I had a great time visiting one of the UK’s largest primate habitats – here’s what it was like
Vita Molyneux Travel reporter
04:00, 07 Sep 2025
This was the perfect day out (Image: Vita Molyneux)
During a recent visit to the Peak District and Stoke-on-Trent, I stumbled upon a true gem in the heart of the Midlands. The Trentham Monkey Forest is the UK’s largest primate habitat, home to 140 endangered Barbary Macaques that freely roam the woodland.
It’s an experience that’s worth every penny, and it is just over an hour’s drive from Liverpool city centre. Stepping through the park’s double gates feels like entering another world. Dense tree cover, winding paths and a growing sense of anticipation filled me.
I was eager to see monkeys, and I wanted to see them immediately. Despite the park being busy, the paths were spacious enough to manoeuvre past groups of children and families – particularly if you’re accustomed to navigating London during peak hours as I am.
After a few minutes of walking and several false alarms (I wasn’t wearing my glasses and kept mistaking ducks for monkeys), we found ourselves in a clearing within the trees, reports the Express.
There, separated from us by only a low log fence, were at least seven Barbary macaques with their tiny babies.
The proximity to the animals was unexpected – it was truly enchanting. With approximately 140 monkeys residing in the forest, they’re never far away.
Upon entering the forest, visitors are shown a brief video advising not to approach within three metres of the animals. However, it seemed no one had shown this video to the monkeys.
Whilst my partner and I were observing one of the monkeys casually grooming itself on a log, another sauntered past us on the path, so close we could have reached out and touched it.
Since it approached from behind, we didn’t have time to step aside, instead, we got an up-close view.
This guy distracted us while another monkey walked right behind us(Image: Vita Molyneux)
They roam the paths, groom each other in the grass and clamber high above you in the towering trees. As we strolled, a light drizzle began – but that didn’t deter us or the monkeys in the slightest.
This year, the monkey forest revealed that an impressive eleven new babies have been born in the forest – a testament to the rehabilitation efforts of the park.
Scattered throughout the park are guides who are always willing to stop for a chat and inform you about the monkeys and their habits, and there are also hourly feeding talks.
Also dotted around the paths are various informative signs about the monkeys, their habits and how their natural habitats are being destroyed, making these animals extremely endangered.
However, within the park, the monkeys live in peace, and it’s evident they are genuinely content in the 60-acre woodland they call home.
The park has welcomed 11 new babies this year(Image: Vita Molyneux)
For just £13.50 for an adult ticket, the park offered fantastic value.
We only spent about an hour and a half there as we had to hit the road back to London, but outside of the monkey habitat there is a cafe, informative exhibits, picnic spaces and a children’s playground – if we had more time I would have loved to wander and explore further. I suppose this means I’ll just have to return!