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 

 

 

 

 

 

with 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

 

The play equipment for younger children includes:

• toddler swings
• a multiplay with a slide and easy to climb steps 
• springers. 

 

 

The play equipment for older children includes:

• obstacles and balancing beams
• nets
• a spinning hoop
• a climbing frame and wall. 

 

 

There are seats, picnic tables and a field.  

 

 

 

 

Also a table tennis table

 

 

 

 

 

basketball net

 

 

 

 

 

and multi-use games area with basketball nets and football goals. 

 

 

Nearest Town: Farnborough
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU14 8XQ

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: You can park on the road next to the play area. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: July 2022

 

The Adventure Play Area

Large trees surround the play area, giving it a shady, peaceful feel. The play equipment includes:

• a slide
• various climbing frames
• swings
• toddler swings
• a swinging basket
• a seesaw
• a ground level trampoline
• a zip wire
• scramble nets
• a climbing wall
• balance beams.

 

 

Sports Facilities

There are also plenty of places to play sports:

• a table tennis table (bring your own bats!)
• a street snooker wall and court (a cross between football and snooker)
• tennis courts
• a football pitch
• a cricket ground.

 

Normandy Common

Normandy Common is a wooded area with an orchid meadow, pond, orchard, woods, various sports areas, and a small adventure play area.

 

 

 

 

There is a map in each of the car parks that shows you where everything is. The three main areas we visit are below but there are other little areas you can discover for yourself!

 

 

 

 

The Stream and Pond

The stream flows through the play area next to the car park on the main road. It can flow quite quickly in wet weather. Sometimes there are ducks on it.

 

 

 

The pond is at the end of the stream in the woods on the other side of the road. 

 

 

 

 

The Wispy Woods

We call the wooded area between the cricket pitch and the orchard the Wispy Woods because some of the enormous fir trees look feathered.

It’s a smallish patch of mature woodland with a wild feel. I find it an ideal place to let the children run around and explore. 

 

 

The Secret Orchard

The is a Traditional Orchard, a conservation area that is being preserved as a habitat for plants and animals. It is planted in grassland and managed in an organic way.

Nearest Town: Normandy, Near Guildford and Aldershot
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU3 2DB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: None but there some picnic tables.

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Generally buggy friendly but some of the paths can be narrow.

Parking: There are two play area car parks on Hunts Hill Road. The first is on the corner with the main road (GU3 2DB). The other is further down Hunts Hill Road (GU3 2DB).
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, butterflies, insects, slow worms, snakes, lizards, stag beetles, glow worms, newts, frogs, kingfishers and dragonflies.

Information Written: April 2023
Information Checked: January 2024

 

Normandy Common

Normandy Common is a wooded area with an orchid meadow, pond, orchard, woods, various sports areas, and a small adventure play area.

 

 

 

There is a map in each of the car parks that shows you where everything is. The three main areas we visit are below but there are other little areas you can discover for yourself!

 

 

 

The Stream and Pond

The stream flows through the play area next to the car park on the main road. It can flow quite quickly in wet weather and sometimes there are ducks on it.

 

 

 

The pond is in the woods at the end of the stream on the other side of the road. 

 

 

 

 

To find the pond, cross Hunts Hill Road (the road the car parks are on). There is a footpath and bridge immediately on your left, which takes you into the woods and then onto Normandy Pond. 

 

 

 

The Wispy Woods

We call the wooded area between the cricket pitch and the orchard the Wispy Woods because some of its enormous and feathery fir trees.

It’s a smallish patch of mature woodland with a wild feel. I find it an ideal place to let the children run around and explore. 

 

 

The Secret Orchard

This is a Traditional Orchard, a conservation area that is being preserved as a habitat for plants and animals. It is planted in grassland and managed in an organic way.

The boards say, “All wildlife and visitors can enjoy a variety of true and traditional fruit flavours.”

 

We visited in September and found pear, apple, plum, and cherry trees.

We also saw a mulberry bush, which I knew from the nursery rhyme but had never actually seen. 

 

 

 

Finding the Woods and Orchard

Leave the play area and walk over the football pitch towards the red bin. Walk over the bridge and onto the cricket ground until you reach the cricket building.

 

 

 

Walk across the car park to the woods and take the footpath marked as a Permissive Horse Ride.

 

 

 

 

Follow this path until you come to the entrance to the Wispy Woods on the left.

 

 

 

 

To reach the orchard, keep following this path beyond the woods, ignoring any side paths.

There is a large bend to the right and then a smaller bend to the left and the orchard is up a slight hill and on the right. It is about a five minute walk from the Wispy Woods.

 

The orchard and woods are clearly marked on the car park maps. If it is your first visit, then consider taking a photo of the map with you. 

 

The Adventure Play Area

Large trees surround Normandy Common Play Area, making it a shady, peaceful place to play. The equipment includes:

• a slide
• various climbing frames
• swings
• toddler swings
• a swinging basket
• a seesaw
• a ground level trampoline
• a zip wire
• scramble nets
• a climbing wall and balance beams that together make an obstacle course.

 

Sports Facilities

There are also plenty of places to play sports:

• a table tennis table (bring your own bats!)
• a street snooker wall and court (a cross between football and snooker)
• tennis courts
• a football pitch
• a cricket ground.

Nearest Town: Normandy, Near Guildford and Aldershot
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU3 2DB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: None but there some picnic tables.

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Generally buggy friendly but some of the paths can be narrow.

Parking: There are two play area car parks on Hunts Hill Road. The first is on the corner with the main road (GU3 2DB). The other is further down Hunts Hill Road (GU3 2DB).
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, butterflies, insects, slow worms, snakes, lizards, stag beetles, glow worms, newts, frogs, kingfishers and dragonflies.

Information Written: July 2016
Information Checked: January 2024

 

The Trails

Various trails criss-cross Alice Holt Forest. Some are easy access, others are wilder.  Some are flat, others have steep hills.

They are all marked and there are free maps available.

 

 

Story Book Trails

Alice Holt Forest is one of the venues that hosts story book activity trails based on the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

 

 

 

Trails have included The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Zog.  

At the time of writing, there is a Superworm Trail.  

 

 

You buy a map bursting with activities to try along the trail – drawings to colour, puzzles to ponder and woodland things to spot.  

 

 

 

 

Along the way you also come face to face with characters from the stories, including the Gruffalo, Stick Man and the Gruffalo’s child.

 

 

 

 

The Timberline Play Trail

The 1km long Habitat Trail leads you past both adventure play areas

 

 

 

 

 

and also hides huge play sculptures.

 

 

 

 

 

The Adventure Play Areas

Alice Holt has two adventure play areas.

Playwood Adventure Play Area is next to the cafe and has large wooden climbing frames, slides and swings.

 

 

 

Timberline Adventure Play Area is a five minute walk from Playwood and is a huge, circular obstacle course with wooden climbing frames, slides, bridges and nets. 

 

 

 

Other Activities

Alice Holt also has an Activity Centre and Shop that offers cycle hire 

 

 

 

 

table tennis

 

 

 

 

 

volleyball

 

 

 

 

 

and badminton.

 

 

 

 

 

There is also orienteering 

 

 

 

 

Go Ape 

 

 

 

 

 

and lots of picnic spots to try.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cafe 

This is located next to the main entrance and Visitor Centre.

You can its picnic tables to eat food you have bought there or brought from home. 

 

Nearest Town: Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 4LS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Various, starting from £3 for one hour. 

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds, insects and the odd story book character.

Information Written: March 2016
Information Checked: February 2023

 

The play equipment includes:

• wooden climbing frames
• two slides
• a fireman’s pole
• nets  
• ropes
• wobbly bridges
• climbing walls 
• picnic tables
• seats to sit on.

 

Playwood Adventure Play Area is the second of Alice Holt’s play areas and is next to the cafe. It is about a five minute walk from Timberline Play Area.

 

 

 

It has play equipment that includes:

• a large wooden climbing frame with a slide, tunnels, towers with easy to climb stairs, nets, a fireman’s pole and ladders
• a smaller wooden climbing frame for younger children with a slide, a bridge, a fireman’s pole and easy to climb stairs
• a wooden hut with a rope
• swings
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• an accessible roundabout
• picnic tables
• seats to sit on.

 

 

Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forest is full of things to do – play trails, cycle tracks, table tennis, orienteering, adventure play areas and even story book characters like the Gruffalo…

 

 

 

Story Book Trails

Alice Holt Forest is one of the venues that hosts story book activity trails based on the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

 

 

 

Trails have included The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Zog.  

At the time of writing, there is a Superworm Trail.  

 

 

 

The Timberline Play Trail

The 1km long Habitat Trail leads you past both adventure play areas and hides huge play sculptures.

 

Nearest Town: Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 4LS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Various, starting from £3 for one hour. 

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds, insects and the odd story book character.

Information Written: November 2022
Information Checked: February 2023

 

Playwood is next to the cafe and has play equipment that includes:

• a large wooden climbing frame with a slide, tunnels, towers with easy to climb stairs, nets, a fireman’s pole and ladders
• a smaller wooden climbing frame for younger children with a slide, a bridge, a fireman’s pole and easy to climb stairs
• a wooden hut with a rope
• a wooden shipwreck climbing frame
• swings
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• an accessible roundabout
• picnic tables
• seats to sit on.

 

Timberline Adventure Play Area

Timberline Adventure Play Area is a five minute walk from Playwood and is a huge, circular obstacle course with slides, ropes and climbing frames.

 

 

 

 

Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forest is full of things to do – play trails, cycle tracks, table tennis, orienteering, adventure play areas and even story book characters like the Gruffalo…

 

 

 

Story Book Trails

Alice Holt is also one of the venues that hosts story book activity trails based on the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

 

 

 

Trails have included The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Zog.  

At the time of writing, there is a Superworm Trail.  

 

 

 

The Timberline Play Trail

The 1km long Habitat Trail leads you past both adventure play areas and hides huge play sculptures.

 

Nearest Town: Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 4LS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Various, starting from £3 for one hour. 

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds, insects and the odd story book character.

Information Written: November 2022
Information Checked: February 2023

 

The Play Area

The play equipment includes:

• a slide with a wobbly bridge and easy to climb wall
• a multiplay with bridges and nets
• a wooden slide with easy to climb walls
• a horse springer
• a wooden obstacle course with wobbly logs
• a seesaw
• swings
• toddler swings
• a spinner
• parallel bars
• a rocking horse
• puzzle boards
• seats for adults
• picnic tables.

 

Sports Facilities

Next to the play area is a basketball net and two table tennis tables

 

 

 

 

and a large playing field and cricket pitch.

 

 

Nearest Town: Wonersh, Guildford
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU5 0RU

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

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

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

Parking: You can park next to the play area on Barnett Lane, a residential road. GU5 0RU takes you to the right part of Barnett Lane but is actually for a little side road that you do not need to go down.  
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: August 2020

 

The play area equipment includes:

• toddler swings
• swings
• tractor springers
• noughts and crosses
• a multi-play with a slide and some chain netting
• a slide built into a hill
• a rope climbing frame
• spinners and
• a train with a tunnel.

Around the edge of the field is a trim trail with various pieces of equipment like bars and rings.

Some of the play equipment felt run down and had peeling paint, although nothing felt unsafe.

 

The Paddling Pool

The paddling pool looked shallow and inviting when we arrived but unfortunately it had not yet opened for the day (it currently opens from 10am until 6pm).

 

 

Paddling Pool Restrictions

There are some restrictions on the use of the paddling pool – only children up to and including 8 years are allowed to use it before 5pm. The sign also says that children using the pool must be toilet trained. It did not say anything about children in swimming nappies.

 

Coffee Shop and Facilities

Next to it was a coffee shop that sells refreshments and has toilets. It opens during the weekends and school holidays.

 

Sports Facilities

There are lots of sports facilities including tennis courts (you can hire these at the cafe), table tennis, netball courts, cricket pitch, football pitches, a five-a-side football pitch, a kick about area, table tennis and multi-use ball courts.

Nearest Town: Bracknell
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG40 3EE

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Cafe or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe, ice creams, snacks, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: Car park
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: June 2017

 

The play area has a range of equipment including:

• toddler swings
• swings
• a tyre swing
• a swinging seesaw
• a large multiplay with three slides, easy to climb stairs, a role play cafe and nets
• a second multiplay for younger children
• a game board
• a springer
• a fire engine with little tunnels
• a roundabout
• spinning seats
• a zip wire.

 

The Splash Pad

We spent most of our visit playing with the water jets in the splash pad, which is surrounded by benches, sun umbrellas and a cafe giving it that holiday feeling.

 

 

 

Splash Pad Restrictions

There are some restrictions on the use of the splash pad – only children under 8 years are allowed to use it before 5pm and there are no balls or inflatable toys allowed.

You must wear swimming suits and swimming nappies (if necessary).

 

 

The Sports Facilities

There are tennis courts, a five-a-side football pitch, a kick about area, table tennis and a sports field.

There is also a miniature golf course, a walk to Jocks Copse and Tinkers Copse and a miniature railway that is run by the Bracknell Railway Society.

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

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Cafe or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Ice creams, snacks, cafe, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: Car park
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Butterflies, lots and lots of ducks and water birds.

Information Written: June 2017