Good places to go in Surrey

[Blossomhill]

I live in Surrey and do know some good places to go.
Would be great to hear of anything I haven't heard of.
Just child-friendly days out.
TIA :)

There are some great books around - like 1001 Days Out With Your Kids, AA Guide to days out etc. - all country covered, info on each of the zoos, playcentres and so on - very useful, I buy it every year when new ones are out. They cost around £10. Amazon, Ebay, local shops...
One place in Surrey I always go to is Godstone Farm if that helps at all :)

Tilgate Park in Crawley - I know it's not Surrey, Sussex I think, but only just over the border and quite a simple drive down M25. It's a huge park with a lake in the middle - great cycling/scootering place and a large playground and small farm area. All totally free. There's also a Brewsters pub/restaurant. We spend a lot of time there in the school holidays and I love the fact that you can spend a whole day there with a picnic and spend zilch

Alice Holt Forest is lovely. \link{http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/recreation.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/EnglandSurreyAliceHoltForest\See Here}

Lots of marked walks, great for cycling, big wooden adventure playground, a couple of quid for parking but otherwise free.

haven't been for years but Winkworth Arboretum used to be lovely (especially in Spring) - don't know what it's like now though

We like Box Hill, and a friend has recommended Happy Valley in Coulsdon. I'll also be watching this with interest! If you're an RHS member, Wisley Gardens are lovely - but expensive to get into if not a member. Box Hill is a steep march up the hill, refuel at the National Trust place at the top, then run (or roll!) down the hill again. Also good for kites.

Wisley is lovely. We're members there (10 minutes down the road for us) and we're thinking of getting an annual pass to Painshill Park.

i grew up in surrey nd ive lost count of the injuries sustained on box hill..my sis ter wa sthe worst with a prmanently broken arm after rolling down.
we used to go to ah uge park in crwley with a farm..cant remeber the name though.
oh and the usual nationla trust/nature places...my mind has gone blank on names..

Bocketts farm at Leatherhead - has indoor and outdoor play areas plus animals and tractor rides.
Polesdon Lacey at Bookham (NT) has hosue, walks, open space for games and picnics plus a small children's wood with balancing obstacles.
Leith Hill nr Dorking is also good for walks and views.

Yep. Bocketts Farm good. Take your own picnic though cos they dont really do 'kids' food and it is quite expensive.

For just running around, Virginia Water is fab - ducks to feed, lovely woodland walks and they can play hide & seek in the rhododendrons.

Also, Runnymede pleasure grounds.

Just outside Surrey, in Bracknell, is the Lookout - a science museum plus adventure playground and woodland activities.

Is there anything specifically for toddlers eg soft play? Moving to Croydon area. Also am very keen to find a nice swimming pool as we are going to miss the one we take ds to.

There's a Wacky Warehouse on the outskirts of croydon and also Playtown in Croydon central, which is good for little ones. Bit of a lack of swimming pools though - you will need to travel out a little bit. We use Westcroft Leisure Centre in Carshalton which is only about a 20 minute drive from Croydon.

There is a pool at Purley but not sure how good it is these days as it has been many, many years since I went there. Soft play place in Bromley I believe but there must be one closer, and there is Ikea !

Playtown in Grants has closed down Sandyballs. Soupdragon (on another thread) heard rumours that it had been taken over and will be reopened but haven't heard anything yet (bit of a bugger actually, DS2 was going to have his birthday there)

\link{http://www.bromleymytime.org.uk/spa-leisure-centre.html\The Beckenham Spa} is about 20 minutes drive from Croydon, the pool is nice and the soft play bit is just the right size for toddlers.

I didn't realise that - glad you said as I was planning a trip this weekend. It all seemed quite new.

Liz - if you're talking about the big pool with the slides and everything, that got closed down ages ago on 'health and safety' grounds. I think there might have been a big accident there.

Croydon (and streatham where I live) sucks for little kids.

Oh yeah, IKEA smaland is for over 3's. Anything else I can shoot down?

Thanks for suggestions. Shame about swimming pools. Is the one at Carshalton very chlorinated? It's just that the one we use at the moment isn't and as a result dh will use it.It's a members only pool so isn't as heavily used as ordinary public baths (hence less chlorine).

I don't know what happened tbh. Their site is down as well, so I assume the original one in Romford has gone as well. It's a shame as it was a really nice one, not too sweaty and gross.

Just remembered, there's one called Jungle Jims in the Megabowl in Valley Park, but it's just for young kids I think (little bit sweaty, crap food)

Did anyone mention the Wacky Warehouse at the Collonades? (opposite TGIs on the Purley Way?)

It's quite small and well used, but it has a M&T session there every weekday morning.

Expecting, I live in Wallington, very near Westcroft, and it has lovely swimming pools. And family changing rooms.

No I was thinking of a regular pool with small gym attached, between the cinema(?) and station iirc.

Lizs, yes, it does still exist. It has a dodgy boiler, though, so swimming lessons are always being cancelled.

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1395&threadid=152115\the british wildlife centre was great}

Thanks poshpaws, we'll definitely try that one.

I live in Wallington, too. There's Racquets Sports Club, just near Purley Way, which is a members-only sports club with two nice pools - a particularly nice warm one for babies. Don't think the changing facilities are as good as Westcroft, but Westcroft can be a bit grubby sometimes. Used sanitary towel in my locker last time I was there, and I caught a verrucae! Yikes! Still, that was five years ago...