Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

UK travel

Welcome to our UK travel forum where you can get advice on everything from holidays to exotic destinations, to tips on London travel.

Dorset with a toddler...

13 replies

IcouldstillbeJoseph · 02/07/2012 20:00

DS will be 21 mo. I will be 5 mo preg. Wanting to go self catering, planning days out to Monkey World, Brownsea, Swanage railway.
Was thinking of staying in Corfe Castle area. Any good? Is Swanage nice? Anything else worth doing with a toddler?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

TIA

OP posts:
Bigbouncingbaby · 02/07/2012 20:05

Corfe castle is lovely ....swan age is great for kids beach really nice. Only problem is allot of it is outdoors and the weather is not great. Think there is a farm just outside Swange just for kids also one called Farmer Palmers which is great for under 5s.

Get the ferry across to sandbanks and you can go to Poole and Bournemouth.

IcouldstillbeJoseph · 02/07/2012 20:09

Thank you. Planning on going last wk Sept so the weather won't be brilliant much like now
Best we rent somewhere big to tire out DS....

OP posts:
Nosleeptillgodknowswhen · 02/07/2012 20:10

Farmer palmers, over near poole is BRILLIANT! We normally go on our way home but well worth a day trip. Have soft play and animal barn and things inside so you can dodge rain if needed.

BeatriceBean · 02/07/2012 20:16

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so much to do. We love holidays in Dorset.

Corfe Castle itself is national trust and worth a half-day amble around with the toddler. The steam train runs from corfe to Swanage, where you can play on the beach etc.

Brownsea Island is national trust as well (although you have to pay for the boat trip too) and if you are members Kingston Lacy is a gorgeous house and gardens that is also NT. The ferry goes from Poole Quay, which in itself is interesting for a potter and there is a lovely park - Poole Park, just around the corner. Great for feeding ducks, climbing trees (there are some fallen on the ground from a storm), Play areas, large lake with pedalos on etc. You can walk through from Poole Park to Baiter/ Whitecliff which has gorgeous views of the harbour and the Islands, and a good path alongside the water.

Durlston Country Park (nr Swanage) is a lovely place to walk, although there is a bit that is next to the cliff edge without a wall. There is a lighthouse, a huge globe and a visitors centre too there as well as lovely walks.

Farmer Palmers is nearby. It is an expensive day out but it is such a lovely one for toddlers. You can spend the whole day feeding animals, going on tractors, etc. and ideal for a toddler.

However, I suspect your child will just enjoy going along with whatever you fancy at that age, and just enjoy being out somewhere new with you. There are some amazing walks in the Purbecks. (One we like is to park in Kingston, along the road from the Scott Arms pub which has a gorgeous view of Corfe Castle and walk to Swyre head ( www.jurassicjaunts.co.uk/Kingston_to_Swyre_Head.aspx ) Not sure I'd want to take a pushchair but our child managed it at 2 years old and we had a picnic at the end. One of my favourite Dorset views up there!

Let me know what sort of things you enjoy and I'll have a think.

Depending on what direction you're coming from Moors Valley country park has a great "play trail" with lots of outdoor play equipment along the walk.

Studland is a lovely beach, less touristy than Swanage/ Poole/ Bournemouth (free parking if NT). You could go from there across on the chain ferry to Poole which is fun. (Lovely hotel the other side - the Haven, if you fancied a coffee).

Arne is a nature reserve with a couple of walks that have views of the harbour, if your toddler likes woods.

You could take a boat from Poole quay up the Wareham river...

BeatriceBean · 02/07/2012 20:17

Ah, see Farmer Palmers is already mentioned!

IcouldstillbeJoseph · 02/07/2012 20:18

Oh thank u, just looked at farmer p's website and it's on the list!

OP posts:
fivegomadindorset · 02/07/2012 20:20

September is usually lovely here, well it has been for the last few years. Nothing much to add to the above except fro Kimmeridge for rock pooling.

IcouldstillbeJoseph · 02/07/2012 20:22

BBean - wow what a brilliant reply! Thank you
We are NT members so will defos be going to some places like that. Sounds like there is plenty to do that a naughty energetic little boy will like.

OP posts:
chosenone · 02/07/2012 20:38

Been 3 times when DC were babies, toddlers and pre schoolers, love it. Swanage, beautiful, quaint seaside town. Steam train into swanage lovely. Falmer palmers fab. We always stayed in one of the caravan parks nearby, one in wareham that was quiet but lovely and a much busier one with pools and entertainment which was excellent with little ones. Have a fab time, tis great.

Bigbouncingbaby · 02/07/2012 20:38

Yeah moors valley is really lovely....I reckon you maybe ok in September it's normally nicer then. Better than June!

BeatriceBean · 04/07/2012 11:33

When are you going?

Hope you have a fantastic time, would love to hear what you do/ how you get on!

IcouldstillbeJoseph · 04/07/2012 16:03

Planning on last wk September. We're only in Hampshire so not too far but my DS has a nasty habit of getting poorly on holidays so we're not straying too far this time!

OP posts:
IcouldstillbeJoseph · 04/07/2012 16:17

Planning on last wk September. We're only in Hampshire so not too far but my DS has a nasty habit of getting poorly on holidays so we're not straying too far this time!

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page