Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Welcome to Mumsnet's holiday forum. Discuss all international travel here, including both shorthaul and longhaul trips. Related topics: UK holidays & day trips, skiing, camping & campervans.
Holidays
Days out - recommended by mumsnet members
Marina · 29/05/2001 10:03
Following on from Tigermoth's suggestion about festivals, fetes etc, how about recommending your "grand days out" for families here?
We had the nicest time yesterday with our two year old son. We drove to Tenterden in Kent (easiest via M20, but a prettier route via Goudhurst from A21/A262) and rode the Kent and East Sussex Steam Railway to Bodiam Castle (National Trust). The line was only extended to the castle last year with Millennium Fund money and parking is much easier in Tenterden. The railway has little stations crammed full of memorabilia and gadgets and is run by child-friendly steam fans. It travels along the Rother valley which is full of waterfowl, reed beds, BIG cows, etc. You can even have lunch, tea or a drink on board.
Tenterden has a cafe, a children's play and picnic area, baby changing facilities and a station cat. Bodiam has ruins, a moat with tame carp in it, a river and lots of spiral staircases and dank little holes to explore, plus the usual NT facilities of proper loos for everyone, picnic space, tearooms etc. There is a lovely-looking Shepherd Neame pub on the riverbanks and, although we didn't have time, there is also a river barge running between the castle and nearby Northiam (close to one of the stations). All of it could be managed with a pushchair. What did you all get up to?
Bron · 22/08/2001 08:39
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IDismyname · 22/08/2001 13:39
If any of you are close to Farnham, try a day out at Alice Holt Forest. It's a very big wood (nice and cool!) with cycle paths, a shop cum cafe, and a picnic area. They have walks through the woods with big sculptures to climb all over and into (check out the "Habitat Trail"). You can take your own bike, or hire them there. The whole thing is free, except parking which is £2 a day.
You'll find it south of Farnham on the A286 to Bordon, and it's signposted from the main road.
Morgie · 22/08/2001 21:12
Ali
where is Gulliver's in milton keynes? I want to take my three year old there for his birthday.
I live in Banbury
Many thanks
Suew · 22/08/2001 21:39
Morige, I haven't been there but I saw it signposted from the M1 yesterday on my way to Whipsnade Wild Life Park.
The website for Whipsnade said 'Follow the elephant (signs) from between Jx and Jy of M1' and although I was sceptical as I drove through previously unknown territory I got there easily enough. Hope Gulliver's is as easy.
Loubel · 23/08/2001 21:35
I highly reccommend Farmer Palmer's near Poole. www.farmerpalmer.co.uk - loads to do: see animals, playground, ball pond, bouncy castle, tractorcircuit for under fives, straw mountain, a brilliant climbing, sliding, tunnels combination, go-karts, tractor trailer rides, maize maze, riverside walk, nice cafe, lovely staff. My 18mths and 3 year old loved it so much we went back for the weekend!
Morgie · 23/08/2001 21:52
Thanks,
I managed to get directions for Gulliver's from tourist information. Had a fantastic time today and a very tired 3 year old as a result.Useful tip - If you go after 3.30 p.m its only £3.75 instead of £8.80 admission and to be honest even though it shuts at 5 p.m. an hour and a half is long enough to wear out even the most challenging 3 year old !!!!
Batters · 24/08/2001 10:19
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Ems · 24/08/2001 13:06
Batters, we are going South, to International Festival of the Sea in Portsmouth, went several years ago, it is a BRILLIANT day out. There is so much to see and do, plus its by the sea which makes it nice.
Lots of war ships, tall ships, submarines, shows, helicopter and aeroplane displays, great atmosphere, really recommend it.
If by train, you arrive right there. And if you drive, they have a really good park and ride service (free) all round the city. You just pay a couple of pounds for coach trip in.
Marina · 30/08/2001 21:50
Found somewhere fun, free and silly in central London last week. The refurbished courtyard of Somerset House (off the Strand just east of Waterloo Bridge) has knee-high fountains bubbling straight out of pristine granite - non-slip of course. Every half hour these fountains leap up to 12 feet in places in a choreographed display. The great thing about this attractive feature is that you and your kids can get in there and have fun and NO-ONE WILL STOP YOU. In fact, when we arrived, several families had made a day out of it and the atmosphere was really fun - toddlers pottering about while museum curators and civil servants went by, hard at work, poor things. The Courtauld Art Gallery has wisely set up a stand selling very reasonably-priced ice cream and chilled wine for the parents. A veritable oasis just off the hideous Strand.
Suew · 30/08/2001 22:17
Sounds great fun Marina - we did the same with the children when we were in Melbourne (Oz) on the bank of the river outside the casino!
First time we discovered it by accident; second time we went along prepared.
We've got some fantastic photos of them running through the water jets.
Tigermoth · 04/09/2001 11:52
Carnivalnet - a great website that lists lots of fairs, festivals, carnivals and melas all over the country, with a brief rundown on each.
Sadly I have only just discovered this site, so many of the events have now taken place, but great for planning day trips for the rest of this year and next summer.
If I can find the fetes and fairs board I will add this info to it.
The site is www.carnivalnet.org.uk
Jennyb · 27/09/2001 16:03
Hi Tigermoth, it was lovely to meet you in Corsica last week and I hope you're all well now and had a lovely second week!
Tigermoth · 01/10/2001 12:23
Hi JennyB, thanks for your message. Yes we all had a lovely and uneventful second week.
As I began to talk to a few of the other parents out there, I was struck by how many others know, or sometimes contribute, to this site. I wonder how fast mumsnet is growing.
PS I will be following your Isle of Wight message board with great interest. Any IOW hotel which offers childcare will be of great interest to me.
Bells2 · 05/11/2001 11:03
We had a wonderful day out on Saturday on the Bluebell Steam Railway in East Sussex. Beautiful old steam engines, immaculate carriages and beautifully restored stations. Would recommend going on one of their special days (Saturday was Stepney - a vintage engine) as the carriages really are lovely. Children under 3 are free with adult tickets costing £8. All in all, the train journey takes around 90 minutes with a couple of stops along the way. It is all very tasteful and releaxed so also good for the older generation. They have a couple of special "Thomas" days next year.
We got on at Sheffield Park - the National Trust Sheffield Park gardens are only a few minutes away and also really worth a visit.
Motherofone · 05/11/2001 21:28
Two excellent farms near us in Surrey:
Godstone Farm (J6 M25?) has lots of animals to look at & stroke, an indoor tractor/ cart area, undercover picnic tables, a huge soft play 'warehouse' (with areas for babies/ toddlers nd older kids) and finally lots of outdoor play stuff - tyre swings, tractor to sit on, sandpits etc.
Bocketts Farm - Fetcham/Leatherhead (J9 M25?) has similar with haystack slides, mini tractors, play areas etc as well as animals. Also is a key stockist for all the TP climbing equipment, so that's on display (undercover) to try. Restaurant was mediocre & expensive, but there is outdoor space for picnics and a nice shop.
Pamina · 05/11/2001 21:46
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Tigermoth · 06/11/2001 13:15
Talking of farms, can anyone help me here? Three years ago my favourite children's farm closed down. It was called Badzells Farm in Kent. Very, very, picturesque with a maze, reptile hut and great adventure playground as well as the usual farm and stables. It seemed to be expanding its activites, so I was very surprised to find that it had suddenly shut. The tourist office could tell me little more. However I recently heard via a friend that it was closed due to the owner operating some illegal drugs business on the premises. Does anyone know more, and most importantly, if it will ever be reopening again?
Pamina · 03/12/2001 13:12
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Marina · 10/04/2002 11:13
So what did people get up to in the Easter sunshine? We had the most excellent day out, recommended on this thread by Tigermoth, at Groombridge Place and the Enchanted Forest. This is in the village of Groombridge, just outside Tunbridge Wells in Kent, and it really was a magical and memorable day. The house is private but with such beautiful formal gardens and woodland to explore that doesn't matter. The Enchanted Forest is easily the most original, child-friendly experience I have come across in years of visiting old houses, parks etc. Think boardwalks, chimes, mirrors, pools and grottoes hidden in a wooded valley - and during the school hols and at weekends the teepee and the gypsy encampment are inhabited!
Any child who can walk confidently will love it, ours did - but parts of the terrain are not very buggy-friendly - as we were warned.
And you could even get there without a car - lovely Connex to Tunbridge Wells, then the Spa Valley steam railway and a short walk.
Thanks Tigermoth!
Groombridge Place
Selja · 10/04/2002 12:06
We went to the Queen Elizabeth Country Park near Portsmouth for a walk. Unfortunately ds decided the path was far too boring and went cross country. He loved climbing over the tree roots and going uphill. He's such a mountaineer that I swear if Everest was outside the house he'd be up it. I'd forgotten what it was like to go traipsing over woodland - fun though. Even funnier watching dh having to climb down the hill to fetch the bucket which ds kept chucking down.
Batters · 10/04/2002 13:14
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pamina · 10/04/2002 13:30
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Marina · 10/04/2002 13:51
Pamina, that sounds extremely nice. I have been meaning to go there for ages. I am having a bad brain day and for a moment thought you had written about people in authentic costume SPITTING - very 19th century.
Selja, we stopped off there on the way to a ferry once, it's very beautiful, isn't it. We were treated to the surreal sight of Jenny Seagrove walking a really elderly spaniel in an old-fashioned pram. Celebrities, eh?
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