The play equipment includes:

• basket swing
• a climbing wall
• rocks to climb on
• a zip wire
• a spinning seesaw
• a large spinning seesaw (which was fenced off)
• a spinning disc
• picnic tables.

 

Nearest Town: Ash Vale
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU12 5AA

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. 
Facilities: Picnic tables

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

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

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds and insects.

Information Written: June 2021
Information Checked: June 2022

 

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 Emma Sallis Adventure Playground 

This adventure play area has equipment for children under 12 years old that includes:

• a wooden castle with a climbing wall, nets, a slide and easy to climb stairs
• a multiplay with rope bridges, wobbly bridges, nets, a tunnel, easy to climb stairs and a slide
• balance course
• logs to climb on
• toddler swings
• swings
• a snail springer
• a jeep springer a small multiplay for smaller children with a slide
• a seesaw
• a wooden train
• a slide
• a basket swing
• picnic tables.

 

Alice’s Treehouse is next to Go Ape and is a small play area for much older children.

 

Black Park Country Park

In the country park you can climb through the woods, try a trail, paddle around the lake’s worn and twisted tree stumps, rent bikes and Segways or go orienteering. 

 

 

Go Ape

Go Ape at Black Park offers tree top rope courses, bike hire, Forest Segway and a Nets Adventure. 

 

 

 

The Cafes

There is a lakeside cafe called the Black Park Cafe and a kiosk that sell snacks, drinks and ice creams. It also has picnic tables. 

Nearest Town: Wexham
County: Buckinghamshire
Nearest Postcode: SL3 6DS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at one of the cafes. 
Facilities: Cafes, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

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

Parking: There is a car with lots of spaces.
Cost of Parking: From £2.80 for two hours.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects and lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens, grass snakes.

Information Written: May 2022

 

Play Equipment

The play equipment is said to be suitable for children to the age of 13 years old and includes:

• a play train with a tunnel
• swings
• a toddler swings
• a basket swing
• springers
• a zip wire
• a rope climbing frame that spins
• a big slide set into a hill with the choice of easy to climb stairs or a slope and a rope
• a multiplay castle with a slide 
• an obstacle course with a rope bridge, climbing wall, nets and log swings.

 

Sports Equipment

There is also a variety of sports facilities:

• a multi-gym
• a basketball court
• a football pitch
• a 5-a-side football pitch
• tennis courts
• a table tennis table.

 

 

Tom Green’s Field

Behind the tennis courts is a field called Tom Green’s Field, where you can either have a short walk or try a longer walk around Ascot.

 

Nearest Town: Ascot
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: SL5 7DG

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

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

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, stag beetles, butterflies and other insects.

Information Written: February 2017
Information Checked: June 2022

 

The play equipment includes:

• a slide from a wooden house
• an obstacle course 
• a swing
• a toddler swing
• a spinning basket
• a small wooden slide for little children
• an elephant springer
• seats.

Nearest Town: Godalming
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU7 1PW

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 30 minutes
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: Tricky – you can try to find a space on one of the local roads.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: July 2022

 

The Ascot Heath Children’s Play Area 

The play equipment is said to be suitable for children up to 12 years old and includes:

• a swing
• a toddler swing
• a basket swing
• a climbing frame for older children with  spins
• a multiplay with a slide, climbing wall, nets, ladders and a fireman’s pole
• seats for adults.

 

Ascot Heath

The play area is on Ascot Heath, which is in the centre of Ascot Racecourse.

 

 

 

 

A surfaced path runs along the racetrack that you can scooter or cycle along.

 

 

 

 

Ascot Racecourse

There is plenty to spot around the racecourse, including a helipad, the enormous grandstand and the huge fences that the horses jump. 

 

 

 

 

The Underpass

To find the play area, head through the underpass tunnel and up onto Ascot Heath.

Go straight across the heath and the play area is on the right opposite the Grandstand.

Nearest Town: Ascot
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: SL5 7LJ

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: There is no car park but you can park next to the underpass on the road that leads towards the Royal Ascot Golf Club. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, butterflies and other insects.

Information Written: June 2022

 

The Emma Sallis Adventure Playground 

The shady Emma Sallis Adventure Playground has equipment for children under 12 years old that includes a wooden castle with a climbing wall, nets, a slide and easy to climb stairs, 

 

 

 

a multiplay with rope bridges, wobbly bridges, nets, a tunnel, easy to climb stairs and a slide, swings, a wooden train, springers and a balance course.

 

 

Film Locations 

Black Park is located near to Pinewood Studios so it’s no surprise that the park has been used as the location for many films, including Harry Potter, James Bond, Stardust and Captain America.

 

 

 

When we visited they were filming a secret jungle film, which meant some parts of the park were closed.

 

 

 

Go Ape

Go Ape at Black Park offers tree top rope courses, bike hire, Forest Segway and a Nets Adventure. 

 

 

 

The Paths

There are several marked paths and trails to explore, including a habitat trail and an orienteering course.

The Black Park website has full details of the trails and walks.

 

 

Orienteering

There are twenty posts hidden around Black Park – how many can you find?  

You can download a copy of the orienteering course before you go or pick one up from the visitors’ centre. 

 

 

The Cafes

There is a lakeside cafe called the Black Park Cafe and a kiosk that sell snacks, drinks and ice creams. It also has picnic tables. 

 

Nearest Town: Wexham
County: Buckinghamshire
Nearest Postcode: SL3 6DS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at one of the cafes. 
Facilities: Cafes, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

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

Parking: There is a car with lots of spaces.
Cost of Parking: From £2.80 for two hours.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects and lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens and grass snakes.

Information Written: May 2022

 

The Play Trail

The Play Trail is a route that guides you through the woods to 9 hidden play areas and the Tree Top Trail.

 

 

 

 

You can explore a Giant Wood Ants’ Nest

 

 

 

 

wander the Enchanted Woods

 

 

 

 

 

make music at the House of Baba Yaga

 

 

 

 

crawl through the Snake Pit

 

 

 

 

 

brave the Bewlidernest

 

 

 

 

 

fly through the Hawk House

 

 

 

 

 

soar along the Tree Top Trail

 

 

 

 

 

sneak past the Spiders

 

 

 

 

 

pick your way through the infested waters of Crocodile Crossing

 

 

 

 

and scramble up Timber.

 

 

 

 

 

The Paths

The Play Trail is about a mile long and took us about 2 hours to complete with a lot of stopping and playing.

The paths are clearly marked and I did not have any problems pushing an all-terrain buggy.

 

 

 

The Miniature Railway

The Moors Valley Railway rumbles through the park (with seasonal opening hours). This is a miniature railway that connects Lakeside and Kingsmere stations.

 

 

 

 

Everything Else!

There are other marked trails to try – fitness trails, walking trails, cycling trails, audio trails and even a Hawk Walk, which is a walk through the forest with free flying hawks (this needs to be booked in advance)!

 

 

 

Also on offer is Go Ape Tree Top and Segway Adventures,

 

 

 

 

an orienteering course, a golf course with Footgolf and a family activity area with pitch and putt and equipment hire. 

 

 

 

 

Where to Eat?

There is a cafe and two picnic areas – one next to the lake and railway and another between the Visitor Centre and the forest.

The latter has life-size sculptures of the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo’s child.

 

The Play Areas

The fantastic play areas are divided into the Adventure Area, for older children, and the Castle and Sandworks area, for younger children.

 

The Adventure Area

The Adventure Area has:

• a large slide with a climbing wall
• a climbing wall
• a climbing boulder
• a zip wire
• a basket swing
• a large rope climbing frame
• a huge wooden fortress with a long tube slide, tunnels and rope bridges
• rope swings.

 

The Castle and Sandworks

The Castle and Sandworks has equipment including:

• a multi-play with a slide and easy to climb steps
• another slide
• a large multi-play shaped like a house with a slide, fireman’s pole, climbing wall and ropes to climb on
• toddler swings made of ropes
• a wooden train
• mechanical diggers you can operate
• wooden animals
• an obstacle course
• springers
• spinners
• sand construction areas with buckets, chutes and pulleys.

Nearest Town: Ringwood
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: BH24 2ET

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat in the Visitor Centre cafe.
Facilities: Toilets, accessible toilets, ice creams, snacks, cafe, picnic areas.

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly. Note that this is not wide enough for a buggy but there is a path that allows you to skip past it.

Parking: Large car park but it is very busy at peak times.
Cost of Parking: Various charges, from £2 per hour.  Please see their website for full details.

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, swans, birds and insects.

Information Written: April 2017
Information Checked: October 2022

 

The play area has play equipment that includes:

• toddler swings
• swings
• an elephant and a bike springer
• a roundabout
• a multiplay with a slide, a tunnel, a net, puzzle boards, a bridge and easy to climb stairs
• a long slide
• a wooden obstacle course 
• a rope climbing frame that spins
• seats.

 

Next to the play area is a basketball net and a half court. 

 

Nearest Town: Compton, Near Guildford
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU3 1JQ

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: There is no car park but you can park next to the play area on a residential road.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: January 2017
Information Checked: July 2022

 

The play equipment is for children to the age of 12 years and includes:

• swings
• a cradle swing
• toddler swings
• a big slide
• a smaller slide with a net and easy to climb stairs
• an obstacle course with ladders, nets and wobbly logs
• a rocket
• a seesaw springer
• a horse seesaw springer
• picnic table
• and seats to sit on.

 

Next to the play area is a basketball net

 

 

 

 

and a cricket pitch.

 

 

Nearest Town: Froxfield, near Petersfield
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU32 1EQ

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. 
Facilities: None

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

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

Information Written: July 2022