List of places with good adventure playgrounds.

[StripeyKnickersSpottySocks]

After reading the other thread about the good playground at Bowood House I was wondering can we have a thread with recommendations for really good adventure playground type places?

I would like to receommend Belton House near Grantham (National Trust) and Monkey World in Dorset as 2 of the best I've seen.

Any more?

Chatsworth in Derbyshire, agree about Belton House too!

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Chatsworth annoys me though - it costs so much to go in the gardens and then its extra (a lot) to go in the farm and playground.

wellington country park nr hartley whitney
robin hill ( iow)
groombridge place in kent
bokers farm park in guildford

Moors Valley Park near Ringwood (just outside Bournemouth). Has one of these high wire type courses for adults and older kids as well as a great trail and adventure stuff for younger kids.

Harewood House, nr Leeds

The Diana Memorial playground in Hyde Park.

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Wilton House near Salisbury

Horton Park Childrens Farm near Epsom - £5.95 per kid, £1 per accompanying adult and optional extra 80p for the indoor Playbarn. There are about 6 different playgrounds in there with climby things, swing-on things, slides, mazes, a Bounce Pillow - and there are farm animals to look at (and stroke in the cases of the bunnies) and you can have a ride on a tractor.

I thought the food was a bit rubbish, though it was cheap, so if you are fussy (or your DCs have allergies or anything) you might want to take a picnic.

Twinlakes in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

longleat
Bowood House
both Wilts

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The London Wetland Centre (Queen Elizabeth Walk in Barnes) has a fab new adventure playground! They also have picnic areas, child meals and decent meals in the cafe, indoor activities for rainy days, and this is in addition to the actual wetland centre with its meandering paths through beautifully laid out pond areas through parkland with birds.

Trevarno Gardens in Cornwall is good for ages 3-10. Not been to any of the others though to compare.

Knebworth is great, fantatic slides and fort adventure playground

Wimpole Hall nr Cambridge - Lovely farm, excellent (if expensive) cafe, picnic area, with toddler - 6ish play area right outside so you can drink coffee and watch kids. Then further out in the woods an excellent adventure playground with some equipment that my 3 year old can manage and a course around teh outside that even I find challenging! And a huge National Trust property to keep Grandparents happy

Leeds Castle has a good one

Agree with Monkey World playground is fab. Also the River Dart Country Park, near Newton Abbot, Devon.

Godstone Farm is lovely in Surrey. Sister farm to Horton.

I also say Leeds Castle

wilton house

Waddesdon Manor, near Aylesbury. It's a National Trust House, so if you're not a member, it's about £5.00 for the car park I think. It has a fantastic adventure play area, tucked into a wooded slope. The restaurant is also great.

The website says this:

Children's Woodland Playground
The woodland playground is now open, Wednesday to Sunday, 10.00 to 5.00, and offers far more to our young visitors than before. We have opened up a large wooded area, previously unused, which winds through an adventurous trail encouraging children to test their dexterity as they swing, slide, balance and climb their way down the slope, exploring and discovering playthings both natural and man-made in the landscape. At the foot of the slope, next to the Stables, will be a space dedicated to younger children, who can play safe in the knowledge that their families are within sight.

Holland Park adventure playground is still pretty good, though heavily used & so looking a bit scorched-earth.

Lots of varied forts in Coram's Fields, and a flying fox.

Ravenscourt Park is good - wish I lived nearer.

(This is such a useful idea - I have a great big 8 yo ds, too big now for anywhere that has a height restriction and who can't be doing with toddler swings and see-saws. He needs challenging stuff to climb - and enough boys his size & bigger, to play evil aliens games with. I searched all over Truro (eg) this holiday & there just wasn't the right thing - and no resource to tell me where to look!)