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 2025

 

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 2025

 

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 Play 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 2025

 

The Play Area

The play equipment includes:

• swings
• toddler swings
• a tyre swing
• a rocking horse
• a slide built into the hill
• a roundabout
• springers
• a multiplay with a slide and binoculars
• a sunken pirate ship sand pit
• a tunnel
• a wooden climbing frame obstacle course with a slide and climbing wall.

 

Next to the play area are picnic tables

 

 

 

 

and The Plump Duck cafe.

 

 

 

Petersfield Heath

This is ancient heathland with a large pond

 

 

 

 

boat hire 

 

 

 

 

 

and a circular trail. 

 

 

Nearest Town: Petersfield
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU31 4LB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at The Plump Duck cafe. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

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

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

Wildlife You Might See: Lizards, insects, ducks, swans, geese, kingfishers and other birds.

Information Written: July 2022

 

Little Beaulieu Adventure Play Area

This fantastic adventure play area has equipment that includes:

• a tube slide
• other slides
• a basket swing
• toddler swings
• an obstacle course
• climbing walls
• a fireman’s pole
• a zip wire
• talking tubes
• musical instruments
• puzzle boards.

 

 

 

There is also a Toddlers’ Play Area for children of 5 years and under, which has equipment that includes:

• the Beaulieu open-topped bus with a slide
• a wooden play house with a bridge, ladders and a slide
• a sand pit with chutes, buckets and pulleys 
• picnic tables.

 

 

Secret Passages and Paintings

Inside the castle there are secret passages to find and explore, including one that goes behind a bookcase

 

 

 

 

and paintings with moving eyes…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Role Play

There are places to role play too, including a race car

 

 

 

 

 

 

a jeep

 

 

 

 

 

a tractor

 

 

 

 

 

and a petrol station. 

 

 

 

 

Beaulieu National Motor Museum 

At the heart of Beaulieu is the National Motor Museum, which as you’d expect is packed full of cars

 

 

 

 

including famous cars like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

 

 

 

 

Mr Bean’s mini.

 

 

 

 

 

The Monorail and Bus

Beaulieu is also home to the oldest monorail in England

 

 

 

 

and an open topped bus that drives you gently around the grounds. 

 

 

Nearest Town: Hythe, near Southampton
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO42 7ZN

Adult Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. 
Child Cost Range: Various – please see their website for details. 
Free if: Under 5 years

Opens: Daily

Where to Eat: Cafe and picnic areas.
Facilities: Ice creams, snacks, cafe, shop, picnic areas, 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

Information Written: January 2023

 

Thomas Land

Thomas Land is a world of Thomas-themed rides

 

 

 

 

 

 

and attractions.  

 

 

 

 

 

You can see characters like James

 

 

 

 

 

Toby

 

 

 

 

 

Cranky

 

 

 

 

 

 

Henry

 

 

 

 

 

Gordon

 

 

 

 

 

Flynn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and Harold. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas, Percy and Rosie make regular appearances, pulling passengers riding in carriages Annie and Clarabel between Knapford station and Tidmouth Halt station.

 

 

 

Tidmouth Halt Station

Once at Tidmouth Halt station, you find Spencer and an adventure play area

 

 

 

 

a dinosaur trail and some zoo animals. 

 

 

 

 

 

Drayton Manor

Drayton Manor is a theme park with rides for all ages, zoo animals and crazy golf. 

 

Nearest Town: Tamworth, Near Birmingham
County: Staffordshire
Nearest Postcode: B78 3TW

Adult Cost Range: Various prices depending on when you go. Please see their website for details.
Child Cost Range: Various prices depending on when you go. Please see their website for details.
Free if: Under 2 years old

Opens: Various times and days throughout the year. Please see their website for details.

Where to Eat: Various restaurants, cafes and picnic areas.
Facilities: Toilets, accessible toilets, shops, cafes, snacks and ice creams.

How Long We Spent There: 5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly 

Parking: Large car parks
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife you might see: Zoo animals, including tigers, red pandas, monkeys, meerkats, lynx, capybara, tapir, gibbon, marmoset, porcupine, frog, snake and bird like emus, cockatoos, flamingos and rheas.

Information Written: July 2020

 

The play equipment is said to be for children under 14 years and includes:

• swings
• toddler swings
• a multiplay with a slide and easy to climb stairs
• a sand pit with chutes 
• a seesaw
• an area for younger children with a little ship
• hopscotch
• a small obstacle course
• things to balance on
• a spinner 
• a climbing frame for older children and
• seats. 

 

 

 

Daily Mile Circuit

Three laps of the field makes a mile!

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a basketball court and football pitch. 

 

Nearest Town: Farnborough
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU14 6JX

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

Information Written: July 2022

 

Paultons Park

Paultons Park itself is a family theme park that also has

 

 

 

 

dinosaurs to spot

 

 

 

 

 

animals to watch

 

 

 

 

 

adventure play areas and splash pads

 

 

 

 

 

a wide variety of rides for all ages

 

 

 

 

 

and a train and several garden walks for anyone who prefers something a little more gentle. 

 

 

 

 

Peppa Pig World

This Peppa Pig themed part of the park brings the Peppa Pig stories, characters and illustrations to life and allows you to explore Peppa’s town

 

 

 

 

meet her family and friends

 

 

 

 

 

ride in their trains and boats

 

 

 

 

 

cars and helicopters

 

 

 

 

 

and even meet Peppa herself. 

 

 

 

 

 

Peppa Pig Prep!

Believe it or not, we visited Peppa Pig World without having watched or read anything about Peppa Pig!

 

 

 

 

We still enjoyed our first visit, even without knowing the characters, but reading the books definitely made subsequent visits more magical!

 

 

 

 

George’s Spaceship Playzone

This is a soft play area with slides and climbing frames

 

 

 

 

as well as an area for smaller children. 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs roam around the Lost Kingdom!

We spotted several, including Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, Velociraptors and the staggeringly large Argentinosaurus. 

 

 

The Dinosaur Tour Co. offer dinosaur safaris by Jeep! 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Kingdom

Paultons Park has two splash parks – a large splash pad with tipping buckets, fountains and water shooters and another smaller one called Muddy Puddles.

 

 

 

Adventure Play Areas

There are three adventure play areas, including one that is themed around Mr Potato from Peppa Pig and another dinosaur-themed one where you can dig for fossils. 

Nearest Town: Romsey, Near Southampton
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO51 6AL

Adult Cost Range: Various prices depending on when you go. Please see their website for details.
Child Cost Range: Various prices depending on when you go. Please see their website for details.
Free if: Under 1 metre tall

Opens: Various times and days throughout the year. Please see their website for details.

Where to Eat: Various restaurants, cafes and picnic areas.
Facilities: Toilets, accessible toilets, shops, cafes, snacks and ice creams.

How Long We Spent There: 5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly 

Parking: Large car parks
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife you might see: Penguins, giant tortoises, flamingos, pelicans, tropical birds, owls, fish, lizards and insects.

Information Written: July 2017
Information Checked: April 2021

 

Hobbledown has an unbelievable amount to do, including:

 

The Crystallite Mines  

A sandy play area mining town where you use water, buckets and chutes to pan for little green Crystallite gems.

 

 

 

 

You can swap an ounce of Crystallite (about twenty gems) for a lolly.  

 

 

 

 

The Fairy Tale Castle Play Area

Complete with tube slides, walkways, tunnels, a dragon and a fairy to save!

 

 

 

 

It also has a water pillow to tackle, which is one of the strangest experiences – like you are walking on water. 

 

 

 

Hobbledown Village 

An adventure play area that is home to the Hobblers and has towers, tube slides

 

 

 

 

more walkways and bridges

 

 

 

 

 

obstacles to climb and a network of tunnels.  

 

 

 

 

Here you can also fly on Rumpletump and the double zip wire.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Imaginarium

An area with reptiles and insects

 

 

 

 

 

water play

 

 

 

 

 

and an interactive jungle. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Courtyard Play Village

An outdoor sand and water play area with a huge ball run

 

 

 

 

and a Rube Goldberg water machine – can you fill the tanks?!

 

 

 

 

 

The Indoor Play Barn

An indoor play are that has a wooden climbing section with ball turrets, climbing walls and role play rooms

 

 

 

 

a second soft play frame with tubes and slides (including an area for the under 3s)

 

 

 

 

and a cafe with indoor and outdoor tables. 

 

 

 

 

 

Animals

Hobbledown is also home to animals, including wallabies, rheas, goats and sheep.  

 

 

 

 

The Characters and Books

Hobbledown sells books about the characters its adventure areas are based on. Details of how these can be bought are on their website.

Next time we visit, I will read these stories to my children beforehand so they know who and what to look out for. 

Nearest Town: Epsom
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: KT19 8PT

Opens: Daily

Adult Cost Range: From £11
Child Cost Range: From £11
Free if: Under 2 years.

Where to Eat: Cafe or picnic areas.
Facilities: Cafe, shop, snacks, picnic areas, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: Full day
Buggies: Buggy friendly

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

Wildlife You Might See: Lemurs, armadillos, camels, meerkats, wallaby, prairie dog, otter, goats, maras, alpacas, rabbits, capybara, sheep, pigs, rheas and birds of prey.

Information Written: October 2022

 

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