100 Aker Wood

Walking through 100 Aker Wood was magical, like walking through scenes from the Winnie-the-Pooh books and cartoons. 

 

 

 

 

We found Winnie the Pooh’s house

 

 

 

 

 

Eeyore’s Gloomy Place

 

 

 

 

 

a bridge to play Poohsticks

 

 

 

 

 

Wol’s tree

 

 

 

 

 

Roo’s Sandy Pit 

 

 

 

 

 

Rabbit’s house

 

 

 

 

 

a heffalump trap

 

 

 

 

 

and a bee tree.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a map of 100 Aker Wood that shows the places you can find on the Aldenham Country Park website.  

 

 

 

 

Aldenham Country Park

The Country Park itself is full of things to do, including orienteering and cycling trails 

 

 

 

 

mini golf and trampolines

 

 

 

 

 

a lake and nature trails. 

 

 

 

 

 

Aldenham Country Park Farm

On Aldenham Country Park Farm, a route leads you past farm animals, including cows and pigs

 

 

 

 

goats, donkeys and ducks.  

 

 

 

 

 

It also has various tractors to ride

 

 

 

 

and an area where you can pay a little extra and meet some smaller animals, like rabbits, guinea pigs and giant snails.  

 

 

 

We even spotted Winnie the Pooh!

 

 

 

The Adventure Play Area

This fabulous Aldenham Country Park Adventure Play Area has wooden play equipment, including a zip wire, sand play areas

 

 

 

and a water play area complete with a water pump.

 

 

 

 

At the time of writing, you must book to use the play area and there was a charge of £3.

Some sessions are exclusively for children with special needs. 

Nearest Town: Elstree, near Watford
County: Hertfordshire
Nearest Postcode: WD6 3BA

Opens: Daily

Adult Cost Range: The Country Park is free but you pay to enter the farm and the adventure play area. 
Child Cost Range: The Country Park is free but you pay to enter the farm and the adventure play area. 
Free If: You are only visiting the Country Park.

Where to Eat: Eat at the cafe, hire a barbecue or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe offering snacks and ice cream, toilets and accessible toilets, picnic areas. 

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours at the farm and the rest of the day in the Country Park.
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: There is a large car park. 
Cost of Parking: From £4.50 per day.

Wildlife You Might See: Birds and insects and farm animals – cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs – maybe even Winnie the Pooh!

Information Written: July 2022

 

Lepe Country Park

If you need an energy busting day then plan on paddling, sand castles and fossil finding before the tide comes in and then fairy door hunts, adventure play and a nature walk.

 

 

 

Or if you just want somewhere to relax, just sit back and enjoy the view.

Have a look at the Lepe Country Park website’s map for an overview of the activities on offer.

 

 

 

The Meadows

Alternatively, walk towards the east end of the beach past wild flower meadows on one side and the sea on the other.

 

 

 

This is a buggy friendly route that leads you to the beach, Lepe Point and Stansore Point, where the path becomes much sandier.

 

 

 

 

Lepe Point Nature Reserve

Lepe Point Nature Reserve, is a protected area of woodland and meadows with a boardwalk, pond and bird hide.

 

 

 

 

Stansore Point

Stansore Point is a good place to sit and enjoy the view, whether you want to watch huge ships cruise The Solent or gaze across at the Isle of Wight.

 

 

 

 

The D-Day Remnants

There are D-Day remnants near Stansore Point, including pier heads, construction platforms and slip ways.

 

 

 

You can see pictures and find further details on the New Forest Remembers website.

 

 

 

 

Fossil Finding

At Stansore Point it is also possible to find fossils of shells, plants and mammal bones, including mammoth bones. I understand it is best to look when the tide is out and to bring wellies in case the clay is exposed. Have a look at the UK Fossil Collecting website for full details.

You can also have a look at the western end of the beach where you can find fossil shells and corals. 

 

 

The Dinosaur Footprint

Inside the Visitor Centre is a dinosaur footprint, which was found at Lepe. It is on the floor on the right of the desk by the window.

Please see the Family Fun section of the Lepe website for further details as well as printable activities you can take with you or try at home!

 

 

The Fairy Door Trails

There are two trails to choose from – one through the Sensory Garden and another across the wild flower meadows and cliffs.

The doors are marked on a map and are each in a different type of tree with a little explanation about the kind of fairy living inside. 

 

 

The Beach

There is a family beach area, which is a very short walk from the car park. 

 

 

 

 

Further down the beach, low tide reveals a spit of land where we found crabs amongst the rocks, dug holes to catch the sea, built up huge sand castles and found interesting stones, including one of the bone shaped ‘fossils’ mentioned above.

 

The Play Area

The Lepe Country Park Play Area is a wooden adventure play area with equipment that includes:

• a swing
• a toddler swing
• a basket swing
• insect shaped springers
• a seesaw
• play houses
• a double slide with easy to climb stairs
• an obstacle course with logs, stumps, ropes and nets
• a wooden climbing frame
• a snake balance trail
• picnic tables
• seats.

Nearest Town: Exbury, New Forest
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO45 1AD

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Try the cafe or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe, picnic area, snacks, ice creams, barbecues, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: There are some pathways that are buggy friendly along the seafront.  The beach itself can be hard to push a buggy along because it is divided by wooden posts, many of which have rotted to near sand level and are splintered in places.

Parking: There are two pay and display car parks – one next to the play area and fairy trails and another next to the beach, Visitor Centre and cafe. These are connected by stairs that lead down to the beach but we drove between the two because we were using a buggy. We parked easily in both but it must be very busy at peak times.
Cost of Parking: For April to September start at £2.50 for one hour and an all day ticket costs £9.50.

Wildlife You Might See: Seaside wildlife, seabirds and other birds, butterflies and other insects.

Information Written: September 2017
Information Checked: May 2023

 

 

Butser Hill

The trail leads you around the top of Butser Hill National Nature Reserve, which is one of the highest points in Hampshire with beautiful views towards the Isle of Wight and the South Downs. It is also an ideal spot for kite flying.

 

 

Reaching the Top

You can either walk up the hill from Queen Elizabeth Country Park or drive up from the A3. We considered walking but the Visitor’s Centre staff advised against taking a buggy.

 

 

The Paths

It only took us fifteen minutes to walk to the top at a slow pace. We did not find the hill steep to climb and my toddler walked with me.

The hill is covered in rough, clumpy grass but there were paths mown through it.

 

Queen Elizabeth Country Park

From Butser Hill you can easily reach Queen Elizabeth Country Park by car, where there is a cafe, play areas for a range of ages, orienteering trails and picnic areas.

They also host family friendly events, which are listed on the Queen Elizabeth Country Park website.

 

Hampshire County Council’s Story Trails

*These are walks with interactive stories to read along the way, as told by a cute character called the Story Snail.

Each Story Trail is about one mile long and is divided into numbered story sections that you read out as you reach number markers along the trail.

 

 

Find a Pack

To follow the Story Trail you need a free pack that you can either borrow from a specified place (with a Hampshire Library card and a £20 returnable deposit) or download a story trail from the internet in written or audio form. Each pack has a map to follow and the trail itself is marked with arrows and/or pictures of the Story Snail.

Nearest Town: Horndean
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU32 1QR

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. 
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 1.5 hours
Buggies: We used an all terrain buggy without any problems.

Parking: Near the top of Butser Hill is a pay and display car park with lots of spaces.
Cost of Parking: From £1.80 per hour

Wildlife You Might See: Sheep, butterflies and birds, maybe even a dragon if you are lucky!

Information Written: June 2017

 

The Assault Course

Suitable for those over 1.4m tall only, the assault course has 12 obstacles and a 250m run.

 

 

 

 

Each obstacle has an instruction board

 

 

 

 

 

to guide you as you go up

 

 

 

 

 

 

under

 

 

 

 

 

over

 

 

 

 

 

and through! 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Visitor Centre, the assault course is either a 5 minute drive or a 15 minute walk uphill.

 

 

 

 

Juniper Adventure Play Trail

Next to the assault course is a smaller obstacle course, which is part of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Adventure Play Area:

• a wooden multi-play with a tunnel slide, cargo net, ladder and bridge
• two log cabin climbing frames
• an obstacle course with ropes, logs, bridges, and cargo nets
• a zip wire and
• picnic tables.

 

 

A Pizza Oven!

There is also a brick pizza oven you can hire next to the assault course and adventure play area!

 

 

 

 

 

Queen Elizabeth Country Park

Queen Elizabeth Country Park has lots of activities to try, including walking, cycling and mountain biking trails, orienteering trails and nature areas.

 

 

 

It has a Visitor Centre, shop, cafe and a kiosk.

 

 

 

 

 

Butser Hill

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is at the bottom of Butser Hill National Nature Reserve.

 

 

 

 

Butser Hill is is one of the highest points in Hampshire with beautiful views towards the Isle of Wight and the South Downs. It is also an ideal spot for kite flying.

 

Nearest Town: Horndean, Near Petersfield
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: PO8 0QE

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Eat at the cafe, hire a barbecue or pizza oven, bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe offering snacks and ice cream, a kiosk at the adventure play trail, shop, toilets and accessible toilets, picnic areas. 

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: There are several different car parks to choose from. 
Cost of Parking: From £2 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects, butterflies, ducks, geese and birds.

Information Written: February 2023

 

Juniper Adventure Play Trail

This adventure play area has:

• a wooden multi-play with a tunnel slide, cargo net, ladder and bridge
• two log cabin climbing frames
• an obstacle course with ropes, logs, bridges, and cargo nets
• a zip wire and
• picnic tables.

 

From the Visitor Centre, the play trail is either a 5 minute drive or a 15 minute walk uphill.

 

 

The Assault Course

Suitable for those over 1.4m tall only, the assault course is hidden in the woods to the right of the adventure play trail and has 12 obstacles and a 250m run.

 

 

 

Queen Elizabeth Country Park

Queen Elizabeth Country Park has lots of activities to try, including walking, cycling and mountain biking trails, orienteering trails and nature areas.

 

 

 

It has a Visitor Centre, shop, cafe and a kiosk.

 

 

 

 

There is even a brick pizza oven you can hire next to the adventure play area!

 

 

 

 

Butser Hill

Queen Elizabeth Country Park is at the bottom of Butser Hill National Nature Reserve.

 

 

 

 

Butser Hill is is one of the highest points in Hampshire with beautiful views towards the Isle of Wight and the South Downs. It is also an ideal spot for kite flying.

 

 

 

The Dragon of Butser Hill

There is a Hampshire County Council Story Trail called “The Dragon of Butser Hill” that tells you a story about knights, damsels, giants and dragons as it winds around the hilltop.

 

Nearest Town: Horndean, Near Petersfield
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: PO8 0QE

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Eat at the cafe, hire a barbecue or pizza oven, bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe offering snacks and ice cream, a kiosk at the adventure play trail, shop, toilets and accessible toilets, picnic areas. 

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: There are several different car parks to choose from. 
Cost of Parking: From £2 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects, butterflies, ducks, geese and birds.

Information Written: July 2016
Information Checked: February 2023

 

The Engines

The steam engines come in all shapes and sizes, each with their own style and character. My favourite was Moosejaw with its snow guard, golden bell and unusually shaped chimney.

 

 

 

Unsurprisingly, my children loved the one that looked like a tiny Thomas the Tank Engine.

 

 

 

 

 

The Track

During your ride you weave through the trees, past multi-coloured fairy doors, signals, engine sheds, a water tower and a mini viaduct.

 

 

 

 

It Can Be Busy!

The railway can be extremely busy so try not to leave your visit to the end of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Pinewood Activities Centre

There is also plenty to do before and after your rides as the railway is at Pinewood Activities Centre, which has two play areas, pond dipping, woodland walks, a miniature railway, a cafe, a trim trail, sports field as well as various clubs and societies. 

Nearest Town: Wokingham Without
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG40 3AQ

Adult Cost Range: £1 to £4.99
Child Cost Range: £1 to £4.99
Free if: Under 3 years.

Opens: Various times throughout the year. Please see their website for details.

Where to Eat: Try the cafe or bring a picnic. 
Facilities: Cafe, shop, ice creams, toilets, picnic area.

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is good sized car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, birds, insects and pond life.

Information Written: April 2018
Information Checked: July 2022

 

The Tea Rooms

The tea rooms have indoor and outdoor seating areas and serve a range of homemade foods that you can enjoy surrounded by memorabilia.

 

 

 

The Pooh’seum

Also inside is a museum dedicated to all things Winnie-the-Pooh, including information on A.A. Milne

 

 

 

 

signed books

 

 

 

 

 

and lots of photos.  

 

 

 

 

 

There are also plenty of toys on display!

 

 

 

 

 

Ashdown Forest

Ashdown Forest is the magical heath and woodland that inspired A.A. Milne to write two books about the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh and friends.

 

 

 

The Pooh Corner staff gave us advice on where to visit and a little Expotition map for the children.

 

 

 

 

You can find the houses of Pooh, Piglet and Owl

 

 

 

 

 

play Poohsticks on the bridge

 

 

 

 

 

or walk to the real life locations for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. 

 

 

Hartfield Town Croft Playground

Near to Pooh Corner is the Poohscape Play Area, a small, sandy play area with equipment that includes swings, a slide, a climbing frame, a wooden train and picnic tables. 

Nearest Town: Hartfield, Ashdown Forest
County: East Sussex
Nearest Postcode: TN7 4AE

Opens: Daily
Cost: The Pooh’seum is free to enter. The tea rooms charge for food and drink orders.  

Where to Eat: Eat at Pooh Corner or bring a picnic and eat at the nearby play area.
Facilities: Tea rooms offering food, snacks, ice cream, a shop and toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 1 hour
Buggies: Buggy-friendly.

Parking: No car park but there is free parking along the road outside. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: September 2022

 

The Story Trail

The Story of Salterns, Sea Monsters and Saving the Day is a walk of just over a mile that guides you through the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve

 

 

 

and a little of its history, whilst telling you a story of salt farmers, sailors, smugglers and a huge sea monster. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Reserve

The Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve is an expanse of coastal lagoons, mudflats and marshes and an important nesting site for birds.  

 

 

 

In the past it was used to farm salt. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Paths

The paths are flat and easy to walk along with a range of surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

Finding the Reserve

To find the reserve, follow the post code to Maiden Lane, where you can park. Where Maiden Lan becomes Normandy Lane, you will see this side road.

 

 

 

To start the Story Trail, follow the road past the sailing club and you will come to this gate, which is where the story trail begins.

 

 

 

 

* Hampshire CC’s Story Trails

This is one of Hampshire County Council’s Story Trails.

These are walks with interactive stories to read along the way, which are told by a cute character called the Story Snail.

 

Each Story Trail is about one mile long and divided into numbered sections. Numbered markers prompt you to read the sections of the story along the trail.

 

 

Find a Story Pack

To follow the Story Trail you need a free pack that you can either borrow from a specified place (with a Hampshire Library card and a £20 returnable deposit) or download a copy of a story trail from the internet in written or audio form.

Each pack has a map to follow and the trail itself is marked with arrows and/or pictures of the Story Snail.

Nearest Town: Lymington, near Christchurch in the New Forest
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO41 8AF

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a blanket and a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 1.5 hours
Buggies: The paths are flat and easy to walk on.

Parking: You can park on Maiden Lane by the side of the road. 
Cost of Parking: Free.

Wildlife You Might See: Birds and seabirds.

Information Written: July 2022

 

Preface: Story Trails

A.A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin discovered Ashdown Forest together. 

 

 

 

 

We decided to follow in their footsteps and create our own Winnie-the-Pooh story trail.

We used a walk we found online (see below) and our copies of Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. 

 

 

Introduction: “We’re All Going On An Expotition…”

Like Winnie-the-Pooh, we called our expedition an Expotition.

 

 

 

 

We chose three areas of Ashdown Forest to visit:

• Pooh Corner, Hartfield village (to set the scene at the Poohseum and to pick up maps so my children could ‘plan’ the Expotition over lunch)
• Pooh Bridge car park (as the first chapter of Winnie-the-Pooh starts at Pooh’s house, which is next to Pooh Bridge)
• Gills Lap car park.

 

 

Chapter 1: Pooh Corner 

Our Expotition began with lunch at Pooh Corner, a tea room and museum dedicated to all things Winnie-the-Pooh, which helped to set the scene for our story trail.

We also had a good look at the map in the front of the books. 

 

 

The Pooh Corner staff are lovely and happy to give advice on places to visit in Ashdown Forest with maps.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Pooh Bridge 

Pooh’s House 

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which we are introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and some Bees, and the stories begin’ from Winnie-the-Pooh)

Winnie-the-Pooh’s house is in a tree stump very near to Pooh Bridge.  

To find it, walk to the bridge from Pooh Bridge car park, cross the river and it is a very short walk away.  

 

 

When you get there, don’t forget to knock and “Rnig Also” to see if anyone is home!

 

 

 

 

Pooh Bridge 

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which Pooh invents a new game and Eeyore joins in’ from The House at Pooh Corner)

This picturesque spot is where Pooh invents the game of Poohsticks.  

The bridge jumps straight out of the pages of the books, having been rebuilt in 1979 to match Shepard’s illustrations. 

 

 

Piglet’s House

(You can read ‘In which Pooh and Piglet go hunting and nearly catch a Woozle’ from Winnie-the-Pooh)

You can find Piglet’s tiny house in the woods to the left of the main path (when walking back to Pooh Bridge car park).

 

 

 

Owl’s House

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which Eeyore loses a tail and Pooh finds one’ from Winnie-the-Pooh)

Owl’s high up house is there too.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3: Gills Lap 

Note: We followed the walking route linked to below but in reverse because I wanted our trail to end at the Enchanted Place, the location for the last line of the books.  

These places and the route are shown on the map linked to below. 

 

Eeyore’s Sad and Gloomy Place (map marker 6)

We didn’t walk all the way to Eeyore’s Gloomy Place – the name didn’t exactly sell it as a destination!  

Instead, we walked a little way past the stream and gazed across at the Gloomy Place before heading back to the stream and Quarry car park. 

 

 

The North Pole (map marker 5)

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which Christopher Robin leads an expotition to the North Pole’ from Winnie-the-Pooh )

A little stream runs through this part of the forest and is believed to be the spot where Roo falls into a pool of water and Pooh finds the North Pole.   

 

 

 

 

Roo’s Sandy Pit (map marker next to the Quarry car park)

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which Kanga and Baby Roo come to the Forest, and Piglet has a bath’ from Winnie-the-Pooh)

This former quarry is now overgrown and is where Pooh and his friends trick Kanga into leaving with Piglet instead of Roo.

 

 

 

 

The Milne and Shepard Memorial (map marker 3)

The memorial plaque commemorating A.A. Milne and E.H. Shephard has a stunning location

 

 

 

with places to sit and have a picnic or rest tired legs whilst marvelling at the view.

 

 

 

 

The Heffalump Trap (map marker top left)

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which Eeyore loses a tail and Pooh finds one’ from Winnie-the-Pooh)

If you are brave enough, you can build your own Heffalump trap in this Very Deep Pit dug by Piglet.

But be careful, Christopher Robin spotted Heffalumps just lumping along in this part of the forest…

 

 

The Enchanted Place (map marker 2)

(Best chapter to read: ‘In which Christopher Robin and Pooh come to an enchanted place and we leave them there’ from The House at Pooh Corner)

Our final stop, the Enchanted Place, is mentioned in the last line of The House at Pooh Corner, which makes me cry every time:

“…in that enchanted place on the top of the Forest a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”

 

 

Notes: Planning Your Expotition

Maps and Leaflets

The Pooh Corner staff give advice on which places to visit in Ashdown Forest and also have a little expotition map for children.

I also printed this map and guide I found on another website called Pooh Walks from Gills Lap.

 

 

The Paths

The conditions along the paths varies – some parts are uneven and steep and others are flatter and easier.  

I have easily taken an all terrain buggy to Pooh Bridge from the Pooh Bridge car park but would opt for a sling when exploring the area around Gills Lap car park. 

Nearest Town: Hartfield, Ashdown Forest
County: East Sussex
Nearest Postcode: TN7 4AE, TN7 4EX and TN7 4EN

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free 

Where to Eat: Eat at Pooh Corner Tea Rooms or bring a picnic and eat in Ashdown Forest.
Facilities: None but there is a cafe offering snacks and ice cream at the Pooh Bridge car park (TN7 4EX). 

How Long We Spent There: Full day
Buggies: You can take an all terrain buggy to Pooh Bridge.  The ground is uneven around Gills Lap. 

Parking: You can park at Pooh Corner (TN7 4AE), Pooh Bridge car park (TN7 4EX) and Gills Lap car park (TN7 4EN). 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Cattle, deer, ponies, birds, butterflies, other insects, snakes and mammals.

Information Written: September 2022

 

The Festival of Light

The Festival of light happens over the Christmas period and is one of our favourite festive adventures.

You can either buy tickets for the whole park or just to see the lights. 

 

 

Every year the theme is different.

The photos I have used are from the last five years, with themes like the many stories of Roald Dahl

 

 

 

Grimms’ Fairy Tales

 

 

 

 

 

monsters from the Greek myths

 

 

 

 

 

and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was the theme for Christmas 2023. 

 

 

 

 

Longleat

Longleat itself offers an action-packed day, during which you get up close to animals and safari by land and water.

 

 

 

There is also a huge Adventure Castle play area.

 

Nearest Town: Warminster
County: Wiltshire
Nearest Postcode: BA12 7NW

Adult Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details.
Child Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details.
Free if: Under 3

Opens: The Festival of Light happens during the Christmas period. Longleat itself is open daily during the summer but with seasonal closures.

Where to Eat: There are various cafes and you can bring a picnic.
Facilities: Snacks, ice cream, cafes, picnic areas, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: A full day.
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: Large car park.
Cost of Parking: Free.

Wildlife You Might See: Zoo and safari park animals, including zebra, giraffes, camels, vultures, monkeys, an elephant, rhinos, deer, lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, insects and spiders, hippos, seals, gorillas, bats, anteaters, giant otters, meerkats and wallabies.

Information Written: January 2024