Things to do · Witney
Crocodiles of the World
A zoo at Brize Norton, near Witney and Burford, keeping more than 100 crocodiles, alligators and caimans of 19 species, open daily all year from 10am except Christmas Day.
Family-friendly · Rainy days
A good rainy-day choice: the crocodile houses are kept tropical all year, and the feeding talks give a visit its shape. Mostly level or ramped, and pushchair friendly. No dogs.
- Good: Open every day of the year except Christmas Day
- Good: Indoor areas kept at a tropical temperature all year
- Good: Free parking; hand stamp for re-entry the same day
- Good: Mostly level or ramped paths; accessible toilets
- Worth knowing: No dogs; assistance dogs are not allowed in the Crocodile House
- Worth knowing: Feeding times change at short notice
About
Crocodiles of the World is a zoo for crocodilians in the village of Brize Norton, between Witney and Burford. It keeps more than 100 crocodiles, alligators and caimans of 19 species, alongside monitor lizards, snakes, turtles, Galapagos and red-footed tortoises, meerkats and cotton-top tamarins. Shaun Foggett opened it at Crawley Mill near Witney in 2011 and moved it to the present site in 2014.
The zoo opens every day of the year from 10am, apart from Christmas Day. It closes at 5pm, with last entry at 4pm, and kept those hours into November 2026. Most of the crocodiles live indoors in houses kept tropical all year, which makes it one of the better choices in the Cotswolds for a wet day. Allow two to three hours, and plan around the keeper talks: on the day we checked there were feeds at 11.15am (meerkats), 12pm (Nile crocodiles), 12.40pm (binturong) and 3pm. They change at short notice, so check the board by the front desk. Nile crocodiles are fed every day; the Komodo dragon far less often.
An adult ticket costs £16 and a child £12.50 (2026), with family tickets from £51. You can book online, including on the day. Weekday mornings in term time are the quietest; the second café opens only at weekends and in school holidays, which tells you when the crowds come.
Paths are mostly concrete, with level or ramped access to most buildings, and the zoo says it is entirely pushchair and buggy friendly. Dogs are not allowed, and assistance dogs cannot go into the Crocodile House. Parking is free, and a hand stamp lets you leave and come back the same day.
Opening hours and season
| Monday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Friday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Saturday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Sunday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
Open daily from 10am all year, bank holidays included, closing at 5pm with last entry at 4pm, in November too. Closed Christmas Day.
Facilities
- Croc CafeHot and cold food; a second café and a seasonal pizza shack at weekends and in school holidays
- Car parkFree, with a disabled bay near the entrance
- Play and picnicOutdoor picnic area next to the play area
- AccessMostly level or ramped; two steps into the alligator building; steep inside slopes to the deck walk
- ToiletsAccessible toilets and baby change; no hoist or changing bed
The details
- Time to allow
- Two to three hours
- Features
- Café · Parking · Picnic area · Play area · Shop
- History
- Founded at Witney in 2011 by Shaun Foggett; at Brize Norton since 2014
- Parking
- Free on-site car park with a disabled bay near the main entrance.
Photos
Feeding a giant tortoise 
A slender-snouted crocodile 
A feeding display 
A Komodo dragon
Location
Accessibility
- Accessible toilet
- Assistance dogs welcome
Mostly concrete paths with level or ramped access to most buildings; an outside wheelchair ramp leads to the deck walk, but the slopes inside to the deck are steep for wheelchairs. Two steps into the American alligator building. Accessible toilets with assistance bars, but no hoist or adult changing bed.
Places to stay nearby
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Nearby walks, places and things to do
- The Farmer's Dog 1.4 km away
- Asthall Manor 2.5 km away
- The Three Horseshoes, Asthall 2.5 km away
- The Swan Inn, Swinbrook 3.3 km away
Sights nearby
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St Mary's Church, Swinbrook
Sight · Church · Burford
St Mary's in Swinbrook, near Burford, is a medieval church by the Windrush with the stacked Fettiplace effigies in its chancel and, in the churchyard, the graves of four Mitford sisters, Nancy, Pamela, Diana and Unity; their parents lie there too. Open daily. Grade II*.
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St Oswald's Church, Widford
Sight · Church · Burford
St Oswald's is a small thirteenth-century church alone in a field above the Windrush at Widford, between Burford and Swinbrook: built on a Roman villa, the last trace of a lost village, with medieval wall paintings and box pews. Grade II*; reached on foot only.
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St Kenelm's Church, Minster Lovell
Sight · Church · The Oxfordshire Cotswolds
St Kenelm's is the church beside the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall on the Windrush: rebuilt in the mid fifteenth century, probably by William, Lord Lovell, with a vaulted crossing under its central tower and an alabaster tomb thought to be his. Grade I; open daily.
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St John the Baptist, Burford
Sight · Church · Burford
St John the Baptist is Burford's great wool church by the Windrush: Norman at its core, with a fan-vaulted porch, the Tanfield and Harman monuments, and the font where a Leveller carved his name before three were shot in 1649. Grade I; open daily, free.