Review - NorthHantsMum

Review 2014: Legoland

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 17th April 2014 in Berkshire, Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

Another Secret Review for you today. I was a bit reticent taking Miss NHM to Legoland, but having read this review, I’ve changed my mind!

Great tips on when to buy passes. Thank you Secret Reviewer, whoever you are! 😀

Legoland

For the last year we have been enjoying some really nice days out at Legoland with our just turned 3 year Monkey, my husband and myself on our Legoland annual passes courtesy of supermarket points schemes.

We have spent a lot of our visits in Duplo Valley which is a perfect area for Toddlers. We’ve been visiting since he was 2 and we’ve always felt we have had value for money. Some of our favourite rides in the park have been:

Fairy Tale brook (any height is ok)
A gentle boat ride. The queue goes quite quickly for this ride.

Duplo Valley Airport (Riders must be 90cm and above)
A mini helicopter that goes up and down and turns around. You control the speed and height with your own controls. This ride is hidden away in a corner so the queue is not that bad.

Brickville Play Village
Lots of things to climb on and play on. Princess castles, bake shop, fire stations and police stations. No queue time just run in to play.

Duplo Theatre Puppet show (any height is ok)
Covered over auditorium with rows of low benches. You can always see from the back if the benches are full.

Atlantis submarine ride (any height is ok)
We love this ride in a submarine through an aquarium. It’s a popular ride so try this ride as early as possible as it’s always a long queue.

Dino Safari (Riders must be 90cm and above)
Ride along in a jeep on a track to see lots of big lego dinosaurs. The queue for this ride is usually quite quick and one of our favs.

Orient expedition train ride (any height is ok)
Train ride around a section of the park. A firm favourite for all the family.

Boating School (any height is ok)
A ride in a battery powered boat around a water track. Try this ride as early as possible as it’s always a long queue.

Dragons apprentice Mini roller coaster (Riders must be 90cm and above)
A new one for us last weekend. It’s a fast bendy ride. I was worried it was a step too far for monkey when we riding but at the end he sat there and clapped his hands in delight.

I found the best time to visit is a week day during term time, you can pretty much walk on to any ride you choose. During Summer holiday weekends the park is heaving. What we have tried doing is going to the park late afternoon and making use of the park until closing time, this only works if you have a pass though.

In the two blocks of toilets I checked out at the park the toilets by Dino Safari were the best. They have lockable cubicles which have a fold down changer, sink and toilet. The toilets by the Pirate lake only has 2 baby changing areas which are built in to the same unit as the row of sinks. So you do the change in the communal area.

I would really recommend taking a picnic for your trip. The cost of food and drink in the park is super expensive. In fact anything you buy when you are in the park is expensive even with pass holder discounts. Luckily for us our monkey doesn’t ask us for much from the shops but if you have older children who do ask it could be an expensive day out for you. I did think I could pick up some cheap Duplo in the main gift shop but to be honest the prices are not that dissimilar to my beloved Amazon. Bank machines are available inside the park at the entrance.

If you want to buy any pictures from your rides Legoland are offering this year a photo pass. It’s £20 for 4 pictures which you can spread over the course of multiple visits, otherwise it’s £10 for one photo.

Our monkey had a phase of not wanting to sit in his push chair but wants to be carried instead. We have been hiring a plastic push cart for him outside the main gift shop which has a play steering wheel, sun shade and a drinks holder. He quite happily hops in and out of it and saves our arms and backs! There are single or double push carts to hire.

Legoland is expensive to attend for just a day visit. But if you think of it as an investment purchase it can work out cheaper. We bought an annual ticket to Legoland through Tesco Clubcard voucher deals which this year costs £28 of Clubcard points for an Adult. We were then sent a voucher which we cashed in as a photo ID pass on our first visit to Legoland. The pass also gives us free parking and 10% discount in the restaurants (not food kiosks) and gift shops. If your monkey or princess is under 3 they can get in for free.

An annual pass online with Legoland direct is £99 inc 10% discount. But keep an eye out for their sales, during 2013 there were sales in January and July. There are deals in national newspapers at certain times of the year for Legoland tickets so it’s a question of waiting for the right deal for you.

It takes 45 minutes to reach Legoland from Basingstoke via the M3.

Post code for your sat nav is SL4 4AY.

The Legoland website says please follow the brown signs when visiting as the post code does send some sat nav users to a residential street.

Review 2014: The Vyne

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 11th April 2014 in Reviews of Days Out, Walks 0 Comment

The Vyne, National Trust

Vyne Road, Sherborne St John, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9HL

We went to the Vyne last weekend and had a fabulous time. It was when the weather was gorgeous and it felt like the first day of spring.

We spent a long time in the Walled Garden, playing on the toys and talking to the chickens.

We then went to the Hobbit play area and had a brilliant time!

We finished off our morning lying on our picnic rug on the lawn in front of the house, people watching and looking out for aeroplanes!

Play

There is LOADS to do at the Vyne. As soon as you walk in, there are the lakes which have HUGE black fish in. You then walk over the mini waterfall (at least, I think that’s what it’s called).

Keep walking up the main path, towards the house and on your left is the Walled Garden.

There are bouncing toys and mini tractors that you can play on and picnic tables which have different types of tracks laid out (don’t forget your toy cars for this!).

We also had a look in the green house and spent some time looking at the chickens.

As you come out of the walled Garden you walk towards the house through a promenade of trees. I love this bit! Lol.

As you walk towards the house, you pass the tea rooms and you can also sit outside as there is an outside booth selling ice creams, etc.

Behind the Gift Shop is the new Hobbit play area. It’s fantastic and I want one of the tunnels for our garden! Miss NHM enjoyed flinging herself down the fireman’s pole with Daddy to catch her at the bottom!

We spent a long time lying on our picnic blanket on the lawns and people watching. There is also the forest behind, Morgesten Woods, which is lovely to walk through, but not much fun without an off road pushchair. We didn’t make it here this time.

Tips

I wouldn’t take anyone under the age of 5 into the house. This is because I wouldn’t want to control an under 5 in a stately home that it isn’t practical to take pushchairs into. However, you can borrow a hip carrying infant seat, which might be a good solution for very small little ones.

Get here early, to avoid the crowds. If the weather is nice, you will get the pick of the best deckchairs which are laid out on the lawn between the house and the main lake.

Food

Is excellent but pricey. We took a picnic with us but I have eaten here before and the Sunday lunches are very yummy.

Facilities

Are excellent and all eco.

Baby Facilities

The baby changing facilities are also excellent quality.There is one near the entrance when you arrive and one behind the restaurant.

Parking

Is free and there is loads. If you can’t find a space in the main car park then park in the overflow which has loads of space

Prices

£7.50 for adults to enter the grounds only.
Children under the age of 5 are free or £4 over the age of five
£22 for a family ticket.If you plan to visit a lot of National Trust properties, it may be worth investing in a year pass. Check out the details from last years Season ticket post.

Rating out of 5

5 out of 5 because we had such a lovely day, although I’m sure this was helped by the lovely weather.

Other Reviews

2014

Swanage

Miller’s Ark, Nr Hook

2013

Lakeside Country Park

Paulton’s Park/Peppa Pig World

NorthDown Orchard Deliveries

Review 2014: Swanage

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 5th April 2014 in Reviews of Days Out 0 Comment

I’m VERY excited to feature today, the first of the NHM “Secret Reviews”!

Thank you very much to Vicky for her fabulous review below!

I’ve never been to Swanage before, but it’s on my list now! 😀

Swanage, Dorest, BH19 (Just over an hour away from Basingstoke)

On a lovely warm march day we headed to the Jurassic coast to this beautiful, very English, seaside town. Something for everyone and much loved by myself and family. Sun, sea, sand and Dorset apple cake.

Play

Well what can I say! You’ve got a lovely stretch of sand and the sea. We came prepared with a bucket and spade and spent a good hour making sandcastles. We splashed in the sea which was freezing! Its all sand with lots of lovely pretty shells to collect. We take these home and put in the sandpit to recreate our beach!

There are lots of lovely cheery shops to mooch about in. Delicious bakeries , charity shops , gift shops, crystal shop, model shops etc. There is a huge arcade with the usual 2p slot machines of which we are addicted to! Our mission is to collect as many of those cheap key rings from every seaside resort we go to.

If you feel like you want to experience the old fashioned part of Swanage then you must go the Swanage Railway which will take you past Corfe Castle. This is quite expensive but a must to do, probably best when weather is warmer. We take a picnic and sit in the field (with dried cow pats!) eating lunch, watching the steam and diesel trains go by.

There is also a lovely museum which I still haven’t been in but is on my” to-do” list for our next visit.

Tips

Beautiful shop called Ever After which sells Cath Kidston style bits and bobs. Lovely Kiddies things , We found Peppa pig and got a lovely rucksack for £8.99 and a cute handbag for £5.99.

The best bakery is Butterfingers, lush moist apple cake £1.30 a slice, fresh sausage rolls and too many other niceties to tempt you .

Great ice cream stall on the front only £1.50 !

Take your flip flops.

Food

Lots of bakeries (see in Tips). There is a co op and Budgens if you need supermarkets. Two fish and chip shops. Lots of ice cream stalls.

Facilities

There are public toilets next to the museum which are 20p.

Baby Facilities

Not sure about this as didn’t check , but we normally just do it on the beach or boot of car!

Parking

There is a pay and display car park at the pier end which is very expensive. Normally costs about £ 6. 00 for about 3 to 4 hours. At the time of our visit we were unlucky as half of the car park was being resurfaced.

We did manage to find parking just around the corner on ( funnily enough ) Park road. We didn’t pay for this and it was not residential only! So that was a great saving.

There is also another car park towards the back of the station. This is also pricey and on weekends can be sectioned off for a market.

Prices

Parking either free, or expensive! I think this is a great place to spend a day combined with somewhere else. The beach is free so you only really need cash for food, slot machines and ice cream.

Rating out of 5

The big 5 !

Secret Reviewer

Vicky

Thank you Vicky! Fab Review 😀

Review 2014: Miller’s Ark, Nr Hook

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

Miller’s Ark

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: NorthDown Orchard Deliveries

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on 10th September 2013 in Food, Reviews of Places to Eat 0 Comment

Northdown Orchard

I found out about Northdown Orchard when I was doing my research on the Pick Your Own post which was published in April (gosh, I thought it was published in June! How time flies, lol)

I’ve mentioned before on NHM that I have had an organic delivery box (Weaning Ideas) since my little one started weaning. The box deliveries take the pressure off me to provide nutritional, organic produce as I knew we would be getting a box each week, which had a variety of organic fruit and veg in, for a very reasonable price.

However, when I found out that the local NorthDown Orchard delivered boxes to most areas in Basingstoke, I thought I would try it out. It helped that Fumbilina (a long time NHM reader and supporter) got her box organised before me and had good things to say about it!

So, I started my deliveries in June and I’ve been really impressed. As there are only three of us, we have the bag which is:

Bag – £7.70 (usually 6-7 items, typically 1kg potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage or broccoli or cauliflower, salad leaves or lettuce, other items e.g. tomatoes and cucumber in summer; leeks, swede or parsnips in winter)

This is more than enough for the week for us. With anything that is left over, it goes straight into a vegetable soup which I make in the slow cooker. Just throw it all in with some water and herbs and hey presto!

I’ve requested not to have potatoes because I’m trying to stick to a mainly paleo diet and Mike was very happy to accommodate this.

The deliveries are on Tuesday afternoon and evening, so Tuesday evening is now my “vegetable preparing” evening. I’ve asked Mike, the delivery man (who is also the main man! lol) to knock when he drops the delivery off, so I can get the vegetables straight into the fridge to preserve their life.

I also like that Mike will pick up the plastic bags and paper bags that the vegetables are delivered in, so they can be recycled.

It’s really nice to get some proper local food and I love the variety of what we get. Some weeks we have herbs in our parcel and this week we had some hot peppers! Yes, it can be a challenge to cook seasonally, but I find, once you get into it, it becomes second nature. Plus, I like knowing where my vegetables come from!

NorthDown Orchard also organise many events at the orchard which are suitable for little people. We haven’t gone along to any yet, but they are on my list of things to do for October.

For more details check the Facebook page HERE or click on the website at the top of this post.

One of the key concepts behind NHM is supporting local small businesses, so I’m delighted to recommend Northdown Orchard!

Let me know if you decide to get a box from the Orchard.

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!