Things to do in North Cornwall if it rains (which it will).....

[lucylookout]

Hi,

We're going on holiday to North Cornwall (near Padstow) next week for one week. I've looked at the forecast and it's rain, rain, rain. I'm sure we'll spend a fair bit of time getting soggy on the beach anyway, but when we fancy a rest from that, has anyone got any recommendations of good things to do with 4 year old DS? I've seen there's go karting close by which will go down well. What about any indoor play barns, good swimming pools anything else?

Thanks!

The Eden Project?

We went to Cornwall at new year and it fucking pissed it down. But we still had an excellent time. There's a good swimming pool at Newquay. We went to St Michael's' Mount, couldn't go on the mount itself but it looked v atmospheric with the clouds scudding over. There's a massive and excellent and cheap farmshop just off the A30 at Kingsley Green. Lots of stately homos and other undercover stuff too.

Stately homos? freudian slip! I have a posh gay friend I call the Stately Homo

Paradise Park is outside but doable in showery weather and it does also have a soft play inside, with fab slides that me and DH loved!

Eden Project often have stuff for kids as well, so I am told.

The Newquay swimming at the holiday park Oasis Hendra is good too - good water slides.

Lanhydrock?

Tin mines?

Padstow itself in the rain?

We tend to just do what we'd planned regardless of weather it maybe lean ,ore to the national trust experience when really pouring down.

The Eden project is still great in rain - the biomes to explore and doesn't really matter if is raining when you do the outside bit.

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I forgot about the Eden project, I'd love to go back to that with ds. Swimming sounds good and will look up paradise park, never heard of that. Thanks again!

Crealy Adventure Park near Padstow is my DCs (aged 10 and 6) favourite place in the entire world! There are lots of huge soft play barns (the Dragon's Kingdom is only a hop and a skip from the entrance desk and drier than some of the others which seemed to have slightly leaky roofs in admittedly extreme downpours) - we went back in April's very wet weather, not minding paying c.£50 entrance for the family as they offer a free 7-day return pass - so although we knew we'd not get our money's worth on all the outdoor stuff that first day, we went back on a brighter afternoon later in the week (twice more!), and saw animals, rode mini-rollercoasters etc etc

Do check the return policy before you buy though as this was not in peak season ? and be sure to get your picture taken and a card issued before you leave.

You can also get free returns to the Eden project if you sign up for gift aid - though it's a longer drive from Padstow and you'd still get pretty wet making your way down from the cash desk to the biomes.

Swimming at the holiday park Oasis Hendra is also a goodie to have up your sleeve. There's another pool in Newquay itself (Trenance Leisure Park, near the zoo) but the watertubes aren't always open in schooltime, just the bog-standard boring pool.