IPSWICH isn’t the first destination that most of us think of when looking for a UK staycation or weekend break.
But it has recently been revealed to be one of the country’s most underrated towns, and it has an award-winning attraction owned by TV presenter Jimmy Doherty.
Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park started out as nothing but an abandoned barn and a big dream.
Now, it’s a multi-award-winning attraction and sees Brits travel all over the country to Ipswich to visit.
Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park was recently crowned ‘England’s Best Large Visitor Attraction’ by VisitEngland.
Not only that, but this year it won Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2026 Suffolk and Norfolk Tourism Awards and a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.
On Tripadvisor it has over 1,800 ‘excellent’ reviews.
Reviewers have described it as an ‘amazing day out’ with others calling it ‘magical’ for the whole family.
Jimmy first eyed up the space in Suffolk for the attraction back in 2002 when it was nothing but an empty barn.
Talking to Sun Travel, Jimmy said: “It was humble beginnings really, it’s been an incredible journey and it’s all about having a really great team with you.
“We’ve moved from being a rare-breed, free-range farm to being a farm park to now a fully-blown wildlife park with all sorts of animals.
“I would love to say this was a well-thought out plan, but it wasn’t at all.”
On the farm are more than 100 species and breeds, from classic farm animals all the way to lions and arctic wolves.
Talking about his favourite ones to see, Jimmy confessed: “I love our ring-tailed lemurs, most of those are rescues.
“They sometimes come and jump on you, and they’ve got youngsters at the moment.”
For those who want to visit the farm, it’s very easy to get there from London.
Just hop on the train from Stratford or London Liverpool Street to get into Ipswich in just over an hour.
The town of Ipswich itself was revealed one of the most ‘underrated’ in the UK by The Telegraph earlier this year.
Found in the south of the country of Suffolk, it was praised for its ‘traffic-free shopping streets lined with ancient buildings’ as well as its open parklands.
The waterfront is a popular spot for ‘trendy cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries’.
Talking about the town, Jimmy said: “Ipswich is a fantastic place, it’s interesting and vibrant, and there’s lots to do down on the waterfront.
“If you’re into football, Ipswich Town has just gone up into the premiership again.
“We’re less than hour from Stratford, and Ed Sheeran is a local – what’s not to love?”
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is regularly popping up in Ipswich and last week played a surprise gig near the town’s university.
Being a Suffolk resident Jimmy has lots of recommendations when it comes to other local spots to check out, alongside wider Suffolk which he calls the ‘gem of England’.
Jimmy said: “As a family, we love going to Easton Farm Park in Suffolk, it was one of the very first farm parks to open.
“Then, in Waldringfield, go to the Maybush Inn. It’s great on a sunny day and if you’ve got a paddleboard you can have a paddle in the water there.
“I love Sutton Hoo which is run by the National Trust, the history of it is incredible.
“Other spots are Bury St Edmunds which is brilliant for shopping and markets. Then there’s Woodbridge, which is fantastic for antique shops, and Snape is a great spot too.”
Jimmy is pals with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver having first met when they were kids growing up in Essex.
The pair are still in touch and regularly catch-up at their old stomping ground.
Jimmy said: “When we catch-up, it tends to be over a good dinner or lunch with a bottle of red wine.
“But when we were growing up we went to The Eight Bells in Saffron Walden which is still the same today.
“Growing up there, we used to call it Saffron ‘boredom’, but now it’s a mecca – it’s brilliant.”
If you fancy a trip to Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park this summer – it’s open seven days a week.
You can book tickets from £25 for adults and £20 for children – or buy them at the gate.
Jimmy has teased some new arrivals for the summer season too.
He told us: “We’ve got loads going on over the next few months, including some very exciting animals that I can’t tell you about now – but they are arriving at the end of this summer.
“We’ve also just rehomed two Asiatic lions called Rani and Kamal, and a beautiful called Kalinka tiger who are all retiring with us.”
Potential new arrivals could be five Moon Bears which Jimmy is currently trying to save from South Korea.
Jimmy told us: “We’re trying to bring back and give them the life they deserve.”
If successful, the bears could find themselves living out final years and being rehabilitated at the park.
If you want to find out more about the ‘Bears Behind Bars Mission’, click here.