Where to stop for a couple of hours with young kids in Stoke-on-Trent and Worcester?

[sportsmixture2202]

Three girls, ages 2, 4 and 5. We are driving from Blackpool to Bath and plan on 2 x 2 hour stops with the kids. Our first stop will be around Stoke-on-Trent/Stafford. After that, the next stop will be around Worcester area.

I don't know any thing about these two places so looking for suggestions on where we can stop that isn't too far off the motorway, easy to park, free and lets the kids run off some energy. Needs to be somewhere we can get food too (lunch in Stoke on Trent, afternoon snack/icecream/cake in Worcester)

Any suggestions, please?

Worcester has a lovely town centre.
You can park near the river and unwind and there’s a nice restaurant there.
You might want a little look around the cathedral also.

You can get lunch at Trentham Gardens shopping village but the gardens/playground isn’t free I’m afraid. It’s ideally located though, just off the M6.

There is always Westport Lake too but there are pretty bad roadworks there at the moment.

If you’re national trust members then shugborough hall isn’t too far off the m6 near Stafford.

Worcester Woods Country Park

Have a look at Worcester Countryside Centre - I think it’s exactly what you are after, although it will be busy in the holidays.

www.worcestershire.gov.uk/directory_record/3312/worcester_woods_country_park

Trentham Gardens looks like a good stop off for lunch and Worcester Country Park also looks good for later on.
Many thanks

Hartlebury castle just before Worcester is lovely for young kids and won’t matter whatever the weather, nice cafe too x

If your after a quick stop off at Worcester not far from the motorway try st Peters garden centre. Or try webbs wychbold garden centre. There both good for cake and coffee etc etc....

Echo Webb’s (play area, riverside gardens, hobbit house, fish to gawp at, nice ice cream) or Worcester woods (nicer cafe and good play area)

They are not that far apart only about an hour. Do you really want to stop at both?

Definitely Worcester Woods - 5 mins from motorway, lovely play area and the cakes in the cafe are the best in the area!

If you are travelling on the motorway South Staffs exit (J13) and turn towards Stafford take the first left into Acton Court.

It has a chinese restaurant (never been) a holiday inn express and a pub called 'Catch Corner' which has a Wacky Warehouse. Not as nice a trentham gardens.

The M6 at this point is always down to 50 miles an hour so instead of getting back on the motorway if you follow the signs to Wolverhampton you will go through Penkridge which is a nice village (locals claim it is a town) with pubs and shops. On Saturday and Wednesday there is also a market.

If you carry on towards Wolverhampton you will pass the Rodbaston campus of South Staffs College, it is the campus where students learn animal care and they have an 'Animal zone' , sorry it isn't free but a £20 family ticket will cover 2 adults and 2 children, your youngest will be free. There is a cafe and a picnic area.

www.southstaffs.ac.uk/animal-zone/

After this you will be on Stafford Road a dual carriageway that is virtually parallel to the M6 but you can go 60 (they have just dropped it from 70).

As you get to the edge of Wolverhampton pick up the motorway again, it will be signed M54 but take the direction toward Birmingham and you will be back on the M6.

Monkey Forest Trentham looks good, and not far from the m6.

Please don’t take this the wrong way OP but do you do much travelling with the kids? I only ask as planning stops let alone that frequently seems a bit OTT. Surely you waiting until either everyone’s hungry/needs the loo/ you need fuel or you say at 1 we will pull over for lunch. In all instances you pull in at the next services and get back on the road as soon as you can.

As a local another vote for Trentham Gardens, easily accessible, lots of shops, eateries and fun.

Don't go near Hanley, or Stoke itself as masses of roadworks at the moment. If you want a quick stop off, Festival Park (J15 M6) has a few eateries (and Waterworld ;)).

Would recommend Trentham Gardens, with the caveat to avoid if it's a day and near football times when Stoke are playing at home.

Itsboiledeggsagain. The person is asking for helpful suggestions. I don't think she will stop at every single place we put on the list.

I would definitely stop at Worcester Woods, it’s 5 minutes from the M5 and there’s loads of running around room. I think lots of pp’s are right though and it’s officially the countryside centre!

Yellowshirt the op asked fuor recommendations at both places not an either or.
My view is that they are quite close together. Op said she doesn't know the places. She may not know that.

Op - I could have added more helpfully that maybe Gloucester is a better place to pitch the second stop. People seem to love the service station but that might not be long enough.