The brilliant Essex animal sanctuary loved by Leona Lewis that makes for a great day out

Nestled in the heart of Brentwood, there is an animal sanctuary open to the public that is sometimes overshadowed by Essex's larger farms and zoos. Hopefield Animal Sanctuary is located on Sawyer's Hall Lane, Brentwood, and spans 53 acres - while being home to over 600 animals.

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary was founded in 1983 by Paula and Ernie Clark, and it was initially a horse sanctuary. Ever since then, Hopefield has continued to rescue horses and farm animals of all kinds, and over the years, the type of animals they are taking in has greatly changed.

Today, visitors can see snakes, frogs, birds, sheep, alpacas, ponies and so many more. Many of the animals were rescued from neglectful situations, while others were given to the sanctuary due to personal reasons.

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The animals aren't the only thing you can see here, either. There is a play area, a soft play bus, and in the summer, there is a cafe - so you can grab a snack and a drink and eat while looking over at the nearby farm animals!

EssexLive spoke with Leanne Angliss, who is a general manager at the sanctuary. She explained that Hopefield is definitely not a zoo, and that they look after the animals with amazing care.

She said: "Sometimes Hopefield is forgotten about, as people visit Old MacDonald's Farm or Marsh Farm, which have rides and things too." The sanctuary is not just a visitor attraction, though - the work that the team do is crucial to looking after neglected animals, or ones that have been given up by owners.

The sanctuary isn't just loved by locals, either. International pop star Leona Lewis has visited multiple times, and had a lot to say about the sanctuary and the work that the staff do.

Leona Lewis said: "Since the first day I visited Hopefield Animal Sanctuary I knew it would become a big part of my life. The work they are doing to save these abused and neglected animals is essential. They would simply have nowhere else to go if this sanctuary wasn’t here.

"At Hopefield these animals get to live out their lives peacefully and free from abuse. My mission at Hopefield is to make sure these animals can continue to live here, that they can live comfortably and safely, that we can build Hopefield into a sanctuary that will educate people globally on animal welfare and continue to save more animals in need."

Hopefield Animal Sanctuary aims to promote humane behaviour towards animals around the world starting right here in Essex by providing appropriate care, protection, treatment, dietary needs and security for animals which are in need of care and attention because of sickness, mistreatment, abuse, poor circumstances or ill usage. They also aim to educate the public in matters of animal welfare and the prevention of cruelty and suffering among animals.

The sanctuary will be open to the public from March. Allowing visitors is a vital part of their fundraising which enables the sanctuary to care for resident animals, and allows them to educate and encourage visitors to think about their own animals at home and in the wild.