to its guests. Holiday park guests access discounted rates via a dedicated booking link (bit.ly/johnfowlers) and must present proof of stay (accommodation key or booking confirmation) on arrival. This partnership drives a consistent flow of tourist visitors to the park throughout the holiday season.
• Tesco ClubcardcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Big Sheep is an official Tesco Clubcard Reward partner. Tesco Clubcard members redeem reward vouchers for general admission tickets through a dedicated ticket portal category on the DigiTickets platform. This exposes the park to Tesco's millions of loyalty card holders across the UK and provides a discounted ticketing option for value-seeking families.
• DigiTickets (ticketing platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationDigiTickets provides the white-labelled ticketing infrastructure powering tickets.thebigsheep.co.uk. The platform handles online ticket sales, event management, membership subscriptions, gift vouchers, and booking reference generation. The Big Sheep's registered company name (Big Sheep Ltd, Company Number 05185862) is displayed on the platform.
• Adventure Camping (Skern Lodge / Ultimate Adventure Centre)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFestival camping is hosted at Adventure Camping (Skern Lodge / Ultimate Adventure Centre), a 35-acre campsite located across the road from The Big Sheep. Festival-goers can purchase camping pitches (from £10 per person per night) separately from festival tickets. This partnership expands the on-site accommodation offering for multi-day festival visitors.
• Affinity Devon (Atlantic Village) – Park & Ride PartnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAffinity Devon (Atlantic Village) serves as a park & ride hub for the Fireworks Spectacular event. A free shuttle bus runs between the Atlantic Village car park and The Big Sheep on the evening of the event (4pm–8:30pm, every 10–15 minutes). This reduces on-site parking pressure and extends the event's accessibility.
• Castle Theatre CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCastle Theatre Company (Durham University) performs touring Shakespeare productions at The Big Sheep, including Twelfth Night (2025) and The Merry Wives of Windsor (2026). The park serves as a performance venue while the company brings audiences from its university network and local community.
• Tabitha's Smile CharityminorOthersTabsfest 2026 is staged in aid of Tabitha's Smile Charity, which provides young people aged 15–25 with uplifting theatre and musical experiences during cancer and life-limiting illness treatment. The festival raises funds through ticket sales, creating a charitable co-branding partnership.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Flamingo Land: Yorkshire theme park, zoo and holiday village combining rides, animal attractions and on-site accommodation. Larger UK incumbent with overlapping farm/zoo/rides bundle and family demographic, but broader portfolio than The Big Sheep.
• Drayton Manor: Larger Staffordshire-based UK theme park combining a zoo, Thomas Land and on-site hotel. Wider portfolio than The Big Sheep and operates at greater scale, but overlaps significantly in target family demographic and farm/zoo theme.
• Alton Towers: UK's largest theme park (Merlin Entertainments) with on-site accommodation. Differs substantially in scale and thrill-ride focus, but is the dominant UK theme park reference point against which regional family attractions like The Big Sheep are benchmarked.

Direct peers

• Crealy Theme Park & Resort: Devon-based family theme park combining rides, animal attractions and live entertainment, with on-site accommodation. Direct regional competitor to The Big Sheep in the same Devon catchment, operating a comparable single-ticket multi-attraction model.
• Odds Farm Park: Berkshire farm attraction combining livestock, indoor and outdoor play, and seasonal events. Comparable family day-out model with a similar weather-resilient indoor play anchor and event calendar.
• Cotswold Farm Park: Adam Henson-founded farm attraction in Gloucestershire offering animal encounters, indoor play, and seasonal events. Closely comparable farm-led family day-out model with similar target demographic and event-driven monetization.
• Cattle Country: Gloucestershire farm park with animal barn, indoor play, rides and birthday party hosting. Comparable small-to-mid sized regional farm attraction with a similar indoor-play anchor and family demographic.
• Folly Farm: Large Welsh farm attraction combining a working farm, zoo, vintage funfair and indoor/outdoor play. Highly comparable to The Big Sheep's farm-plus-rides-plus-live-entertainment bundle at a similar UK regional scale.
• Pennywell Farm: Devon farm attraction offering hands-on animal experiences, rides and family entertainment. Closest geographic competitor to The Big Sheep with an overlapping farm-plus-rides value proposition targeting families with young children.
• National Forest Adventure Farm: Staffordshire farm attraction combining animals, indoor play, outdoor activities and major seasonal events including a maize maze and Christmas experience. Comparable farm-plus-attraction-plus-events operating model and target family demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bigsheepdayout
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebigsheep
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebigsheepfarmandthemepark

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Big Sheep