between birmingham and winchester

[bea]

meeting up with sil and kiddies, want to find somewhere in between brum and winchester... any ideas???

tia

How old are the children? There is Odds Farm Park near High Wycombe. A bit pricey IMO but ds loved it (especially the sandpit with stationary sit-on diggers)

That's M5 and A34, isn't it? Or is there somewhere in between I've missed out?

cotswold wildlife park?

www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/map.htm

daysout.co.uk

There is at least one other similar site...

uk what's on guide

National Trust

thanks all! unfortunately (or fortunately!) grandparents of kiddies have a small holding, so all farmy stuff is normal life to our kiddies, so all sorts of farm activities are run of the mill to them!!! (spoilt kiddies!!! or really... very very lucky kiddies!!!)... we're thinking of blenheim palace? anyone been there???

Blenheim is lovely: There's a big adventure playground, and a maze, and a butterfly house, nice coffee shop, huge grounds to walk around, little train to ride on if it's still running. (When are you going?)

I wouldn't pay for the kids to go in the house, unless they are older and particularly interested. From memory you pay per car to get into the grounds, and then you have to pay extra per person/child for the pleasure gardens (maze, adventure playground, etc.)

HTH

You don't mean this weekend though do you? Horse trials on at Blenheim, it will be heaving.

Blenheim site is here with up to date info on admission prices .. to update the duff info I gave you earlier!

b**ks!!! thanks loads Roisin as we were planning to go this weekend and i bet i wouldn't have even thought about checking out the events listings!!!! we would have turned up there and wondered what all the fuss was about!!!

Poo!!! i had looked around the website and was getting quite excited at all the things to do!!! especially looking forward to the train ride!!!! (yes it is still running!!!)

What shall we do now!!!????

I second Coddy's original vote for Cotswold Wildlife Park - it's huge: penguins, zebras, rhinos, lions, monkeys ... etc. There's a playground too. (And there's a little train as well!)

it's here

thanks all! i think we maybe heading towards the cotswold wildlife park... but now the weather doesn;t look too good!!! (is this turning into a disastrous day out already? and it hasn't even started yet!!!) is the CWP good if it's raining?.. i.e places to shelter and sti.ll see and do things??

we also thought if the weather is disastrous we might pop into the bicester village retail outlet thingy? what about this place to entertain some boistrous toddlers... any soft play there???

tia

Anything in Oxford?

Cotswold Wildlife Park is great but I don't think there's much if it's raining [checks guide] - there's a tropical house and a couple of other things but it's really an outdoor place IMO.

Bicester is great shopping but it's not a covered mall - you have to go outside between shops, and there's no soft play area that I know of.

why not Oxford?? depends on your kids' interests - maybe a river trip, maybe the Ashmolean museum which is free? i'd suggest calling the Tourist info (
Oxford Information Centre
Gloucester Green
Oxford Oxfordshire OX1 2DA
Tel: (01865 726871) )

In Winchester there is a water mill which is under cover (National Trust).

Ooh i'm having fun myself now.

Didcot Railway Centre ?

Never been there but if your kids like trains...?

There's a straightforward Snakes and Ladders soft play centre just off the A34 in Abingdon - if you want exact details just say.

thanks acnebride!.. i googles snakes and ladders and it looks pretty good but the thought of it being the weekend makes me have second thoughts... does it get horribley busy during the weekend (very silly question i know... of course it does?) i suppose what i mean is is it one of those kiddy places you avoid like the plague during the weekend...???

thanks!!

thanks for all the help.. mumsnet is great isn't it!!!

as it turns out the weather wasn't so bad at all - in fact quite pleasant... cotswold wildlife park was great... it was only about hour and 15 mins (dh drove quite speedliy!!!) v. impressed with the restaurant (we sat outside!!) and dd had a great time on the carousel... thanks for all the help!!!