Kestrel Corner Play Area

Kestrel Corner Play Area is a wooden play area that is an easy ten minute walk from the house. 

It has equipment including:

• a wooden multiplay with a slide and musical instruments 
• a climbing frame
• an obstacle course with stumps, logs and a wobbly bridge
• toddler swings 
• swings 
• a basket swing
• a tunnel and 
• seats.

The House and Lawn

The house is picture perfect.

It has views over the surrounding hills, which you can enjoy from deckchairs. 

Natural Play Areas

Scattered along the trails are natural play areas to enjoy with stumps, logs, dens

and also a bird hide.

Nearest Town: Great Bookham, near Dorking
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RH5 6BD

Adult Cost Range: From £15
Child Cost Range: From £8
Free if: Under 5 or with National Trust membership

Opens: Daily (with some winter closures)

Where to Eat: There is a cafe, food vendors and you can bring a picnic.
Facilities: Snacks, ice cream, a shop, picnic areas toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a good sized car park.
Cost of Parking: £4 or free with National Trust membership

Wildlife You Might See: Butterflies, bees, insects and birds.

Information Written: April 2023

Our visit to Polesden Lacey and Kestrel Corner Play Area in Great Bookham, near Dorking is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The House and Lawn

The house is picture perfect 

with views over the surrounding hills, which you can enjoy from deckchairs. 

The Walks

There are various signposted walks around the gardens and wider estate.

Natural Play Areas

Scattered along the trails are natural play areas to enjoy with stumps, logs, dens 

and also a bird hide.

Kestrel Corner Play Area

Kestrel Corner Play Area is a wooden play area that is an easy ten minute walk from the house. 

It has equipment including a wooden multiplay with a slide and musical instruments, an obstacle course, swings and a tunnel.

Special Activities

As for many National Trust properties, Polesden Lacey runs activities for various age ranges throughout the year, which are listed on their website. 

When we visited there was a trail through the grounds with activities at each station, including hide and seek, cars to drive and lawn games. 

The Paths

There are various footpaths around the grounds – some are surfaced, some gravel and some earth and grass. We did not have any access problems and used an all-terrain buggy.

Nearest Town: Great Bookham, near Dorking
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RH5 6BD

Adult Cost Range: From £15
Child Cost Range: From £8
Free if: Under 5 or with National Trust membership

Opens: Daily (with some winter closures)

Where to Eat: There is a cafe, food vendors and you can bring a picnic.
Facilities: Snacks, ice cream, a shop, picnic areas toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a good sized car park.
Cost of Parking: £4 or free with National Trust membership

Wildlife You Might See: Butterflies, bees, insects and birds.

Information Written: April 2023

Our visit to Polesden Lacey in Great Bookham, near Dorking is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Ashdown Forest

The atmospheric Ashdown Forest inspired A.A. Milne to write about the adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin and friends.

Pooh Bridge

No visit to Ashdown Forest is complete without a visit to picture perfect Pooh Bridge, where Pooh invented the game of Poohsticks. 

Be sure to pick up some Poohsticks on your walk to the bridge – they can be hard to find, probably because they are all in the stream! 

The Walk

We walk to the bridge from Pooh Bridge car park, which has a little cafe. 

The paths are generally flat and buggy friendly, with a gentle hill leading away from the car park. 

The Houses

Following the path to Pooh Bridge leads you past a little balancing course and down a hill.  

If you leave the path and head into the woods on the right you can find Eeyore’s gloomy house

Piglet’s tiny house

and Owl’s high up house. 

The Bridge

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

Pooh’s House 

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 stream and walk a little way up the lane.  

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

Other Story Locations

Ashdown Forest is home to other locations from the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, including Roo’s Sandy Pit, the Enchanted Place, Eeyore’s Gloomy Place and the Heffalump Trap.  

It also has a memorial plaque to A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard.

For full details, please see my post about how to create your own Winnie-the-pooh Expotition. 

Pooh Corner Tea Rooms and Pooh’seum

A short drive away from Pooh Bridge is the village of Hartfield and Pooh Corner, a tea room and museum dedicated to all things Winnie-the-Pooh. 

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

Nearest Town: Hartfield, Ashdown Forest, near East Grinsted
County: East Sussex
Nearest Postcode: TN7 4EX 

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 Bridge car park (TN7 4EX). 
Cost of Parking: Free

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

Information Written: September 2022

Our visit to Pooh Bridge and the other enchanted places in Ashdown Forest, near East Grinsted, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The Hogmoor Inclosure Play Area

This has a mixture of natural play equipment and adventure play equipment that includes:

• a large tube slide with a covered rope bridge and long ladders that are broken into sections by wooden platforms
• a wooden climbing frame with nets
• tree stump obstacle courses
• stones to climb on
• a sandy area with sand play equipment 
• a wide slide with a ladder 
• a spinning disc 
• spinning cups 
• three tyre swings 
• a small castle tower with a ladder 
• a swinging basket 
• swings
• a zip wire.

We could not find any toddler swings.

In the play area there is also a little pond that children paddle in.

The Cafe

Cafe Hogmoor is next to the play area and the car park and sells snacks and refreshments. 

The Bee Hive

Between the Hogmoor Cafe and the car park is a little building called the Bee Hive. Next to it are:

• musical instruments 
• a scavenger hunt
• a brass rubbing area. 

The Trails

There are a few marked trails to try that lead you past different features, including gates, activity boards and the Sentinels. 

Nearest Town: Bordon
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU35 9HN

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Some paths are uneven and others are sandy. 

Parking: There is a car park next to the Inclosure’s entrance (GU35 9HN). It can be busy.
Cost of Parking: Free

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

Information Written: October 2021
Information Checked: April 2023

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

The Park 

Lily Hill Park has lots of different areas, including an Edwardian water garden

a traditional orchard

woodland

and meadows. 

For full details please see Bracknell Forest Council’s Lily Hill Park leaflet. 

Wooden Sculptures 

There are a few wooden structures and sculptures to find too:

Father Oak

the Storytelling Throne 

the amphitheatre 

the giant picnic bench. 

Orienteering 

There is a permanent orienteering course of 20 points to find scattered around the park. You can download a copy of the orienteering map from the Bracknell Forest Council website. 

Mystery Brass Rubbing Trail 

There are 23 brass rubbing posts to find around the park that form a nature trail. So grab some crayons and a copy of the brass rubbing trail and see how many you can find! You can download a copy of the brass rubbing trail from the Bracknell Forest Council website. 

Nearest Town: Bracknell
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG12 2RX

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly but some of the paths have stairs.

Parking: There are two car parks – one at RG12 2RX and the other is at RG12 2UJ (next to the Running Horse pub). 
Cost of Parking: Free.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects, butterflies, squirrels and birds.

Information Written: June 2022

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

Hever Castle Adventure Play Area

You can roughly divide the play area into three sections.

Tudor Towers

This is a large wooden castle built like a castle and is for those aged 5 to 14 years. 

with tube slides, poles, tunnels, 

rope bridges, net tunnels, ladders and climbing walls. 

Outside there is a well hiding a secret passage, which eventually emerges through a fireplace. 

The castle also has musical instruments, a maze, hidden passages and games. 

Acorn Dell – Natural Play Area

This sandy play area has:

• a wooden climbing frame
• tree trunks and climbing logs 
• a tunnel 
• stones to climb on
• a tree house with a tube slide and a wobbly bridge 
• a willow tunnel
• and a musical instrument. 

The Wooden Play Area

This play area has:

• toddler swings (for under 5s) 
• swings
• a castle slide with easy to climb steps
• knights’ horse springers
• a swinging basket
• wooden climbing frames with nets and ropes 
• an obstacle course
• a zip wire.

Nearest Town: Hever, near Tonbridge
County: Kent
Nearest Postcode: TN8 7NG

Adult Cost Range: Various 
Child Cost Range: Various
Free if: Under 5 years or entry to the gardens can be free with RHS membership at set times.

Opens: Daily from March to December.

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

How Long We Spent There: 1.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: The castle is a short walk from the car park, which has lots of spaces.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks and swans.

Information Written: May 2016
Information Checked: September 2021

Our visit to Hever Castle in Hever, near Tonbridge, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The Natural Play Trail

The Natural Play Trail include things like:

• a tree to climb through
• a see saw made of planks and logs 
• a fort with tunnels
• log balance beams 
• ropes to climb on 
• logs to edge along 
• areas to build dens 
• areas to climb trees

Box Hill

As well as the Natural Play Trail, Box Hill also has picturesque views, mini-beasts, a cafe, Visitor Centre and Discovery Zone. 

Box Hill Fort

The Box Hill Fort was one of a series of forts built in the 1890s to enable London to defend itself from invasion. It was used again during WW2. 

The Stepping Stones

The River Mole flows along the foot of Box Hill and can be crossed by jumping between the famous Stepping Stones. 

To find the Stepping Stones you can either walk down the hill or drive to the Stepping Stones car park (see below).  

From April to June the air is heavy with the unmistakable scent of wild garlic.

Nearest Town: Dorking
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcodes: Box Hill: KT20 7LB – note that his does not seem to work for all sat navs so follow signs once you start to see them. The Stepping Stones: RH5 6AE – keep an eye out for the car park as it is easy to miss. 

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: The paths around the car parks are surfaced and buggy-friendly. The paths along the play trail are muddy and uneven in places but I used an all terrain buggy without any issues. 

Parking: There are different car parks to choose from –  a couple on top of Box Hill (KT20 7LB – can be unreliable so follow signs as soon as you see them) and another by the Stepping Stones (RH5 6AE). They all become very busy and are often full by mid-morning. 
Cost of Parking: Free for National Trust members; from £1.50 per hour for non-members.

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

Information Written: June 2018
Information Checked: June 2021

Our visit to Box Hill and the Box Hill Natural Play Trail in Dorking is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The Woods

Exploring the network of narrow tracks through the woods is one of the special things about visiting Broadmoor. Many are surrounded by towering bracken, which is taller than little children and gives that jungle feel. 

There is a small natural play area with trees to climb and logs to play on.

You can also build dens here. 

Steep Hill!

The woods are on the side of a steep hill so be careful going up and down the paths – some are much steeper than others. 

Please see below for full details.

The Tillingbourne Waterfall

For us, the most special thing about these woods is that you can walk to a waterfall – an almost secret waterfall that many people have never heard of. 

This is the Tillingbourne Waterfall, which is on private land (so you can’t actually reach or paddle in it) but is visible from a public footpath.

Finding the falls is half the adventure. It isn’t signposted so you have to find your own way down the hill (see below for details). 

On the way to the falls there is also a little stream you can paddle in. 

Finding the Waterfall

To get your bearings, stand in the car park with your back to the road. The Tillingbourne Waterfall is basically straight ahead and to the left. 

The problem you have is that ‘straight ahead’ means straight down a steep hill. We have found two routes down. The first is a gentle route and the second is a steep route straight down the hill.

The Gentle Route

• Leave the car park by the path to the right that heads away from the road. 

• Follow this path until you can turn right.

• Turn right and follow this path to the natural play area.

• Keep walking past this play area and you will start to go down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, turn left onto a flat, wide path.

• This path will take you to the hamlet of Broadmoor. 

The Steep Route

If you choose this path, please be careful – it is steep and uneven with tree roots.  

• Leave the car park by the path to the right that heads away from the road. Follow it until you can turn left.

• Turn left and follow this path until you can turn right.

• This right hand turning takes you straight down the hill. 

• This path leads you out of the woods and to the back of some houses. Keep these houses on your right for a short way and then take the first turning on the right, which takes you between the houses and then to the main road.

• This is the hamlet of Broadmoor.

From Broadmoor Hamlet

• Once you arrive in Broadmoor, things become much easier.

• Keeping the houses on your left, follow the road until you come to a small fork.

• Take the small road on the right, which will take you all the way to the Tillingbourne Falls.

Nearest Town: Dorking, Surrey Hills
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: RH5 6JY

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: The paths on the hill are steep in places, can be narrow and covered in tree roots. The paths from Broadmoor to Tillingbourne Waterfall are flat and surfaced. 

Parking: Car park. 
Cost of Parking: Free.

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

Information Written: September 2020

Our visit to Broadmoor and the Tillingbourne Waterfall in the Surrey Hills, near Dorking, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Brass Rubbing Trails

Brass rubbing trails of varying lengths snake through the woods. Each is marked by arrows and posts topped with a numbered brass rubbing plate.

Be sure to bring pencils or crayons and some paper!

Sculptures 

I love stumbling across sculptures in the wild and we found two hidden at Bordon Inclosure – some hunters with spears and a large toad!

The Natural Play Area

The natural play area has mud hills to climb up and a balance trail made of logs and tree stumps.

The King Oak 

Near the natural play area we discovered a fairy tale glade where a 400 year-old oak tree seems to spring from nowhere. This is the King Oak, with sprawling branches and a wonderfully twisted trunk.

The Heart of Oak Throne 

Underneath the Kings Oak is the Heart of Oak throne, which makes the perfect spot to tell the children a fairy tale or, if they’re feeling brave, a spooky story.

The River Wey

The River Wey runs through the Inclosure, closely followed by a boardwalk.

As we wandered along the bank of the River Wey, we heard a rushing noise that sounded like a waterfall. Disappointingly, it turned out to be water gushing through an overhead pipe and out on the other side.

Deadwater Valley Nature Reserve

A pathway connects the Bordon Inclosure with the Deadwater Valley Nature Reserve, another beautiful stretch of woodland on the River Wey.

Special Events

The Bordon Inclosure is managed by the Deadwater Valley Trust and they run special events, some of which are aimed at children. 

Our visit coincided with their Halloween event. The rangers were in Halloween costumes and had set up a stand playing Halloween music and selling hot chocolate. A trail of pumpkins lead from the stand to the natural play area, with Halloween themed games and activities. The rangers had clearly gone to a lot of effort and we had a fantastic time. 

Please see the Deadwater Valley Trust website for details of forthcoming events.

Nearest Town: Bordon, near Farnham and Liphook
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU35 0LA

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: We found Bordon Inclosure buggy friendly. We took an all terrain buggy but saw other families using normal buggies. The earth pathways are generally compact but can be muddy. Parts of the Inclosure are hilly and some paths are edged by steep drops without fences.

Parking: There is a small car park next to the Inclosure’s entrance (GU35 0LA). It was not busy when we arrived but was completely full after the Halloween event started.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, slow worms, lizards, otters, fungi, butterflies, dragonflies and insects.

Information Written: October 2017

Our visit to Bordon Inclosure in Bordon, near Farnham and Liphook, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Basildon Park House and Grounds

The house is surrounded by formal gardens and 400 acres of parkland and woods where you can build dens, have a picnic,

fly kites or even look for the remains of Nissen huts used during the Second World War for tank training.

The Walks

There are various signposted walks around the parkland. These routes are marked on the Basildon Park Map, which is on the National Trust’s website. 

Natural Play Areas

Along the routes are natural play areas to enjoy with stumps, logs and dens.

Special Activities

Basildon Park runs activities for various age ranges throughout the year, which are listed on their the Basildon Park website. 

The Ball Runs

During our visit there were two activity trails on. The first led you to ball runs hidden throughout the woods as well as a game where you knock over skittles with a ball on a string.  It was fantastic fun and we used the ball runs over and over again.

Art Boxes

The second was a trail of Art Boxes hidden around the grounds that were full of art equipment you can use to create pictures for entry into an exhibition in September. 

The Paths

There are various footpaths around the grounds – some are surfaced, some gravel and some earth and grass. We did not have any access problems and used an all-terrain buggy.

To reach the house from the car park, we walked for about 10 minutes through a small wooded area with a gravel path and up the driveway. 

There was a gentle flight of stairs on the way into the woods but I was able to bump the buggy up. We did not go inside the house.

Nearest Town: Pangbourne, near Reading
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG8 9NR

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

Opens: Daily.

Where to Eat: There is a cafe and you can bring a picnic.
Facilities: Snacks, ice cream, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a good sized car park.
Cost of Parking: Free with entry or with National Trust membership

Wildlife You Might See: Cattle, butterflies, bees, insects and birds.

Information Written: July 2017

Our visit to Basildon Park in Pangbourne, near Reading, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Standen House and Gardens

Standen House is very unusual to look at.

We enjoyed exploring the gardens – every twist and turn of the paths revealed beautiful plants, hidden ponds and secret stairs, not to mention tulips bursting from every flower bed.

The Little Room Playroom

At the back of the house is an indoor playroom called the Little Room, which was designed by one of the original owners.

It is tucked away at the top of a steep and not very child-friendly staircase.

Inside the Little Room are fancy dress clothes and old-fashioned games, including a tea set, a Noah’s Ark, and puzzles.

The children loved this secret room and we stayed much longer than we had planned.

The Grounds

There are about 100 acres of grounds with woodlands and meadows that can be explored on several different walks.

The Natural Play Area

There is a natural play area called The Plantation, which has a small maze and mud hills to conquer,

a fort made of piled logs, tree stumps to jump on and wooden platforms to climb to.

The Paths

I visited with a buggy without any real problems but the gardens are built into a hillside and have slopes and steps to negotiate.

On several occasions, my path was blocked by a flight of steps but I often found stair-free access was available if you approached from another direction. 

Be sure to have a good look at the map before deciding which way to walk through the grounds.

Nearest Town: East Grinstead, near Crawley
County: West Sussex
Nearest Postcode: RH19 4NE

Adult Cost Range: £10 to £14.99
Child Cost Range: £5 to £9.99
Free if: Under 5 or with National Trust membership

Opens: Daily

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or buy food from the cafe.
Facilities: Cafe, toilets, accessible toilets, picnic area, snacks, ice creams.

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: I used a buggy without any real problems but keep an eye on the map to choose a route without stairs  etc.

Parking: Large car park.
Cost of Parking: Free with entry or with National Trust membership.

Information Written: April 2017

Our visit to Standen House and Gardens in East Grinstead, near Crawley, is summarised below on the basis of free entry with National trust membership. You can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Morden Hall Park Natural Play Area

This play area has:

• a zip wire
• balance course
• basket swing
• tyre swings
• platforms
• willow tunnels.

The Storyboat

The other is the Storyboat – a wooden boat surrounded by wooden sculptures of an eel, a beetle, a vole, a trout and a dragonfly. 

It can be used for free play or a chasing game suggested on one of the boards called ‘Eels Out’.

Nearest Town: Morden, near Wimbledon and Epsom
County: London
Nearest Postcode: SM4 5JD

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or buy food from the cafe.
Facilities: Cafe, toilets, accessible toilets, picnic area, snacks, ice creams.

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

Parking: Car park that has lots of spaces but was very busy when we visited at the start of the Easter holidays.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, kingfishers, ducks, and Canada geese.

Information Written: April 2017

Our visit to the National Trust’s Morden Hall Park in Morden, near Wimbledon and Epsom, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

The House and Gardens

Around the house are some old stables, a cafe, a picnic area and a shop.

The more formal gardens have a temple and an ice house to visit and space hoppers to bounce around on. These gardens are only open on certain days so be sure to check their website before you go. 

The Parkland

There are 400 acres of parkland and woods to explore. Cattle roam freely so watch where you step!

Wizard Wix’s Willow Warren

This is a cross between an adventure play area and a natural play area and has a wooden tree house, den building area, fairy doors

and a play area of logs, tree stumps, wooden sculptures and tunnels.

The Geocaches

Hatchlands Park has 11 geocaches to track down. We had lots of fun hunting for one near the house. It had a log book to sign and little treasures, including an interesting looking football figure, which we swapped for one of our treasures. 

The Paths

There are marked trails around the parkland of varying lengths. The red route has a hard surface but I have managed each trail with an all terrain buggy without any problems. The parkland can be very muddy in wet weather.

Nearest Town: East Clandon, near Guildford
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU4 7RT

Adult Cost Range: £5 to £14.99
Child Cost Range: £1 to £9.99
Free if: Under 5 or with National Trust membership

Opens: Daily

Where to Eat: There is a cafe and you can bring a picnic.
Facilities: Snacks, cafe, picnic area, ice cream, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: A full day.
Buggies: Buggy friendly but the fields become very muddy in the colder months.

Parking: There is a good sized car park.
Cost of Parking: Free with entry or with National Trust membership.

Wildlife You Might See: Cattle, donkeys, birds and lots of insects.

Information Written: March 2017

Our visit to Hatchlands Park in East Clandon, near Guildford, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

Nymans’ Gardens

The colourful gardens have some magical touches – sculpted bushes children can slip in and out of…

and a Pinetum full of huge pine trees you can play hide and seek amongst and then make hidden dens under.

Others are littered with flowers, have picturesque views or have that secret garden feel!

The Balance Course

Near to the Pinetum is a natural play area with a balance course made of tree stumps. 

The Woodland

We did not have time to walk through any of the woodlands but there is an Arboretum walk, a lake, cascades, a meadow and a 50 metre tall giant redwood.

These woodland walks appear to be on different levels, connected by slopes and in some cases stairs.

The Paths

The majority of the paths around the house are easy to walk on and I used an ordinary buggy without any problems. 

Nearest Town: Handcross, near Crawley
County: West Sussex
Nearest Postcode: RH17 6EB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Adult Cost Range: From £15
Child Cost Range: From £7.50
Free if: Under 5 or with National Trust membership

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

How Long We Spent There: About three hours.
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: There is a car park that can be very busy. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Insects and birds.

Information Written: March 2017

Our visit to Nymans in Handcross, near Crawley, is summarised below and you can add your own rating under ‘User Rating’ or in the ‘Add Comment’ section below.

RHS Gardens Wisley

The gardens are magnificent and full of colour and life, whatever the season. 

We love the maze-like Alpine Meadow  

The Glasshouse

The Glasshouse conceals a tropical world complete with a jungle canopy, desert 

It also has a waterfall, a cave with an exhibition about plants and roots and even hosts free-flying butterflies during the winter. 

The Gardens

Wisley’s grounds are extensive so make sure you pick up a map. 

The many walking routes lead past orchards, view points, hillside gardens, formal gardens, wild gardens

several ponds, and small waterfalls as well as a walled garden with a lily pond and fountain.  

There are even some ducks. 

Outdoor Play Areas

There are a couple of places to play – a den building area

and a wild playground with an obstacle course, and bridge and rope climbing frames.

Cafes and an Indoor Play Area

Scattered around the gardens are several picnic areas and cafes. 

The Glasshouse Cafe has a small, indoor soft play area, although this is not in the main part of the cafe and we have never managed to find a free table there.

Christmas Glow

During the Christmas season, Wisley lights up the night with Wisley’s Christmas Glow.

Huge lanterns light your path around the gardens.

Festive lights illuminate plants inside

and outside.

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: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: Picnic area, cafe, snacks, ice creams, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 4 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: Ducks, water birds, squirrels, birds and fish.

Information Written: August 2016

Our visit to 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.