Reviews of Days Out - NorthHantsMum

Review 2014: Miller’s Ark, Nr Hook

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 7th January 2014 in Reviews of Days Out 1 Comment

Manor Farm, Blackstocks Lane, Nately Scures, Hook, Hants RG27 9PH

I’ve been dying to go to Miller’s Ark for ages, but it opens sporadically, so you need to keep an eye on their facebook page to see when they are open. They are essentially a petting farm and I only found out about them via NHM a year ago. They are just outside Basingstoke, on the road to Hook, just past the Hatch.

We had a lovely afternoon when we were there, despite the rain and winter gloom!

Play

There are LOTS of farm animals to see. Miss NHM was very taken with the chickens and the donkeys but she wasn’t very keen on the sheep who wanted to be fed.

We started on the left hand side of the farm, where you can feed the bigger animals, like the sheep and goats.

We then moved around to the shetland ponies and the pygmy goats.

You can get right in with the animals and up very close to them. Miss NHM was desperate to brush one of the ponies, and was very excited when she was allowed too.

My absolute favourites were the pigs. They love having their tummy’s rubbed, and the two pigs lying on the floor in the next picture, collapsed there after I’d rubbed their tummies for a bit. They were grunting happily whilst being rubbed (that sounds so wrong! lol) but it was very cute and amusing.

We also spent a lot of time in the petting section. You can handle rabbits and guinea pigs here and we spent a lot of time holding a lovely ginger guinea pig who purred when he was held (that means he’s happy!).

We didn’t go on the land train, as we didn’t have enough cash, but I’d like to go on it next time!

Tips

Take cash! As they are quite small there aren’t any card facilities on site.

They aren’t open all the time so check the Facebook page for details of when they are open.

Ask for a loyalty card. After five visits, you get the sixth free.

It’s not recommended for Pregnant ladies to visit farms.

Wear welly boots. This is a working farm, so can get very muddy when it’s wet.

Wash your hands after petting and handling any animals.

Food

Most meals are around £4 and were all homemade. Very reasonably priced.

I was gutted that we didn’t have enough cash on us when we were here as I wanted to see what it tasted like. Definitely on my list of things to do next time we visit.

Facilities

The washing facilities were basic, but worked perfectly. I don’t think I’ve washed my hands so much and so often, in a very long time! lol.

Baby Facilities

We completely forgot to check these out. Opps! Will do so next time we visit and will update this post then. I would imagine they have baby changing facilities as it’s aimed towards younger children.

Parking

Is free. This is a working farm though, so if it’s been raining, the car park can be quite muddy.

Prices

£7 entry free for everyone over 2 years old. Under 2’s are free.

50p per bag of food

£1 each for the land train

Rating 5 out of 5

We had a fabulous couple of hours at Miller’s Ark. The staff are all really lovely, very willing to help and offer updates on the animals. The animals all seemed very happy and it was lovely to visit somewhere that wasn’t too commercial.

It’s also very close to Basingstoke. Just up past the Hatch Pub in Old Basing, which I hadn’t realised!

Really recommended but take cash and wrap up warm and wear wellys!

Review 2013: Lakeside Country Park

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 19th October 2013 in Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

Lakeside Country Park and Steam Railway

SO50 5PE

Lakeside country park is opposite the entrances to Southampton airport.

I’ve been to the airport several times but had no idea that the country park was next door! I had no idea what to expect but we had a brilliant day.

Play

The train was AWESOME! It’s 1.5 miles long, with a stop half way round.

We nearly missed the stop as we weren’t originally going to get off. I’m so glad we did as we went to the play park .

The play park has a funky seesaw and very cool climbing frame that we had to convince the toddlers they were too small to climb on!

The stop has several picnic tables, and would be a great place to watch the trains and have a picnic.

We sat and watched a couple of trains, after the play park and waved at everyone (most of whom waved back!) and the driver even tooted his horn, which the children LOVED.

We walked across the trail rack and went for a short walk around one of the Lake’s. I’m not sure the fishermen were too happy at two very loud toddlers, but we had great fun spotting mayfly and ducks.

We got the train back and went through the coolest tunnel!! It was much longer than I expected.

We also spent time spotting the many cows in the country park.

Food

Really impressed. In the style of a railway cafe and they had several high chairs.

The food selection was very reasonably priced and much better than I expected. The staff were also very friendly and used to dealing with families with small children.

It also helped that it was next to the Station, so when the children needed distraction whilst waiting for their food, we could go and look at the trains.

Baby changing facilities

I totally forgot to check these but my friend used them and told me that they were in good condition.

Parking

Is free!!! There’s lots of it too. Don’t park in the first small car parks on the right. Drive up to the station (slowly as there are picnic benches right next to the road) and park in this car park. Otherwise you have a three minute walk.

Prices

You don’t have to pay parking to use the Country park but if you want to use the Steam train it is:

£3.50 per adult

£2.50 per child (2 to 15 year olds)

You can also buy first class tickets, but we enjoyed having the wind in our hair!

You can also buy three ride tickets for the price of two, but these are valid on day of issue only.

Tips

I would recommend the park for children between the ages of 2 years to 6 years old.

Get there early, when the park opens at 10am and you beat the mid morning rush.

They do Days out with Thomas which are a lot cheaper than The Watercress Line at Alresford.

They are also doing “Santa Specials” which look brilliant!

Rating 5 out of 5

We had such a brilliant day out and for such a reasonable price. Everyone was very polite and seemed to really enjoy what they did, which really helped.

We loved that everyone was friendly and everyone waved back at us, including all of the other people at the park!

Review 2013: Paulton’s Park/Peppa Pig World

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 19th September 2013 in Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

I’ve never been to Paulton’s Park before, even before it was Peppa Pig World. I’ve been itching to go for a long time, so was very excited when one of my friends who lives in Southampton suggested we meet there.

Unfortunately, we picked a day when the school’s had an Inset day, so it was packed! We only managed to go on a couple of rides, because the queues were over half an hour in wait. Anyone who has tried to wait inline with a couple of toddlers, will know what I’m talking about!

We still had a lovely day out, and I really enjoyed what we saw of Paulton’s Park. However, we didn’t see all of it, as we spent most of our time in Peppa Pig world, in Dinosaur land and in the splash park near the entrance. It was a good day out though.

We went to see the animals too, they have meercats, and lots of different types of birds. There is also a walk around the lake, if you want to avoid the crowds when it’s busy. We would probably do this if we went again, and would have our picnic away from the crowds.

Play

We were going especially to see Peppa Pig, so we spent a lot of time in this area. It was heaving though, so we didn’t get to go on many rides. We did walk behind Peppa Pig World and see some of the animals and birds that are on display. It seemed a lot quieter round this area, for obvious reasons.

My little one and her friend got to meet Peppa Pig and George, which was very exciting. Again, it was manic though.

We spent some time walking through the grounds and went through Dinosaur Land, which my friends little one absolutely loved. This is a great area for boys who like Dinosaurs.

We spent AGES in the splash park. It was excellent. My little one and all the other little one’s really loved running through the water fountains and sprays. This was a real perk of the park and I recommend taking swim wear for your little ones and then expect to spend at least an hour in this area when the weather is nice!

Food

We had a picnic so I can’t really comment on the food. We did have ice creams though, which were yummy and not too expensive.

Facilities

Seemed very good. We had our picnic in the seating area near Peppa Pig world and it was all covered and the picnic benches were substantial. There isn’t always enough space to move pushchairs in the food area though, so be careful where you decide to pitch up.

Baby Facilities

Were good but cramped. It was so busy the day we went, that there was a queue of 6 Mum’s with babies in front of us! It’s a shame it was my turn to do the nappy change and I couldn’t palm it off on Mr NHM :-D.

Parking

Is free and there is TONNES of it.

Prices

are Expensive. There is no getting around this. However, if you buy your ticket online, at least 24 hours in advance, you get £4 off and it’s valid for 12 months. So if it rains on the day you want to go, you can always change the day and go another time when the weather is nicer.

Children under a meter in height are free. This includes whilst they are wearing shoes. My little one’s friend, who is 2 years, 8 months, nearly didn’t get in, as he had sturdier shoes on than when his Mum had measured him. So, hint, if your little one might be too tall, find the flatest shoes with the smallest bottom that you can find 😉

If you plan to go often in a 12 month period, you can also buy a Season Ticket. Please click HERE to see a previous post about Season Tickets, which includes the Paulton’s Park details.

Rating 4.8 out of 5

We had a great day out, despite it being very busy. However, I took 0.2 points off because it’s expensive.

Review 2013: Farleigh Mount

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 3rd September 2013 in Reviews of Days Out, Walks 0 Comment

Farleigh Mount Country Park, Winchester

Farley Mt Rd Hursley SO21 2

I love Farleigh Mount. It’s another place that I’ve been going too, on and off, for the past 30 years. (EEK! lol).

It’s about 30 minutes drive from Basingstoke, and not so easy to find, so you need directions or a sat nav.

I still haven’t managed to find the monument though. After 30 years of visiting the country park, it’s a must do and looks great for a picnic. Definiately on my list of things to do later this year!

Play

I took Miss NHM this weekend, because the weather was lovely and I knew she needed to run around a bit. We used to park in Crabtree car park, but now I always park at the car park at the end of that road.

Crabtree car park has two fixed BBQ’s which are available for the public to use. There are also picnic benches, so it’s a great place to organise a meet-up as the area is big enough to keep an eye on little ones, but flat enough for them to run around easily.

We park in the car park at the end of the main road. Miss NHM thoroughly enjoyed running down the big hill (but boy did she whine on the way back! lol). If you get to the bottom of the hill and then turn left, you can find the children’s playground. It’s very similar to the Basing Wood playground, but we spent much longer here than at the Basing Wood one, possibly because it’s far more shaded at Farleigh Mount. Miss NHM loved jumping across the stones (with a little assistance) and we spent a long time walking up and down the tree branches.

Miss NHM has never been that big a fan of swings, but she spent ages playing on and around the swings. It helped that we had the play park to ourselves.

We then ventured across to the big triangular structure, which I’d seen before but never explored. We spent about 40 minutes playing in and on the triangular structure. Miss NHM loved climbing on it, even though I was a little bit worried about this!

She also really liked the huge wooden Spider that we spent a lot of time playing on and around.

Farleigh Mount is great for little one’s who have bikes and there are loads of walking routes. We didn’t do any this time as I didn’t have the pushchair with me and I knew Miss NHM wouldn’t be able to walk too far after an hour of being in the play area. When she’s a bit bigger, we will do a lot more exploring!

We then walked back through the “cow pat field”. Part of the hill next to the play park has cows roaming in it. We tried to find them, but no luck, although Miss NHM now knows how to say “cow pat!”

It took ages to motivate Miss NHM to walk up the hill but I then decided we would park up in a car park further along the way and have our picnic there. We ended up having the field to ourselves for over 40 minutes and had an awesome picnic. There were lots of flowers to look at and the field was full of bumblebees and butterflies. One butterfly even landed on Miss NHM’s face, which she wasn’t to happy about!

It really was a lovely day out. I always have a fab time at Farleigh Mount.

Tips

If you don’t like dogs, avoid Farleigh Mount. It’s a dog walkers paradise and there are lots of dogs.

Kelly also mentioned in the comments, to be aware of Ticks.

Food

N/A but there is a Farm Shop very nearby which is open on weekdays and Saturdays and Winchester Waitrose isn’t too far away.

Facilities

N/A apart from the outdoor BBQ facilities

Baby Facilities

None, but in a place like this, you can change them anywhere really.

Parking

Lots of it and all free.

Prices

FREE!

Rating 5 out of 5

Review 2013: Birdworld

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 22nd August 2013 in Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

Birdworld

Holt Pound, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 4LD

(near Alice Holt. See my review about Alice Holt HERE)

Play

We went to Birdworld at the weekend and took one of our friend’s 8 year old and 5 year old with us. We had free children’s tickets that we won at auction for the “Forget Me Not Baby Angel” charity event in May, so wanted to cash these in.

It took us 35 minutes to get too from Basingstoke and we went via the M3 and Farnham. You can also get to Birdworld easily from Basingstoke via Alton.

There are essentially three parks at Birdworld: Birdworld, Jenny Wren farm and Underwater world. We went to all three parks and our favourite was the Jenny Wren farm, mainly because the children were able to handle some mice and baby guinea pigs! Even the stroking of a python didn’t beat the handling of the mice!

In Birdworld I liked that you could go into some of the enclosures and see the birds up close. We managed to get a good view at the Penguin feeding but most of the penguins were moulting so there weren’t that many on display. We then wandered down to the Pelican feeding which was fun to watch.

We spent a lot of time at the feeding station, watching how the food was put together for the birds, as my little one was fascinated with this. After lunch we headed to the Jenny Wren farm and I was hoping we would be able to get into the Heron display, but we missed it by two minutes as the mice handling was more interesting! lol.

We had the most fun in Jenny Wren farm. The two oldest children loved sitting on the tractors and my little one loved being able to get up close with the rabbits in their enclosure. She also enjoyed seeing the chicks that were on display.

On the way out of the park, we also really enjoyed the peacock walk and the willow maze in Birdworld. The children spent about 20 minutes chasing each other around in the maze and there was a bench nearby so we could watch them having fun safely.

The two older children loved the play areas, especially the 7-14 year age appropriate play area. They spent ages trying to ring the bell at the top of the climbing poles.

We went through Underwater world on our way out. It took about 10 minutes, as the children were getting very tired. Be warned that the tanks are high up, so if you have a little one, you will need to carry them through Underwater world.

Tips

When you go through the entrance, ask for the children’s competition questions. Unfortunately we weren’t automatically given these, but they did help with keeping the 8 year old entertained. There is also an alphabet to look out for, which kept the bigger ones engaged.

Follow the signs for “Suggested route”. This route gives you the best view of everything that’s available.

If you want some peace and quiet, head to the Peacock walk. This was empty for the whole 30 minutes we were in it. There is also a secluded bench which would be great for breastfeeding.

Food

We took our own picnic, so I can’t comment on the food. They did have a good deal of two hot meals for £10 which looked very reasonable.

The picnic area was in a good location and had a play park next to it. Just watch out for the wasps from the bins.

Facilities

Seemed good on the whole. The gardens were exquisite and we spent some time smelling all the herbs that were in one of the herb gardens on the way to the Penguin Tank.

Baby Facilities

Weren’t great. My husband did the nappy changes that day and he said that the nappy changing room was grim. He liked that there was a step in there for the little ones to get to the sink though. However, he said the nappy changing room was so grim, that we did eau natural changes outside for the rest of the day!

Parking

Is free!

Prices

Are expensive (aren’t they all!). I was very surprised with how expensive it was, considering what was on offer.

In summer, an adult is £15.95, a 3-6 year old is £12.95 and a 7-15 year old is £13.95. A family pass is £49.95.

However, under 3’s go free!

Rating 4 out of 5

We had a nice day out, but I did feel we had to string it out with lots of time in the play parks onsite. Plus, given how grim the baby changing area was and how expensive it was, I think 4 out of 5 is a fair rating.

Review 2013: The Hawk Conservancy

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 30th July 2013 in Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

The Hawk Conservancy

Visitor Centre, Weyhill, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 8DY

Everytime I go to the Hawk Conservancy, I have a fantastic time. When you look at the site plan, it doesn’t look very much, and yet after 5 hours of being there, we still hadn’t done everything!!

We went to the Hawk Conservancy on Saturday and had two extra children with us. We were looking after a friends 14 year old son and 8 year old son. I was a bit apprehensive about finding somewhere that would be suitable for a 14 year old, 8 year old and 2 year old, but the Hawk Conservancy came up trumps!! Totally recommended and we had a brilliant day out.

Play

When we arrived we were asked if we would like to take part in the “Sarson Falconer” session, which took place in the afternoon, as there were still spaces available. Mr NHM and the boys weren’t that keen, but I persuaded them that it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, their debut on the stage, and that I would do the boring thing and look after Miss NHM whilst their made their debut’s.

Being involved in this event ended up being the highlight of the day!! The boys and Mr NHM didn’t stop raving about their roles for the rest of the weekend. I had to bite my tongue with the “told you so’s!!!” lol.

Each of the children were also given a card, which had 10 stamps of birds that needed to be collected. It took us all day to fill the card up, but even Miss NHM was on board with shouting “Stamp!!!” when we found the last few.

We had arrived just in time for the Vulture feeding at the Vulture Restaurant. The 14 year old thought this was brilliant. It was very interesting to hear about how threatened Vultures are in the wild and what the Hawk Conservancy trust are trying to do to protect them. Plus, seeing the Vultures feeding was an experience!

We then went to the World of Birds of Prey flying demonstration which was brilliant. Madelaine the Secretary Bird was my favourite. You should see her whack that poor rubber snake! lol.

At the end of the flying demonstration there is an opportunity to hold a British bird of prey. Both boys and Miss NHM held an Owl. I have some fantastic pictures and the 8 year old was very proud of having done this. Miss NHM spent most of the day then saying “WOW said the Owl” as we have the book at home. It was great to be able to relate this experience to the book for her.

We then grabbed our picnic from the car and went up to the picnic tables next to the Valley of the Eagles. We had it to ourselves as most people stayed by the picnic tables at the main entrance.

The boys had to eat fast as they needed to prepare for the “Sarsoner Falconer” session as they were given instructions on what to do and were given outfits to wear. I had to entertain Miss NHM for an hour and when she started to get really cranky the Gypsy caravan opened for ice cream and coffee, which saved the day!

The boys and Mr NHM made their debuts as “Plough man and Plough boys”. They all looked very cute in their smocks and I managed to get some fantastic photo’s, despite having a wriggling toddler on my lap. They then got front row seats for the rest of the performance.

The birds were amazing. The Valley of the Eagles show is my favourite by far, because I’m not sure there are many other places were you can nearly get a Vulture flying into your head!!! (Note to self, don’t sit up when you feel a Vulture fly over your head, as there’s probably another one right behind it!! Boy was that a close shave, I even felt my hair move!!! lol).

Oh, and this is just a side note for the girls, but I have to say that the Falconer’s outfit in the Sarsoner’s session REALLY did it for me! :-D. Don’t knock it till you’ve seen Gary in his outfit! LOL.

I really like the presenters at all of the demonstrations as they make it all sound so fun, and take it all on the chin when things don’t exactly go to plan.I even learnt something about what a “cadge” is. I missed the last bit with the Bald Eagles flying in, but apparently it was amazing.

After the demonstration we went to find the Play area and had a lovely time playing on all of the different equipment.

We then spent the rest of the day walking around the site and getting our remaining stamps. I would have liked to have stayed for the Ferret racing but Miss NHM was getting cranky as she was well over due for her nap.

We had a brilliant day out and I was so pleased that the boys also enjoyed their day. I think the reward at the end for completing all of the stamps also helped 😉

Food

We took a picnic with us, but we had a look in the restaurant and it looks REALLY nice. I did have some of the ice cream from the gypsy hut and it was some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted!

Facilities

Were excellent.

Baby Facilities

I completely forgot to check these as we did an eu-natural nappy change when no one was around.

Parking

Is free!

Prices

We got a family ticket for the 5 of us and it was very reasonable. Under £40 which I thought was great value for money considering what was available and how much fun we had.

Rating 4.99 out of 5

The staff are great, the site is great and there’s a real friendly atmosphere. I love that it’s a family owned place and also supports vital work in other countries.

We went on a Saturday in the summer holidays and I was surprised that it wasn’t busier. Apparently Saturday’s are change over days for people on holiday, so it tends to be a quieter day. Tip for us locals 😉

My only comment is that there weren’t any recycling facilities that we could see. Otherwise, it would be a 5 out of 5!

Review 2013: Basing Lime Pits

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 18th July 2013 in Reviews of Days Out, Walks 0 Comment

Basing Lime Pits

Redbridge Ln, Old Basing, Hampshire RG21 4 ‎

We went to Basing Lime pits a few weekends ago, early on a Sunday morning. We had most of the place to ourselves. I did see a fox though, so that was exciting!

Play

There are four different areas in Basing Lime Pits. The main area is the play park, which has two different types of swings, a couple of climbing frames and a massive slide, which my little one loved! Behind the park is also a red rope climbing frame (like the one in Eastrop park) and there are two BBQ’s and lots of picnic tables. There is also a big hill you can walk up or walk around.

The second area is my favourite, which is towards the back of the park. There is a train climbing frame with one carriage that you can sit in!!! I love this little train. It’s so cute and my little one loved climbing into it and then sitting on all of the different seats in the carriage. If you walk under the bridged (that you can also walk across) there is a slide behind, and we spent a long time playing on this too.

The third area is the “natural” amiptheatre, which is a hollowed out area with a huge hill behind it. We wondered around this and my little one loved running across it. It would be great to see a play here!

The fourth area is in between the two car parks and is a grassy area with press up/push up bars, etc. This would be a lovely area for a picnic, as it’s quite shaded and there are a couple of picnic benches. The top of the very large slide can be accessed from here and you can walk back to main car park from here.

We spent an hour and a half exploring and had a lovely time wandering around and using the big slide a LOT! lol.

Food

Not available but there are some lovely areas to sit and have a picnic.

Facilities

There aren’t any facilities at Basing Lime Pits. However, there are enough bushes if your little one’s are caught short!

Baby Facilities

I don’t think anyone minds people changing nappies in a park!!! lol.

Parking

Is free! But the car park isn’t very well tarmacked, so it can be a bit bumpy going in . There are about 10 car park spaces in the first car park and then 10 car park spaces in the main car park. However, there is space to park on the road if needed.

Be aware, if you are heading to Basing Lime Pits from Old Basing, there is a blind bridge, so you need to be very careful and go very slowly as the road on the bridge is very narrow and you can’t see any oncoming traffic.

Prices

Free!!!

Rating out of 4.7 out of 5

There is a lot of litter on the entrance way and the car park could be better paved.

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Review 2013: Basing Wood

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 2nd July 2013 in Reviews of Days Out, Walks 0 Comment

Basing Wood

Did you know, that we have our own equivalent to Alice Holt Forest in Basingstoke? Basing Wood, or Carpenters Down as I’ve always known it, is a fantastic huge expanse of woodland, with trails, picnic benches, a Woodland Trail, a nature play ground and the chance to spot a Deer. It’s completely free, you don’t even need to pay parking.

I’ve been walking in Basing Wood for more than 30 years. Eek!! I remember when it used to have the National Trust sign at the entrance. I realised yesterday, when we were walking through the forest, that I remember when certain bits of the forest were originally planted with sapplings. Those trees are fully flourished now, and you can’t tell that they are less than 30 years old. Gosh, that makes me sounds ancient! lol.

We were there on Sunday and we had most of the forest to ourselves. In fact, we didn’t see a soul for over an hour, as we went deeper into the forest. It’s a great place for getting away from it all, for getting some fresh air, rain or shine, and for exhausting your children so they sleep well ;-).

If you would prefer that someone showed you the trails within the Forest, Emma at BuggyFit does a class on Monday’s and Friday’s in the Wood.

This is the address to find Basing Wood: Popley Fields Community Centre/Carpenters Down Basingstoke RG24 9AE

Play

There is a “natural” play park at the top of the hill (no idea what the official term of it is). You can see from the photo’s below that its great for Toddlers. The few times we have been in the forest recently, we have had it to ourselves (although, I may regret this post soon! lol). They have swings, tunnels, tree stumps, stone blocks and all sorts of other things that you can swing, clamber, climb, run through, jump over, etc. etc. We always spend at least 30 minutes here, just running around the park.

I absolutely love the woodland trail, which is just a short walk away from the play park. The wooden animals are brilliant and my Little One loves crawling over them, stroking them, and trying to feed them stones! lol. When I’ve been on my own with my Little One, we have walked up to the end of the woodland trail, as I can’t push the pushchair up the hill because of the remnants of my SPD. She can manage to walk to the end of the Woodland trail and back, at 2 years, 3 months old. (This may help, if you are wondering if you can take your little one without a pushchair).

We also walked through the outdoor Parkour site (as it’s called on Google Maps) and this was great to explore. It’s good for older children, as they can swing on the pipes that are attached to the roof. This is half way up the hill, on the way in, and is a large wooden structure with extra “bits” to it.

The forest is a great place for a picnic. There are picnic benches in the play park at the top of the hill and the odd bench dotted through the forest. However, if you take a picnic blanket with you, you don’t need to worry about where you sit. ;-). There is also a really large grassy area next to the forest, but a lot of dog walkers use this area, so beware of where you are sitting.

One of the great things that I love about this forest, is that you can nearly always spot a deer if you are quiet and standing in the right place. We saw one with my little one a few weeks ago and she was mesmerised. We couldn’t have been more than 25 meters away from it.

Food

Not available

Facilities

Not available. But as it’s outside, it doesn’t matter where you change your little one, as there’s generally no one in view!

Baby Facilities

Not available. So maybe not as good as Alice Holt for this reason.

Most of the paths are suitable for pushchairs, but you do need to go up one big hill. So if you have SPD…be careful! However, you could walk around the grassy field next to the forest if the hills look like being too much of an issue. Or, you can dodge the hills by accessing the forest from Chineham Business Park.

Parking

is Free!!! There are about 40 parking spaces too, so you should always be able to find a space.

Prices

FREE!

Rating 4.9 out of 5

Basing Wood/Carpenters Down, like Finkley Down Farm, has a special place in my heart because I’ve been going there so long. I took 0.1 off the rating because sometimes there is a lot of litter because local youths use the forest in the late evenings/night times and leave their rubbish.

Review 2013: Finkley Down Farm

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 18th June 2013 in Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

Finkley Down Farm, Andover

I LOVE Finkley Down Farm. I’ve been visiting, on and off, for the last 30 years (OUCH!). It’s been great to see how it’s developed over that time. I remember the old gypsy caravan, when you used to actually be able to go into it and sit on the beds. Anyone else remember that? lol.

Play

There is SO much to do at Finkley Down Farm. It’s quite small so it’s easy to walk around and there’s a lot packed in. A new “play barn” was built this winter and it’s massive! We went on a Sunday morning, and it was very quiet until 12.30pm, where it started to become very busy. I’d expected it to be very busy, but was really pleased to see how quiet it was. We spent a lot of time in the Rabbit Barn because my Little One loves the rabbits. We then ventured over to the Mini ride on Tractor field and my Little One practically had it to herself for 30 minutes. She had to go on every single tractor! lol.

We then wandered back through the farm and went over to the Little Tikes play area. My Little One loved this area and we spent a good 40 minutes playing on the slides and on the trampolines.

I then noticed that there were five very large trampolines nearby that were deserted, so we went and had a go on every single one!! Well, I wasn’t allowed because it was for 10 year old’s and under but my Little One had a whale of a time. She just LOVES bouncing.

We then went back through the farm again. We didn’t attend any of the Handling sessions because I think my Little One is too young to handle farm animals, at 27 months old. But this is obviously a personal choice. We spent a lot of time watching the Ferrets, which were very funny and then talking to the Ducks. We also went into the Touch and Feel barn again but my Little One was a bit freaked out by the sheep that were “baa-ing” very loudly. At that point, we were both exhausted so went and had our picnic, had one last go in the Little Tikes play area and then headed home.

We had a look in the new Soft play barn when we arrived at 10am (it’s massive!) but decided we would come back later on. When we did go back, the place was heaving. Which was a little disappointing as it seemed most people were inside, even though the weather was nice. It was always an issue before if it rained at Finkley as there weren’t many sheltered areas, but now the Soft Play barn has this covered!

Food

We took our own picnic (we remembered it this time! lol). I did have a quick look at the menu and it seemed reasonable, but without many healthy choices. I did think that £3 for a slice of cake was a bit steep.

Facilities

Were never that great but they have improved radically over the past few years. However, I was a bit disappointed that I could find any recycling facilities on site, especially as they sell drink cans.

Baby Facilities

Are near the entrance. There are a few baby changing tables and a few nappy bins. All seemed in good condition.

Parking

Is free and there is lots of it. When the main parking area is full, they open up a field nearby and you can park here.

Prices

Maybe I’m getting old, but I was surprised at how expensive the day tickets are. I think I’m getting wise to this now, after my Wellington Country Park review! lol.

SAVER Ticket – 2 Adults & 2 Children	£31.00
Adults	£8.95
Senior Citizens, Students & Disabled Adults	£8.50
Children (aged 2 – 16 years)	£7.95
Children with disability and carer	£7.50

They also do a reduced after school rate and Serving Military Personnel discount.

However, if you live near Andover or plan to go to Finkley more than four times in a year, the best option by far is to get the Season ticket, which is cheaper if you buy it online.

Rating 4.75/5

Finkley has a special place in my heart, because I’ve been going for such a long time. So I’m giving it a 4.75 out of 5, because it isn’t cheap and doesn’t have recycling facilities, but we always have a fabulous day out there!

Review 2013: Wellington Country Park

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 28th May 2013 in Berkshire, Reviews of Days Out 1 Comment

Wellington Country park

I’ve been meaning to go to Wellington Country park for ages but we never seemed to get around to it. Until one Sunday last month! The weather wasn’t great but we had a lovely morning there. I went there years and years ago, so I was intrigued to see if it had changed much.

Play

There is lots to do and see. We walked left from the entrance building as everyone else seemed to be going right. This worked really well for us as most of the park on the left was empty and by the time we got around to the right side, this had emptied out too. There are lots of little parks dotted around. We walked through the dinosaur section which was good, especially because my little one got to practice the word “dinosaur” lots. On an side note, I remember the big dinosaur from when I went to the park about 22 years ago! Yes, he and I are that old! Lol.

We didn’t get around to the farm this time, but we did spend time in the sandpit area, the tractor area and the toddler village. We also trekked out to see the deer (and it seemed we were the only ones who did!) so my little one learnt the word “deer”. My little one loved the toddler play area near the entrance. She spent a lot of time playing in the Wooden and plastic houses and on the little bikes. There is also a very cool looking bouncy “pillow”. This was packed the whole time we were there, so we didn’t get a chance to have a proper look.

You need to be careful with your toddlers as there is lots of open water. We spent a lot of time fielding our toddler away from the water as she couldn’t help but gravitate towards it.

My little one absolutely loved it the whole place. She was exhausted by the time we left.

Food

Was good, but expensive for what it was. We had actually packed a picnic, but someone forgot it, so we ended up eating in the restaurant. It was a bit chaotic, children everywhere, but I suppose it’s to be expected. There weren’t many healthy options, just the usual sausage, fish fingers with chips. They had a picnic lunchbox, but this was £5, which I felt was quite steep.

Baby Facilities

Were good. There were several all over the park. I liked the fact that all of the toilets had toddler steps, so they could reach the sinks and toilets.

Parking

is Free!

The shop

Is full of tat. You can’t avoid it either as you have to walk through it to pay. We saw several older children acting up because they wanted something that their parents weren’t prepared to pay a fortune for. I felt for the parents and the children.

Entry Cost

Is expensive. There is no getting around this. £9 per person. But under three’s are free. But you don’t have to pay for parking (I should think not for that price!) A much better way would be to get the annual pass which is £56 per adult and gives a year’s entry, plus lots of extras. We are thinking of getting this pass just for me, so I can take out little one there when my husband is working.

There is lots to do, but still, I felt there was something missing. I felt that it was very commercialised, the whole place didn’t seem to have much of a personality. I can’t really describe it. Everything was a little too “perfect”.

Rating 4/5

Because the food was expensive, entry was expensive and it felt too commercialised and as if it was just there to make money.