Kids

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 532253/www.barleylands.co.uk). Rail: Liverpool St to Billericay, 45 minutes. Road: M11, exit 29.

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 will 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.

Bekonscot Model Village, Bucks
If you’re not charmed by this intricate Lilliputian version of England, you’ve got no soul. Its first incarnation was built in 1929, making it the oldest model village in the world. With the ’60s came pressure to install some brutalist municipal buildings, to mirror the newly concreted town centres beyond Bekonscot, but in our nostalgic present, the village has been returned to a mythical 1930s-inspired idyll of castles, churches and, of course, cricket.
Bekonscot Model Village, Warwick Rd, Beaconsfield, Bucks (01494 672919/www.bekonscot.com). Rail: Marylebone to Beaconsfield, 35 minutes (www.chilternrailways.co.uk). Road: M25, exit 16.

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, an adventure playground and an exhibition of local artist Philip Rickman’s work.
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.

Bluebell Railway and Lewes, East Sussex
Lewes is all a county town should be, with its cobbled streets and air of quintessential English gentility. In the summer, take a ride on the Bluebell Railway, which runs nearby from Kingscote. Established in its present guise in 1960, it became the first preserved standard gauge passenger line in the world.
Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Station, Sussex (01825 723777/www.bluebell-railway.co.uk). Rail: Victoria to East Grinstead, 55 minutes, then 473 bus. Road: M23 exit 10.

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 888793/www.nationaltrust.org). Rail: Victoria to Boxhill, 50 minutes. Road: M4, exit 4b, then M25 on to A414.

Camber Sands, Kent
BEST BEACH FOR SUNBATHING
If it’s a vast, glittering beach you yearn for, you can’t find much better than this glorious two-and-a-half mile pale-blond stretch. Once a favourite for smugglers, it’s now one of the south-east’s finest. There are plenty of activities – such as cricket, frisbee, buggy-surfing, horse riding, and sunbathing, of course.
Camber Sands (01797 226696/www.visitrye.co.uk). Rail: Charing Cross to Rye, one hour 50 minutes. Road: M20, leave at exit 10 then follow signs to A259.

Chatham Dockyard, Kent
This being the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar as well as Year of the Sea, it’s a fine time to visit Kent’s vast dock area where Nelson started his career in 1771. It’s packed with stuff for kids, including an interactive radio-controlled boat, a mock ship fight and a soft-play area. Grown-ups will enjoy the Georgian and Victorian buildings. Over the bank holiday weekend (August 28-29), there’s a Medway Maritime Festival when themed islands will showcase all things maritime alongside music inspired by the sea.
Chatham Dockyard, Kent (01634 823800/www.chdt.org.uk). Rail: Victoria to Chatham, 45 minutes. Road: A2 towards Dover then follow signs.

Diggerland, Kent
A little (and big) boy’s dream, this specialist theme-park lets you drive heavy machinery like JCBs and trucks. Children (and keen parents) have the opportunity to ride and drive dump trucks, mini diggers and giant diggers. There’s also a bouncy castle, ride-on toys, an enormous sandpit and a train for those not so keen to get behind the wheel. From November, fake snow is shipped in and the theme park becomes a snow park with a 100m tubing run, a 50m main slope and a huge play area for building snowmen.
Diggerland, Medway Valley, Leisure Park, Roman Way, Strood, Kent (08700 344437/www.diggerland.com). Rail: Charing Cross to Strood, one hour, then taxi. Road: M2 exit 2, then A228 towards Strood.

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 861444/ 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. At weekends throughout August, the Knights of Royal England will hold a jousting tournament at 2pm.
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 – this summer sees the ‘Storyland’ event where famous fictional characters appear and monster truck racing on August 20 and 21.
Beltring, Paddock Wood, Kent (01622 872068/www.thehopfarm.co.uk). Rail: Charing Cross to Paddock Wood, 50 minutes, from £11. 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 St to Bearsted, 50 minutes. Road: A20 towards Dover, follow signs to B2163.

Legoland, Berkshire
Children of pacifist parents will have fond memories of those tiny plastic bricks which could be made into an array of primary-coloured firearms. Now you can take your kids to the park, where everything is on a much more impressive scale and tots will be agog. Slightly older children will appreciate the bigger rides. Better than you’d imagine, and kids seem to adore it.
Legoland, Winkfield Rd, Windsor, Berks (08705 040404/www.lego.com/legoland/windsor). Rail: Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside, 50 minutes. Road: M4 exit 6 for B3022.

Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Right next to Southend-on-Sea, this might not initially sound like everyone’s idea of a cultural day out. But, far more than being the posh bit of ‘Sarfend’, Leigh is home to a thriving arts and crafts movement. Old Leigh, down by the estuary, has a quaint old museum, a decent restaurant (The Boatyard) and even a couple of cockle stalls (vinegar and plastic fork included).
Rail: Fenchurch St to Leigh-on-Sea, 45 minutes. Road: A13, follow signs to Southend.

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 813237/ 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.

Poole, Dorset
With its wonderfully clean sweeping golden beaches, Poole is well worth a family day trip. It’s been a bustling port since the Middle Ages, and was particularly prosperous during the Georgian era. To soak up the ancient atmosphere, follow the signposted Cockle Trail, a one-hour walk around the old town, passing the huge Poole pottery warehouse. Don’t forget to take a boat trip to the pretty National Trust-owned Brownsea Island – always a magical treat for the kids.
Rail: Waterloo to Poole, two hours. Road: M3, M27 then follow signs.

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.

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Honour Nelson’s victory at Trafalgar by boarding the ship that witnessed Horatio’s finest (and last) hour? Beautifully restored and hugely impressive, HMS Victory rests at Portsmouth’s historic dockyard along with the world’s first iron warship, HMS Warrior, and the remains of the Mary Rose. It’s still home to the Navy, so you might even glimpse one of its modern-day grey warships in the adjacent working dockyard.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Flagship Portsmouth Trust Visitor Centre, Victory Gate, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, Hants (023 9283 9766/ www.flagship.org.uk). Rail: Waterloo to Portsmouth, one hour 30 minutes. Road: A3, A27.