Anyone suggest a good meeting place with kids sort of halfway between Bristol and London?

[spicemonster]

I would like to meet my best mate for the afternoon in a few weeks' time. I will be travelling from London, she from Bristol, both in cars and we will both have our DCs (who are 2) with us. Any suggestions of somewhere we could meet? Could be a family-friendly pub or a kids farm or anything really. Last time we met 1/2 way was pre-kids and it was near Hungerford so that sort of area really ie not far from the M4. Ideally somewhere that we could go in any kind of weather. Am probably asking for the moon but worth a punt ...

Bump for the daytime. Any suggestions please?

Ds and I spent a happy day at an adventure farm near ... Reading?

sorry SM, will have to wait til dh comes home so I can check. heat has wiped my UK hard drive

there's a garden centre/soft paly thing off the M4 near swindon.
also has a butterfly house.
Nice cafe, dreadful resteraunt.

Can't remember exactly where, but will have a think.

I meet my sis and her boy there with my kids sometimes.
She's closer- so the london one will have a bit of a long drive..

How old are the children?

How about the model village at Beaconsfield.

Here it is

You would get off at either the Slough or Maidenhead turning I think. It's probably closer for her than for you though.

ooh some good ideas ta I think Beaconsfield might be a bit far for her (she's coming from Bristol) but I'll see if I can persuade her - we used to go on holiday together when we were younger and always try and work a model village into our trips (don't ask )

The butterfly place sounds great too if you can remember the name of it.

phd - that's not Beale park is it?

How about Beale Park which is not far off J12 of the M4 on the west side of Reading?

Spicemonster - apart from Beale, which I now realise you know about, there is also the Living Rain Forest near J13 M4.

Finkley Down farm ? Down the a34 at andover so maybe a bit far from m4. But good day out for 2 yr old.

the living rainforest is good (monkeys!!) but they had a fire there recently - i'd check it's open again before you plan to go there

Finkley Down farm ? Down the a34 at andover so maybe a bit far from m4. But good day out for 2 yr old.

I was lurking on this thread as I live quite nearby and still getting to grips with the area. That rainforest looked great but boy is it expensive! I don't think we'd be able to afford that.

Longleat safari park isn't too far away, in Westbury, and if you book online you save 15%.

The railway museum at Swindon? Steam Not half way but easy to get to with good signage. It's next to an outlet shopping place with some cafes, and the National Trust's HQ Heelis has a nice cafe too.

I've heard a rumour that a new outpost of the Science Museum will be opening in Swindon very soon too.

Still bloody expensive, but I don't know how much you're prepared to pay.

Oopsagain- There is a butterfly place at Blooms garden centre in Wroughton, is this the one you meant?

www.studleygrange.co.uk/

If so it's really easy to get to. Just off J16 of the M4.

Probably should have read how to do a link first

There's a family farm place called "Action Farm" near Newbury which I keep meaning to go to.

Does the garden centre at Wroughton still have the cool soft play/ ball pit place in the middle? Nice china painting place too IIRC.

ooh - yes it does - I would be inclined to call ahead and check for party bookings (and avoid them) though.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Having spoken to my bessie, we have decided on Beale Park

I had forgotten about Beale until phd mentioned the adventure farm so even though it is hideously expensive (4 quid for over 2s! ) we are going to meet there as this is my first time of meeting her DD so it is a special occasion.

Thanks for all the suggestions

Cotswolds Wild Animal Park? here or is that too far from London?