NOW CLOSED: Tell Britax your favourite Buggy Friendly Places - you could win £100 of Love2Shop vouchers

[AnnMumsnet]

We've been asked by the folks at Britax to help with their new campaign where they "want to unearth the UK's best buggy (and baby) friendly locations for a new guide to help mums and dads share their favourite places to take the family".

So, please do tell all on this thread about the places that you actually enjoy going to with your baby - places that welcome your LOs and make getting out and about with your pushchair easier?

For example, do you know a coffee shop with a buggy parking section? Or a pub with spacious seating and a climbing frame out back? Or maybe you want to recommend a library that's littered with lifts and has a dedicated toddlers? reading corner (that doesn?t have noise restrictions!)?

Please tell Britax your favourite buggy friendly locations and they'll possibly be included in the guide (MN nicknames will not be used). Everyone who adds a location on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of Love2Shop vouchers (which can be spent at over 20,000 stores - including Argos, Debenhams, Boots and Toys 'R' Us).

When posting please say

a) The name and description of the venue

b) Its location

c) Why it is so good

For more information on Britax's campaign to create the "Ultimate Guide to Buggy Friendly Britain", visit their Facebook page

Thanks and good luck.

MNHQ

On a recent trip down south, i was impressed by: (in order of visits, not necessarily preference):

1. Bocketts Farm, Surrey. Friendly staff, lots of animals to pet and feed, piglet racing was a hoot, great play areas with trampolines and sandpits, large spacious cafe in a converted barn with tables outside, good range of food for kids and adults, reasonable prices.

1. Science Museum, London. Easy to get around, helpful staff, great play area in the basement with loads of touch-feely stuff and aprons for wet play.

1. Legoland Windsor. Just fab. Best day out ever, although i did feel the food on offer for younger ones wasn't the healthiest!!

I will also add to the numerous and welldeserved votes for John Lewis. The one i knew best when DS was a baby was Edinburgh. The fantastic toilets/changing/feeding rooms were a JOY compared to many places when you have a newborn, and thus they had a busy cafe too!! Helpful staff carried trays, complimentary baby jars of food. Other stores should definitely take note if the value the "new parent" £££.

Slimbridge (Wetlands Centre), which is about halfway between Bristol and Gloucester. My mum used to take my grandmother there when she was in a wheelchair so we already knew it would be good for buggies. It's baby-friendly in other ways too, lots of highchairs, good changing facilities, great play areas for little ones etc. But mostly I like it because it's easy to walk around with a buggy - and, now that my dd's are older and we don't need wheels anymore - to meet a friend whose ds is in a wheelchair.

the new M-shed museum in bristol, good wide loos, big lifts, the other day that had put out tonnes of dupplo and brio near some comfy seats so adults could sit and ponder and kids could play.... and best of all it's free!
Although I am usualy not a great fan of out of town shopping places Cribbs causeway in bristol is very good with kids. Loos have one big loo so you can fit a pushchair in, private feeing areas, seperate change area etc. Also there is free parking, lots of choices for food and a soft play and creche (so you can shop in peace!)

oh yes sorry for got to add- bristol central library. There is a little cafe, seperate childrens area (large with a wooden boat filled with books and an area for craft playing etc- there are puzzles, lego, dvd's and of course books). They also run free story times and singing groups and in the summer hols lots of crafty things too. And the staff are lovely really lovely with the kids- I can't praise the palce highly enough

Mead Open Farm in Billington, Bedfordshire.

Loads of animals for the children to see with plenty of opportunity for stroking and feeding (you can buy special feed on the way in) and special events run throughout the year like lamb feeding and sheep racing. You can even watch the lambs being born on the online web cam to get the excitment up before you go. There are a couple of tea shops on site to buy food in as well as loads and loads of picnic benches supplied for you to bring your own picnic. There's also a huge outdoor play area with climbing frames, slides and pedal tractors and a huge indoor play area too with soft play and huge slides. They also have an enormous sandpit with child sized diggers to use and climb in.

The only places pushchairs aren't allowed/suitable are in the Maize Maze because it's too narrow and in the indoor play barn but there's plenty of buggy parking space available and at the play barn, it's all undercover too so you don't have to worry about your buggy getting soggy if you happen to be hiding from the rain.

We had such a lovely time last time we went that 4 year old DS was in tears when we had to leave. He'd have quite happily camped in with the goats I think :)

Eden Project, Bodelva, Cornwall

Lots of indoor and outdoor walks with plenty of access for buggies. Lift or landtrain back to main entrance if walk uphill doesnt appeal. Park and ride between car parks ideal in poor weather and bus lowers to accomadate buggies- lots of room too.

Changing rooms and cafe have plenty of space for buggies. Even gift shop is easy to negiotate with buggy.

Biomes have buggy friendly routes- some paths arent accessible but you really dont miss out.

RHS Whisley

Fantastic parking, easy access everywhere, great cafes and restaurant. places to lay out on the grass or paddle about or walk up hill and down vale. You'd think putting the buggy on the grass would be bumpy, but the lawns ate in such good condition it's a joy!

The National Railway Musuem in York. I like it because there is plenty of space inside for pushchairs, there are lift near all stairs so no need to carry push chair up and down. They also have parent loos wide enough to fit a pushchair in and plenty of changing facilities. Also has a playpark and a miniture ride on train.

The Royal Festival Hall Cafe on the South Bank in London. The downstairs is a huge open plan area. The floors are wooden and you can take the food from the cafe and sit in the large quadrangle at the back of the hall. There is a ramp to get buggies down and the area is huge with a few tables and chairs. There are baby change facilties nearby. Children are more than welcome and are free to run about, explore the space and even scoot on the ultra smooth floor. In the holdias the RFH often put on events for kids of all ages. My two love it. And the cafe actually has quite nice food. Plus once you are done you are right on the South Bank with all its amusements including a carousel, numerous street performers and the obligatory boat watching.

I have thought of another.

Tate Britain on Millbank in London. The art gallery has a family reading area with bean bags and sofas to read to kids on. Every Saturday and Sunday there is an Art Trolley full of art materials for children to use and take into different part of the gallery. Buggies easily fit in all the rooms and the staff are really friendly.

Huddersfield train station now it has a lift! Means I don't have to drive everywhere far away. There are lots of stairs, and although the staff were meant to help with prams and wheel chairs, there were never really enough of them to do so.

Another vote for John Lewis, this one in Nottingham. Fab baby changing area with lots of chaging mats, bottle warmers, an open feeding room with comy chairs and private room for breast feeding. Massive loo with lots of room for the buggy and 2 loos, one for toddler and one for you! Only changing area I ever go to in town.

Also plenty of room in store and lifts for buggies.

Lovely Cafe and when I have been in on my own for lunch with a buggy a member of staff has always helped me and carried the tray to the table

John Lewis kingston for good pushchair access and plenty of changing rooms and feeding facilities.
Mada deli cafe on bridge road Hampton court large enough to get a pram through.

Carluccio's restaurant in Ealing Broadway. More than once they've given me and a friend a four person table and taken a chair away to accommodate the buggy when my baby has been with us. The staff are always super helpful about it and I've never had to ask.

[almost wishes she still has a buggy]

thanks...do keep them coming!

Colchester zoo has good facilities and plenty of room for buggies. Toddlers can roam around with no dangers

Jungle adventure in Colchester is newly opened, very spacious and great loo facilities for all ages. Lovely fresh food and coffee too

The folks at Britax say "Thanks for all the brilliant suggestions so far. We need as many as possible for our Ultimate Guide to Buggy Friendly Britain so please keep them coming! We've seen a lot of shops and cafes, but we're also looking for good family days out ? maybe places that are great for older children but also make it easy to take your buggy? We've had the Kelvingrove in Glasgow, Techniquest in Cardiff, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park amongst others?where would you recommend to other mums for an easy day out with your buggy?"

I do find a lot of National Trust places are pretty good with buggies these days. The paths are generally very flat, and well signposted when not suitable for buggies (or wheelchairs). When we've taken the buggy inside the houses, we've either been told we can push it around with us if it's quiet, or there have been good arrangements for leaving it someone - often a sling or alternative carrier has been provided, and at one place (Buckland Abbey) there was a buggy tag system so no-one could walk off with your buggy. They seem to be guarded as well so we felt safe leaving some stuff with the buggy. Most of their restaurants/cafes seem to have plenty of space and we've found people very willing to help.

Another great place in Wales is Nant yr Arian, a fantastic walk for little ones, or babes in buggies around the lake, and some longer walks in the woods which take you up to the top of the hills with some great views.

There is a great play area for children, and for older children there is a challenge to spot certain animals hidden on one of the walks.

They also do daily kite feeding and it is one of the most amazing sites, one of teh few times DD has happily sat still for 30 minutes :)

Westfield, Derby
There changing area has curtained area for breast feeding nice hygienic area for changing, toddler space with gate, toddler toilet and loads of space, right temperature not too hot or cold.

Trafford Centre, Manchester. Feels very open and uncrowded. Lots of places to sit down and rest. Play area and Legoland for the youngsters. Makes shopping quite enjoyable!

a) The name and description of the venue:
Locks Ride Recreation Ground, Forest Road,

b) Its location:
Winkfield, Bracknell, Berkshire

c) Why it is so good:
It has paths all round wide enough for buggies, clean toilet facility, sand pit beach, swings, zip wires, spider swing, climbing areas, Wet play area with shooting water spouts. Oh and most importantly it is free! Shhh..... don't tell anyone else!

Science museum, South Ken, London. Free too. Wide spaces, elevators and plenty of room to park buggies. Basement where young kids can play with water pumps and giant building blocks, pulleys etc, think its called The Garden, is brilliant...