Place to stop, Scotland to Dorset?

[disneydreaming]

We are travelling down from Scotland (Fife) to Dorset next month for camp bestival with my two children 5 and 9. I am planning to leave early morning about 6-7am drive about 4-5 hours down and find where we can stop around lunch time and spend the day. So somewhere fun for the kids to burn off some energy before driving for another wee while and stopping to sleep somewhere hopefully south of Birmingham where we can get up early and to drive to lulworth castle. Does anyone have any good recommendations of where to go? Somewhere not too far off the m6? (We could come down the east coast via the A1/A1M also if there was somewhere the kids would really be interested in . Any ideas?

Don’t come down the east coast....it would take a lot longer. Though it is lovely.

I’d get as far south as beyond the m5/m6 interchange before stopping for the night.
Brockholes wetland might be a good stop.

my current top tip is use the toll road and M42 to avoid the M6/M5 fiasco that is Spaghetti junction

we did that recently heading north and it was a much easier drive....and would definitely do it again!!

Also watch google traffic alerts, we usually get off at Taunton and head down from there, but Bristol can be a pig to get through and it's not that bad to get off there and head on down the A roads

No advice on actual stopping places for small children! Except we'd always stop at the Gretna services on the way home. ..there used to be a Little Red Hen there they all loved!

If you do come down the East Coast, Belton Park near Grantham is amazing with kids. Huge outdoor adventure playground, indoor soft play. National Trust property About 5.5 hours from Fife so a bit beyond your target but utterly brilliant.

Gulliver’s World at Warrington. Try and get there for opening time at 10.30 and leave at 5 when it closes to get your money’s worth. It’s another 2.5 hours drive to get you south of Birmingham but you could have dinner on the way and arrive in time for bedtime.
Otherwise there’s Trentham Estate and then the monkey forest next door. There’s a good adventure playground, maze, barefoot walk and fairy trail. You can hire a rowing boat on the lake or take things easy and have a cruise on the eco-powered catamaran.

I live about an hour north of Glasgow, it is ,4 hours once on M74 to Birmingham, Shugborough hall is not far from junction 14 it is national trust with a farm and 900 acres to let off steam there is no need to go in house as travelling though it is quite good for kids opportunities to dress up etc having travelled this route many times I would definitely go down west side the M 6 TOLL is not much help for transfering to M5

Tatton park is just off the M6 and has a good play area and farm. Doesn't compare to Gullivers World for fun though, mine used to love it there when they were small. There is a hotel there now too.
To be honest I would just stay there then make an early dart for Dorset the next day.
We frequently do Cheshire to Dorset in 4.5 hours avoiding peak times.

Thanks so much for all the advice I was thinking of going the toll road, trentham forest sounds pretty good I will look it up it. We were at gullivers earlier in the year and my youngest loved it so definitely could be a consideration. Thank you for all the advice 😊.

If National Trust or English Heritage members, you could look up places close to your route. We stopped at Little Moreton Hall one year on the way south.

We are Scottish national trust memberships but I'm sure we get either free or discounted entries when in England too that's a really good idea I will have a look and see if their is anything on route 😊

I live close to Lulworth and when we travel north we have a preferred route:
A31, M27, M3, A34(Newbury bypass), M40 then M43 onwards.
We’ve found it the best way as North Dorset is a pain to drive through and this way is faster roads and mostly dual carriageway.

M42 not 43.

Thanks neddle that was my planned route (as it's what my sat bag suggests) so I'm glad you have confirmed it's the best route 😁

Sat Nav that should say*

scottish national trust gets you free entry in England , there are a few places where you have to pay to park mostly because it is shared land or something but actual entry is free (that's why I mentioned Shugborough, Attingham park is also nice but quite a bit of a detour as is towards Shewsbury I travel frequently from near Loch Lomond to West Midlands and occasionally wiltshire

oh I forgot not National Trust but Weston Park just North of Wolverhampton come off Junction 12 M6 ( 8 miles away ) has a huge adventure playground and an enchanted glen for your kids to run off some energy you can buy a ticket for just the grounds

Teacup that sounds amazing and just what we are looking for I will definitely look that up! Thank you

Day out in Liverpool, less to do but chester is nice