Aldenham CP Adventure Play Area

This exciting adventure play area has wooden play equipment, including:

• climbing frames with nets and ropes
• a climbing wall 
• a zip wire 
• a slide with nets 
• basket swings
• mushrooms and animals 
• a tunnel

• sand play areas 
• puzzle boards 
• musical instruments 
• a water play area with a water pump 
• swings 
• a roundabout 
• seats

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

Some sessions are exclusively for children with special needs. 

Aldenham Country Park

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

mini golf and trampolines.

100 Aker Wood

It also has a magical recreation of 100 Aker Wood. 

Hidden along the trail are places like Winnie the Pooh’s house 

Eeyore’s Gloomy Place

and a bridge to play Poohsticks.

Aldenham Country Park Farm

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

We even spotted Winnie the Pooh!

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: 1 hour at the play area, 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

Our visit to 100 Aker Wood and Aldenham Country Park Adventure Play Area in Elstree near Watford is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

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.  

At the entrance there is a map of 100 Aker Wood that shows the places you can find along your walk.  

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

Our visit to 100 Aker Wood and Aldenham Country Park in Elstree, near Watford, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Aldenham Country Park Farm

On the farm, a route leads you past the farm animals, including cows and pigs

goats and donkeys

ducks and peacocks.  

It also has tractor rides

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

Winnie the Pooh

When we visited, Winnie the Pooh was there to meet, cuddle and wave at the guests.

100 Aker Wood

After our visit to the farm, we walked through the Country Park to 100 Aker Wood and explored the magical places where Winnie the Pooh and his friends have their adventures.  

We discovered places like Winnie the Pooh’s house

Wol’s tree 

and the bees.

Aldenham Country Park

Aldenham Country Park itself has an orienteering course and cycle trails 

mini golf and trampolines

a lake and nature trails. 

The Adventure Play Area

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

a water play area complete with a water pump 

and accessible equipment.

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

There are sessions exclusively for children with special needs. 

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

Opens: Daily

Adult Cost Range: Various starting at £4.50. Please see their website for details. 
Child Cost Range: Various starting at £4.50. Please see their website for details. 
Free If: You are only visiting the Country Park (and not the farm or play area).

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, insects and farm animals – cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, sheep, rabbits, guinea pigs – maybe even Winnie the Pooh!

Information Written: July 2022

Our visit to Aldenham Country Park Farm in Elstree near Watford is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The Old Palace

The Old Palace was originally called the Royal Palace of Hatfield and was used by Henry VIII as a nursery for his children.

The Royal Palace was originally a quadrangle built around a central courtyard. 

The building you see today is one wing of the quadrangle. The courtyard is now a manicured garden.  

The rest of the Royal Palace was demolished after Elizabeth I died and the bricks used to build Hatfield House.

Hatfield House 

This was closed when I visited because of Covid restrictions but I was reliably informed that it has secret doors used by the servants to disappear when necessary! 

As well as the Tudor connection, Hatfield House has rolling parkland, ancient trees, 

and little robots that mow the lawns! 

Elizabeth Oak 

This is said to be the spot where Princess Elizabeth was told she had become Queen in 1558. The original oak tree she was sitting under died about 100 years ago. Elizabeth II planted this replacement tree in 1985.

The Grounds

The grounds of Hatfield House roll down to the River Lea and include parkland and woodland to explore. Everywhere you look there are twisted trees that look like they are about to stand up and walk away. 

Some areas are busy and others feel isolated. I had a picnic in a spot that was so peaceful a deer walked right past me.

The Trails

There are a few marked trails to choose from. I tried the Red Walk, which is a little over 3 miles and takes you into the woodland, along the River Lea, past Elizabeth Oak and then back through the parkland. 

The paths were easy to walk on, with some hills. Lots of families were using buggies without any trouble.

The Guides

I visited in connection with another project and would like to say a huge thank you to Dermot and Alan, two of the guides who made my visit extra special. They were both very knowledgeable and helpful and went out of their way to explain the history of the Old Palace.

Nearest Town: Hatfield, near Watford
County: Hertfordshire
Nearest Postcode: AL9 5NQ

Adult Cost Range: Various depending on where you want to go.
Child Cost Range: Various depending on where you want to go.
Free if: Under 3 years old. 

Opens: Various depending on which parts you want to visit.

Where to Eat: A shop, a cafe or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Snacks, cafe, ice cream, picnic area, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

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

Wildlife You Might See: Insects, ducks and other birds and deer.

Information Written: July 2020

Our visit to Hatfield House in Hatfield, near St Albans, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The Animals

It is unusual to be able to be so close to these animals – you can  understand their smallest details and appreciate their true sizes. 

We discovered that some penguins are taller than children, a tiger’s paws are bigger then my hands and that some hummingbirds are the same size as bees.

The Galleries

This museum displays 4,000 animals across six galleries. Most of the animals exhibited are either alive today or have only recently become extinct. 

There was almost every animal we could imagine, including a polar bear, a shark, a rhino, an elephant seal, a crocodile and the bones of a giant sloth. 

Note that it does not have a blue whale, dinosaurs or geological specimens (unlike its sister museum in London). 

Where to Eat

There are two outdoor picnic areas and in the basement there is a small café that sells the usual sandwiches, drinks and cakes. Tring itself is only a short walk away and has more places to eat and drink. 

Also nearby is Tring Park, a lovely woodland with trails, sculptures and a play area.

Nearest Town: Tring, near Aylesbury
County: Hertfordshire
Nearest Postcode: HP23 6AP

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: There are a few car parks near the museum. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: April 2016

Our visit to the Natural History Museum at Tring, near Aylesbury, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.