Andrew Brackenbury
Around London | History and Nature | Museums and Attractions | Beaches
History and Nature
Barleylands Farm
Centre & Craft Village, Essex
BEST FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
A good choice for animal lovers and young children,
Barleylands has all creatures great and small. Chickens, rabbits and turkeys
live near the picnic area, while larger creatures – including ponies, cows and
pigs – graze by the pond. The craft village is a showcase for the talents of
glass blowers, wood turners and blacksmiths. Other attractions include an
activity playground, stables, tractor rides, a bouncy castle and a giant
trampoline, so little 'uns won’t get bored.
Barleylands Farm
Centre & Craft Village,
Barleylands Rd, Billericay,
Essex (01268 532 253/www.barleylands.co.uk). Rail: Liverpool St
to Billericay, 45 minutes. Road: M11, exit 29.
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Battle and Hastings, East Sussex
The site of William the Conqueror’s 1066 invasion, Battle
has enough history to ignite even the soggiest imagination. You can wander
round the battlefield, imagining the noise that would have been in the silence
that now characterises this peaceful patch of land (or you could listen to an
audio guided tour). The remains of the Abbey that William the Conqueror built
in 1067 are also here. In Hastings,
The Smugglers Adventure (01424 422964/www.discoverhastings.co.uk/smugglers) is
a dramatic destination – a warren of tunnels complete with menacing-looking smugglers,
skeletons with daggers lodged between their ribs and ‘rotting corpses’.
Children love it.
1066 Battle of Hastings and Hastings Abbey, High
St, Battle, East
Sussex (01424 773792/www.battle-abbey.co.uk/www.1066country.com). Rail: Charing Cross to Battle
and Hastings. one hour ten minutes. Road: A20, A21.
Bentley Wildfowl and Motor
Museum, East Sussex
If you like beautiful cars and shiny birds, you’ll be in
heaven. More than 1,000 swans, geese and ducks from all over the world, and an
array of polished vintage cars and motorcycles are here to be admired. A host
of other attractions includes craftspeople, gardens and an adventure playground.
Bentley Wildfowl and Motor
Museum, Halland, nr Lewes, East
Sussex (01825 840 573/www.bentley.org.uk). Rail: Uckfield or Lewes stations, one hour,
then taxi. Road: A22, then follow signs.
Box Hill, Surrey
So named for the evergreen box trees that thrive in the
chalk soil, Box Hill’s views over the Kent Weald are as impressive as its
cultural associations: it’s famous as the setting for the picnic in Jane
Austen’s ‘Emma’, for Keats finishing off ‘Endymion’ and for Logie Baird
conducting early televisual experiments here. Looked after by the National
Trust, Box Hill has an information centre and the all-important shop and
servery.
The Old Fort, Boxhill Rd,
Tadworth, Surrey (01306 888 793/www.nationaltrust.org). Rail: Victoria
to Boxhill, 50 minutes. Road: M4, exit 4b, then M25 on to A414.
Groombridge Estate, Kent
A magical place for families and couples alike, the gardens
themselves are superb – beautifully maintained and elegantly laid out, they
date back to the seventeenth century. Particularly fine are the Secret
Garden with welcome summer shade,
the White Rose garden with over 20 varieties of roses and the Apostle Walk
lined with tall drum yews. Also appealing are the Enchanted
Forest’s giant swings and the Jurassic
Valley with its dinosaur
footprints.
Groombridge Estate, Groombridge
Place, Groombridge, nr Tunbridge
Wells, Kent
(01892 861 444/www.groombridge.co.uk). Rail: Charing Cross to Tunbridge
Wells, one hour, then 290, 291 bus or taxi. Road: B2110 off A264 off A21.
Hever Castle, Kent
This enchanting, double-moated thirteenth-century castle is
said to be the place where Henry VIII courted Anne Boleyn. The grounds now
boast splendid Italian gardens, as well as a large lake and rose garden. Among
Hever’s popular attractions are a ‘splashing water’ maze and the Guthrie Miniature
Model Houses Collection, which depicts country house living from medieval to
Victorian times.
Hever Castle,
Hever, Kent
(01732 865224/www.hevercastle.co.uk). Rail: London Bridge
to Hever, 40 minutes, plus 1mile walk. Road: M25, exit 5.
Hop Farm Country Park, Kent
Set among the world’s largest collection of Victorian oast
houses, this old Hop Farm now boasts an interactive museum with children’s
playgrounds, play barns, go-karts, crazy golf, dray carts pulled by robust
shire horses and activities galore. There are plenty of events and activities
going on to keep the whole family occupied.
Hop Farm Country Park, Beltring, Paddock Wood, Kent
(01622 872068/www.thehopfarm.co.uk). Rail: Charing Cross to Paddock Wood,
50 minutes. Road: A2 towards Tonbridge then follow signs.
Howletts Wild Animal Park, Kent
BEST FOR WILD ANIMALS
Almost 50 gorillas are housed here as well as African elephants, Siberian tigers
and lots more. In the new ‘Wood in the Park’ area, you can walk alongside and
below a free-roaming family of amazingly agile and lively lemurs. Many of the
species at Howletts are endangered, and it runs a programme reintroducing
species into the wild. It’s low on waterslides and seesaws because the animals
are the priority.
Howletts Wild
Animal Park,
Bekesbourne, nr Canterbury, Kent
(01227 721286/ www.totallywild.net). Rail: Victoria
to Bekesbourne then 30-minute walk or shuttle bus (peak times). Road: M2, then A2.
Leeds Castle, Kent
Built soon after the Norman Conquest, this magnificent
castle has been immaculately maintained throughout the ages. There are grand
halls and chambers inside, but it’s outside where the most fun can be had. The
maze is an unusual piece of landscaping and takes some navigating. Its
castellated hedges have a grotto at the centre, which takes you through a
mysterious underground passage. There’s also a pretty riverside pathway
bustling with black swans and peacocks, and aviaries full of unusual species of
birds.
Leeds Castle,
Maidstone, Kent
(01622 765400/www.leeds-castle.com). Rail: Cannon Street to Bearsted, 50 minutes. Road: A20 towards Dover,
follow signs to B2163.
Mountfitchet Norman village, Essex
The eleventh-century Mountfitchet
Castle today is reduced to isolated
piles of rubble, although a ‘working’ Norman village has
been constructed on the original site to give some indication of life more than
900 years ago. Thus the many buildings scattered around the original motte date
from the 1980s and are populated by waxwork figures. There’s a host of tame
animals, including fallow deer, Jacob sheep (an ancient breed kept by the Normans)
and poultry. The adjoining House on the Hill
Toy Museum
is great for younger kids, with more than 80,000 exhibits from the Victorian
era through to the 1980s.
Mountfitchet Norman village, Stanstead Mountfitchet, Essex
(01279 813 237/www.mountfitchetcastle.com). Rail: Liverpool St
to Mountfitchet, one hour. Road: M11 exit 8.
Painshill Landscape Gardens, Surrey
Painshill consists of 160 acres of subtle and surprising
vistas created by Charles Hamilton in the eighteenth century. The landscapes –
which include a vineyard, Chinese bridge, crystal grotto, Turkish tent, a newly
restored hermitage and a gothic tower – are a work of art that influenced the
future of England’s
countryside. Family events take place on Sundays and bank holidays throughout
the year. There are ongoing activities, from kite-making to Punch & Judy
shows, to birds of prey demonstrations.
Painshill Park Trust, Portsmouth Rd,
Cobham, Surrey (01932 868113/ www.painshill.co.uk). Rail: Waterloo
to Cobham, 40 minutes. Road: M25 exit 10.
Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Kent
Port Lympne consists of a spectacular mansion overlooking
350 acres of wilderness, where animals coexist in the closest thing this
country has to an uninterrupted nature reserve. The easiest way to see
everything is on an African Safari Experience trailer tour, which takes you
through communities of wildebeest, zebras and giraffes in the Kentish
wilderness. Expeditions on foot (a round trip covers roughly 5km) can be
rewarding. Don’t miss Palace of the Apes, the largest family gorilla house in
the world, with its bachelor gorilla groups. Other wild animals to look out for
include black rhinos, lions, tigers, elephants, wolves and monkeys.
Port Lympne
Wild Animal Park,
Lympne, nr Hythe, Kent
(0870 750 4647/www.totallywild.net). Rail: Waterloo
to Ashford International, one hour. Road: M20 exit 11.
Around London | History and Nature | Museums and Attractions | Beaches
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13 comments
My suggestions are for 2 theatre trips for kids: Rose Theatre Kingston has Skellig (for older kids) on in December, and instead of a panto for Christmas, why not book for, Treasure Island (all ages). it's a small intimate theatre, and kids can sit on the floor in front of the stage for £7. otherwise, prices are reasonable, and there are lots of kid-friendly places to eat pre-theatre.
There is very little to attract visitors with children to Lewes - it is as described but more suited to those seeking out antiques and homewares and aside from the obvious distractions for children (parks, pizza express etc) I think interest for children is ltd. I know this as i live in Lewes and have a 3 year old! Bluebell railway is great though
The Roald Dahl museum in Great Missenden (just off the M40) is easy to get to from North or West London and is probably the best kids' museum we've been to. Both my 6 and 9 yr olds loved it. They offer very reasonably priced crafting sessions but be warned they have to be booked in advance, so look on the website and ring the day before to reserve a place. Cafe Twit is fab too and they do really simple child-friendly food like marmite or jam sandwiches as well as more sophisticated offerings for more adventurous eaters & parents. Prices pretty reasonable too. Everything at the museum has been so cleverly thought out to fascinate and entertain children - I give it five stars. However, bear in mind that you won't get much out of the museum if your kids are too young to read/have Roald Dahl read to them - I wouldn't take a 1 and a 3 yr old, for example.
To all you moaning why the North isn't mentionned, well the answer is easy.. the weather is always worse the north you go, which is an important factor in days out.. not to mention that most of the fun is down there!
OK - for people who want North of North London things - what about the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden. Very interactive, perfect for 6-12 year-olds, 45 mins by train direct from Marylebone (or just off the M40). The website is www.roalddahlmuseum.org
north of the north of london but just outside north london, shut up man talk normal
Some of us live in North London-any days out Noth of North London?
What about North [of] London? Why all Kent?
Please take note if you are going to diggerland. I thought the £2.50 and £1.00 per ride was cheap, so called and infact it is £12.50 for entrance giving you unlimited rides.
Hi Judy. Sorry you didn't find what you were looking for. Check out the following links www.timeout.com/london/features/2697/17.html and www.timeout.com/london/easter/
I agree with Mark, there are too many events listed for Kent. Why does it appear that the site has not been updated since 2006? It is now April 2007 and I want ideas of where to take my son this Easter!!!
Mark - not sure what age your kids are but check out Eddie Catz in Putney -www.eddiecatz.com - for activities and events for kids 0-8! Christmas Panto and visits from Santa coming up!
There are too many events listed here in Kent. I live in Wandsworth and would be delighted to see more things going on in central London for kids or in South London - Sutton, Surrey and Croydon, for example.....