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
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

 

The Assault Course

Suitable for those over 1.4m tall only, the assault course has 12 obstacles and a 250m run.

 

 

 

 

Each obstacle has an instruction board

 

 

 

 

 

to guide you as you go up

 

 

 

 

 

 

under

 

 

 

 

 

over

 

 

 

 

 

and through! 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Visitor Centre, the assault course is either a 5 minute drive or a 15 minute walk uphill.

 

 

 

 

Juniper Adventure Play Trail

Next to the assault course is a smaller obstacle course, which is part of the Queen Elizabeth Country Park Adventure Play Area:

• 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.

 

 

A Pizza Oven!

There is also a brick pizza oven you can hire next to the assault course and adventure play area!

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

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: February 2023

 

Pirate Island Play Area

Play at pirates amongst the ships, hideouts and beaches of Pirate Island, an exciting, adventure play area.

The Pirate Island play area has equipment including:

• a pirate ship
• a fort
• a large tube slide
• a smaller slide
• a climbing wall
• a balance course
• springers
• swings
• toddler swings
• a spinning ring and
• a sand pit with two more boats and a pirate hideout.

 

Little Tikes Village

Let the little ones loose amongst the playhouses, castles, slides and tunnels of Little Tikes Village.

There are indoor and outdoor areas and these are just for smaller children – those under 5 years old and under 1.1 metres tall.

 

 

The Animals

Meet the animals, including alpacas, ring-tailed lemurs, owls, wallabies and deer, which are scattered around the park.

 

 

 

Some of the animals are in open enclosures, some are caged and some are free roaming.

 

 

 

 

The Miniature Railway

Ride the miniature railway around the park, past enclosures of animals from different parts of the world like New Zealand, Australasia and South America.

One trip is included in your ticket price and additional trips can be taken for a small charge.

 

 

The Park and Gardens

Explore the gardens and their sculptures, education stations and athletic tests.

 

 

 

 

Special Events

Check out a special event like bug handling and, during the summer, boat trips along the River Thames.

Please check the Beale Park website to see what, if anything, is on.

 

 

The Paddling Pool

End the day with a splash about in the paddling pool.

 

Nearest Town: Pangbourne
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG8 9NW

Adult Cost Range: £10 to £19.99
Child Cost Range: £10 to £19.99
Free if: Under 2

Opens: February to November

Where to Eat: Cafe and picnic areas.
Facilities: Ice creams, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Free with the costs of admission.

Animals You Might See: A variety, including insects, peacocks, owls, parrots, wallabies, rheas, deer, alpacas, goats, sheep, ring-tailed lemurs, monkeys, meerkats, raccoons, prairie dogs and other small mammals.

Information Written: July 2017

 

The Indoor Play Area

The central foyer doubles as an indoor play area with:

• seats
• bean bags of different sizes
• rocking horses
• ride on toys
• tables with colouring materials
• a trunk full of costumes
• puppets
• shelves full of books. 

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

 

The Courtyard Play Area

The outside play area has:

• a wooden climbing frame that looks like a baboon
• a two-storey play house
• a small pond with fish
• a ball run
• some games boards. 

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

 

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