bewilderwood, norfolk, anyone been?

[littlebrownmouse]

That's it really. Would it be suitable day trip for us withour two and four year old? Will it be OK despite the recent weather? we're camping near Norwich and are rally keen to go. Thanks

I am going in August!

ooh, might see you there!

We drove past it last week- just outside Potter Heigham, but were on way home and decided to give it a miss Looks good

I went a couple weeks a go. I don't know where to start..
The pluses:
Great climbing/sliding stuff, lovely woodland, nice staff, a little boat to take you in to the main bit.
The minuses:
£40 for 2 adults, 2 kids. Yes, £40! And while what was there was great, it wouldn't fill a whole day, which I'd expect for £40.
Food is expensive, all very worthy and organic.
Bossy signs everywhere saying "Don't drop litter because the Twiggles don't like it", "Don't smoke because it's bad for you" etc. By the end I felt like lighting a cigarette, leaving the stub and then opening a Big Mac (I'm joking)
The whole place seems to be tied into a book that presumably was written for the place, and which is very obviously available to buy there.
The gift shop is possibly the ponciest shop I've ever been into. Sort of stuff you'd get in a National rust shop only less useful.
It is good, but just too damned expensive for what it is.

oh!

am going at the end of the summer hols.... well i was.....

Oh I feel bad now - it is a nice, good place and I sort of wish it luck. The bossy signs probably wouldn't irritate anyone other than me.

We were planning to go today (we only live 6 miles away). Turned up at 11.30 to see mile-long queues to get in, and what looked like huge queues within the place itself. Turned round and drove to Cromer instead! Had a lovely time there, both on and off the beach. I think Bewilderwood is best outside school holidays if possible, and not on a lovely sunny day like today. (it did look very good from the car park though!)

I went today, on a sunny day and all! It wasn't that crowded; weekends, bank holidays, 1st week of school hols and half-terms probably much worse than rest of August, I suspect.

Had a very good time, kids came back filthy and very tired.

We were there all day, though I've heard other people say they didn't think it was worth the entry price. Hassled, have you been to the Dinosaur Park west of Norwich, Hassled? 'Cause it's quite similar, really, though DinoPk cheaper to get into.

2 main things to accept are:

1. It's an elaborate playground with a treehouse (+ obscure fiction) theme. There are other little things to do, but underneath it's a playground. DC can spend 3 hrs in an ordinary park playground, so had no trouble staying all day.

2. Admission prices may partly reflect eco-orientation; they are trying to run it sustainably and with minimal env. impact. That and public liability, I reckon, because there are a lot of chances to get hurt here. Things to fall off, things to smash into, boat ride where nobody was asked to wear a life jacket (not even my 3yo), very high and fast slides, zip-lines that go quite high over hard ground, etc.

You know the argument that we swaddle our kids too much in cotton wool nowadays? And we feed them too many e-numbers? This is the kind of place you go to to let them take risks and consume relatively healthy cakes and soda.

I wouldn't go when it was steady raining, but would think it'd be okay otherwise (wellies if recently wet). Put velcro'd shoes on, shoes have to come off for most of the slides. Half the kids were running around barefoot or in socks today.

We didn't go to Bewilderwood when we went to Nofolk as my friend in Norwich said it was very soggy from all the rain when she had recently visited, and the loos were backing up.

I heartily recomment the Dinosaur Park. DS (3yrs) talked about nothing else for ages. Wroxham Barns is quite sweet too, it has cutesy shops but it also has a little funfair for small children and a small but well-stocked petting farm.

not read the rest of the other comments yet - so just in answer to the original.

It is fun - boat rides, climbing in the trees, board walks etc.

It is expensive - but under 5s go free - so for you just 2 adults is £20.

Go early - it opens at 10 - get there then and it is not too busy - and not heaving with bigger kids.

Downside - there is more to do for older kids so it might not be nest value for money for your littlies. (mine are 6 and 4 - they loved it).

ok - have read the other comments now - will jsut add - it seemed well staffed with lots of people strategically placed to stop people being really stupid.

The slides are big and scary and I got friction burns off one (the only one I went down !).

Not the best place on a rainy day because it is in the woodland.

Better places for your age group may be Wroxham Barns, Pettits and the Dinosaur Park.

Dino park is fab, my 3yo adores it in a big way.

Well, we read all the comments from the first few posters but were already on holiday before the others came in, we went to Bewilderwood despite negative comments and...WE LOVED IT! We are easily pleased and entertained, don't do gift shops and took packed lunch so maybe that contributed to us having a good day. We only paid for the adults as the kids are both under five and I'm not sure we would have enjoyed it so much if we'd paid forty quid rather than twenty. We were there about four hours and could have stayed longer except that DS(4) had been ill with a viral type thing and despite appearing well and throwing himself into everything with uncharacteristic energy, by about 2.30 he was ready to drop. DD(2) had a great time although she couldn't do many of the bigger things. It was very busy and a very hot day and we had a long wait in the sun to get on the boat to get out of the place, but everything else was great. Thanks for comments!

Meant to add, totally agree with whoever it was who said it isn't the kind of place to go if you don't like a bit of danger and worry about children hurting themselves. There's lots of opportunity for injury, but hey, taking risks is one of the ways that kids learn!