Can You Help?

Luckily, you can help to track down each of these escapees. Pick up a trail map identifying where each is hidden and follow it until you see a blue footprint on the floor. Look around until you spot something out of the ordinary.

Look Everywhere

It could be anything…you never know what is just around the corner in this town – a magical shadow or hidden animal, secret writing or an overt phrase, a tiny mouse or a huge pencil, a high up cat or a low down rat!

The Challenge…and Reward

When you have found it, fill in the clue on the back of your map. Once the map challenges are complete (or not!), take your map to the White House on Hockliffe Street to pick up your reward. We were given a badge, bookmark and an art card.

Leighton-Linslade

We spent a magical morning following the trail past old buildings, up winding mews and along busy streets.

It leads you to parts of the town you would never have realised were there. 

The Play Area and Splash Pad

You arrive at Parson’s Close Recreation Ground towards the end of the trail. 

It is a park with a large playground, a superb splash pad with jets of water and a huge sand pit. We played for hours.

Which Story?

Essentially, this is an art work or sculpture trail with pieces inspired by books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter, The Borrowers, Alice in Wonderland and The Gruffalo.

Some of the art works are easy to connect to a particular character or story and others tie more generally into themes commonly found in children’s books – for example, doors to other worlds, making wishes and magical items.

Have a look at the Children’s Trail Reading List before going if you feel in need of inspiration.

Where to Start?

Maps and a pencil are available for free from Leighton Buzzard Library or The White House (on Hockliffe Street).

Alternatively, you can download a map from The Leighton-Linslade Children’s Trail website.

If you’d like to see the Children’s Trail in action, check out the video that has been made to celebrate the 5th Birthday of the Childrens’ Trail.

There is One Teeny Tiny Street!

Access was easy but one of the streets the trail leads you down is called Peacock Mews. This is a charming, tiny street with a narrow alleyway. My double buggy managed to squeak through. 

If you do get stuck, you can go around onto Hockliffe Street and into Peacock Mews that way.

Magical Fun

We have visited the trail twice now. On both occasions we have had a fantastically magical day.

Everyone was so friendly – it is no exaggeration to say that in February we were invited to two events, given several hints, and were spoken to at least another 10 times.

Rushmere Country Park

If you would like to continue the story trail theme then head over to Rushmere Country Park for some fairy tale fun in the forest.

Nearest Town: Leighton-Linslade, near Luton
County: Bedfordshire
Nearest Postcode: LU7 1RX (or LU7 1HJ for the nearest car park)

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: There are cafes along the trail and places to picnic towards the end.
Facilities: Cafes and shops.

How Long We Spent There: 3.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: Hockliffe Street car park (LU7 1HJ), which is at the start and finish of the trail. It is a pay and display car park and was busy when we visited on a week day.
Cost of Parking: From £1 per hour

Information Written: July 2017
Information Checked: August 2023

Our visit to the Leighton-Linslade Children’s Trail in Leighton-Linslade, near Luton, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

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, near East Grinstead
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

Our visit to Pooh Corner and the Poohscape Play Area in Hartfield, Ashdown Forest, near East Grinstead, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Discover Children’s Story Centre

…there is a Lollipopter to pilot,

an alligator waterfall to cross,

a spoon forest to add to,

a Hovering Observatory to fly through the clouds

and Hootah’s spaceship to explore in the Discover Children’s Story Centre Story Garden. 

Your Challenge!

Can you explore these worlds and write Hootah a story…

…he can post home to wake up his fellow Squigglydigglians!? 

The Temporary Exhibitions

There are also regular immersive exhibitions, often guided by a storyteller.

We have sleuthed our way around Rob Biddulph’s 100 Story Hotel,

had supper with Judith Kerr’s The Tiger Who Came to Tea,

and explored the world of Mog the Forgetful Cat. 

Where to Eat

There is a cafe upstairs that serves food and drinks. There is also a picnic area in the garden. You can also bring your own food to the Story Centre.

The Outdoor Adventure Play Area

We love the imaginative Discover Children’s Story Centre Adventure Play Area. 

The equipment and layout fires the imagination and is a natural extension of the Story Worlds. 

There are things like a space ship, a house that walks, two slides, musical equipment and a mud kitchen.

Nearest Town: Stratford
County: London
Nearest Postcode: E15 4QZ

Adult Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. 
Child Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. 
Free if: Under 1

Opens: Daily

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic and eat at the picnic tables, try the cafe or try a cafe on the High Street.
Facilities: A shop, cafe, ice creams, picnic area, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There are car parks around Stratford but the Story Centre does not have one of its own.
Cost of Parking: Various depending on where you park.

Information Written: June 2022

Our visit to Discover Children’s Story Centre in Stratford is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Tout Quarries

This area was once a Portland stone quarry that has now been turned into an open-air sculpture park and workshop with spectacular views across Chesil Beach and Portland Harbour. 

And if you are really lucky, you may even see a sculptor at work! 

The Sculptures 

There are over 60 sculptures around the quarry. Some are enormous and others are much smaller and harder to spot.

There is a map of the sculptures on the information board in the car park. 

We took a photo of it and used it to play Find the Sculpture. 

Quarry Remnants

Tout Quarry was worked as a limestone quarry from about the 1750s to the 1980s. You can look for signs of these quarry workings as you walk around. There are: 

old tramways

tunnel entrances and hidden shelters

dry stone walls and archways.

Nearest Town: Portland, Weymouth 
County: Dorset
Nearest Postcode: DT5 2LN

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: You can use a buggy on the main paths but most of the side paths are narrow and uneven in places and some also have steps.  

Parking: There is a small car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Butterflies and insects.

Information Written: April 2021

Our visit to Tout Quarries in Weymouth is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Pendon Musuem

Amongst our favourite models were the enormous viaduct

the beautifully detailed cottage gardens complete with vegetables and flowers

and the relaxing outside the pub.

Audio Tours 

You are guided round the musuem with an audio guide and the staff are very friendly and well informed. 

Family Trails

There are also family trails for older children and drop in modelling sessions for older children.

We found the museum family-friendly but note that it is too small to accommodate buggies.

Modelling

We were really impressed by Pendon Museum. My children left inspired to have a go at modelling themselves and, as they love trains, we do expect to return.

Didcot Railway Centre

If you are interested in trains, consider combining your visit to Pendon Museum with a trip to Didcot Railway Centre, which is about a ten minute drive. 

Nearest Town: Abingdon, near Oxford
County: Oxfordshire
Nearest Postcode: OX14 4QD

Adult Cost Range: £5 to £9.99
Child Cost Range: £5 to £9.99
Free If: Under 5

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

Where to Eat: Small cafe at the museum or the local pub.
Facilities: Toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Buggies: Cannot be accommodated.

Parking: There is a small car park and some spaces along the road to the museum.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: December 2017

Our visit to Pendon Museum in Abingdon, near Oxford, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Imagination, Emotion…

Polka Theatre is dedicated to children. It hosts productions in two areas – the Adventure Theatre and the Main Stage. They also offer workshops, free storytelling and immersive play.

…and Discovery

The central foyer doubles as an indoor play area with seats and bean bags of different sizes, rocking horses and ride on toys.

A trunk bursts with costumes and puppets to try  

and there are shelves full of books 

and tables with colouring materials. 

This area is where people congregate ahead of shows, so at times it is quiet and at others it is busy.

The Courtyard Play Area

Outside in a small courtyard is the Polka Theatre Play Area with a wooden climbing frame that looks like a baboon,

a two-storey wooden play house, a small pond with fish 

and some playground games boards. 

The Polka Cafe

Next door is the Polka Cafe, where you can buy food, drinks, cakes, ice creams etc to eat in the cafe’s train carriage booths. I was told that you cannot take these refreshments into the theatre. There is also an outdoor picnic area. 

Morden Hall Park

We spent a happy few hours playing, exploring and imagining. We then drove to the nearby Morden Hall Park for a picnic. 

Nearest Town: Wimbledon, London
County: London
Nearest Postcode: SW19 1SB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free to enter and play but the shows are ticketed. 

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at the cafe. 
Facilities: Picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets, snacks, ice creams, cafe. 

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: There is no car park and Polka Theatre’s website recommends public transport or if necessary, parking on the surrounding roads. Most of these roads are permit only from Monday to Saturday during the day but there are some roads with parking meters. We visited during the week and found a space on Latimer Road (SW19 1EP). It turned out to be a very convenient space, less than a 5 minute walk from the theatre, but it was the only one I saw and I felt lucky to have found one at all.
Cost of Parking: There are parking meters.

Information Written: April 2017

Our visit to the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon, London, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

RHS Wisley Christmas Glow

The gardens were open late and we arrived after dark.

Everywhere was pitch black except for the trails of fairy lights, illuminated trees, glowing reflections and massive flower sculptures.

Huge Lanterns

The lanterns included a huge mistletoe archway,

floating lotus flowers,

clusters of daffodils and flowers that change colour at the click of a button. 

Festive Lighting

Lights pick out plants and garden features and also work their magic inside the Glasshouse.

This is the waterfall!

Darkness

I had been concerned that the children might be scared of the darkness. In fact, they were happy to run around exploring. They particularly liked the flowers that changed colour at the click of a button, over

and over

again.

Busy but Easily Manageable

The gardens were busy but did not feel crowded. The car park was very busy but staff were on hand to guide us to a space.

Merry Christmas!

Nearest Town: Pyrford, near Woking and Cobham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU23 6QB

Adult Cost Range: £15 to £19.99
Child Cost Range: £5 to £9.99
Free if: Under 5 or with RHS membership

Where to Eat: Try the cafe.
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice creams, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a large car park but it can become very busy. There are spaces for people with children near the entrance to the gardens.  
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Very little (at night). Ducks, water birds, squirrels, birds and fish (during the day).

Information Written: December 2016

Our visit to Christmas Glow at RHS Garden Wisley in Pyrford, near Woking and Cobham, is summarised below and based on free entry with an RHS membership card. You can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

South Hill Park

The grounds divide into two areas – South Lake and North Lake. Each has a lake, marked trails, an orienteering course, and play areas.

South Hill Park South Lake

A walk around South Lake’s landscaped gardens takes you past the lake with its fountain, bridge, and ducks

and through a wooded area with an amphitheatre, story telling seat, and hidden pet cemetery.

South Lake has two play areas: the Toddlers’ Play Area with its musical stepping stones,

and the fun Hedgehog Park with its long slide.

South Hill Park North Lake

North Lake is wilder, with woodland, a long lake, a boardwalk over a small marsh 

and South Hill Road Play Area, a large adventure play area with zip wires, climbing nets and a balance course.

Orienteering

There are two orienteering courses available at South Hill Park. One leads you around South Lake and the other around North Lake.

Visit South Hill Park’s website to find these maps and answers.

Arts Venue

The house itself is now an arts venue with sculptures, a gallery, the Wilde Theatre, a cinema and a cafe. It hosts child friendly classes, and child friendly theatre productions.

Nearest Town: Bracknell
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG12 7PA

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat in the cafe. 
Facilities: Picnic tables, cafe, snacks, ice cream, toilets, accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 2.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

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

Animals You Might See: Ducks, swans, geese, squirrels and herons.

Information Written: November 2016

Our visit to South Hill Park in Bracknell is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.