The Hawk Conservancy Trust, Andover - anyone been?

[Tommy]

Thinking about it as a day trip with PILs (i.e. they take the DSs - I stay at home or go shopping )
Has anyone been there? Is it suitable for smallies - DS1 4.2 and DS2 2.7?

Yes, I have been with smallies. Some time ago now. It is all open air as I remember it. (BTW it is Lonelymum in case you don't recognise me!)

great thanks - why the name change?!

just bumping this for morning Mners! Anyone out there?!

no-one else been there obviously....

As I said it has been some time Tommy since I was there, but is there anything specific you want to know? I might be able to remember.

thanks Dumbledores for saving me from me being Milly no Mates
I think it's the sort of thing my FIL would quite like and we have them staying for the weekend and want them to do something different than the farm or wherever they usually go. The website looks good. I think DS1 will enjoy it but would there be enough for Ds2 to enjoy too and would it be enough for a whole day and would it be OK if the weather wasn't great?
Thanks

hi tommy me and my dp and dd whos 20months and ds whos 5 months regularly go to the hawk conservancy at least 4 times a year as it is just up the road from us it is a great day out and definatly suitable for young kids just make sure that you take plenty of suncream if its hot as it is very open and like wise a warm coat if its not but i would recomened it to anyone and with the cheap entry it is good value for money, hope you enjoy it

I don't think there would be enough for a whole day. When I went, we spent about 2 hours there max. It was all open to the air. You walked around enclosures containing the birds and there was an open air talk and display of owls flying (or another bird of prey, I forget). I should think ds2 would enjoy it but I don't remember any little gimicky things for small children IYSWIM.

That said, I went years ago and they are sure to have upgraded some things since. Let me look at the website too a moment...

if you time it right you can spend most of the day there with the live displays and having something to eat and drink we do when we go there we went there last week for the day and the kids love it and dd has been going since she was about 6 months old

Oh there you go tommy, someone who goes regularly and lives near by!

have just looked at the website, and it does look as though the facilites are more varied than when I was there (eg I don't remember a toddlers play area before). I think 2 points remain valid though: I don't think it would be a whole day's activities there, and it is open air so you wouldn't be able to go if it was raining (unless you wanted children and PIL to come down with flu!)

Posts crossed. Sorry tjack, wasn't deliberately trying to contradict you.

no worry dd the best time though tommy for the kids to be taken if poss is during the week when all the school aged kids are at school as you little ones will be able to spend more ahnds on time with the birds and enjoy it a lot more than if it is really busy

great - thanks you two. It would be a Saturday they would go probably - if I send them out there on Friday, I'll have to think of somehting else for them to do at the weekend!
Thanks - we're always looking for new things to do that aren't too far away so it's realy helpful