 |
Aldenham Country Park (Hertfordshire)
by firasha
We have recently got a car for the first time so we have been eager to find some local outings and places to explore, which led us to Aldenham Country Park the other weekend.
It is free to enter and only 3.50 for the car park, I have heard others say 5 pounds so the price may have been reduced as it is definitely only 3.50 ... these days. We felt that was really good value as a lot of places you have to pay per person and even 3.50 per person adds up when you are paying for each adult and child. If you were to enter by foot then it would be completely free to go in.
I had heard about the 100 aker wood so thought we would go there first. It is quite simple but we found it quite charming and it was really fun for our 2 and 3 year old boys to run around and explore the different homes especially winnie the poohs house, eeyore's gloomy place and the winnie the pooh bridge. There is a picnic bench inside the 100 aker wood too and we were lucky to get that one so we were able to have our picnic next to christopher robin's house which is also next to a field of sheep so you really feel that you are in the country side which makes a nice change from always being in the city.
In order to get to the 100 aker wood you go down a path sign posted with honey pots but if it has been raining recently, which it had been when we were there then it can get a little muddy so I would recommend wellies might be useful rather than wearing heels as I stupidly did!
We also had a little look at the lake, which seems really big and has lots of ducks. There is a bridge and you can go on a walk all the way round but it started to rain as we were going to do that so we ran back to the car.
There is also a farm area and play barn and children's play area which we did not get chance to look at on that particular visit as the children spent so much time in the winnie the pooh woods, and having the picnic. So we will definitely go back another day to have a look at the other parts of the park.
We drove from the harrow/hillingdon border and it was not too far or too bad of a drive at all so I would say it is accessible to anyone around the west london area and would definitely be worth the short drive out of town to have a country side day out!
The only thing I wasn't so impressed with were the toilets were not too great. I had to use the changing facilities for my baby but it had no lock on the door and also the taps were not working! so unless you are desperate I wouldn't recommend the toilets but otherwise it is great and really can not complain at the price of only 3.50 for the days parking and free entry
Read the complete review |
 |
Lake District (Cumbria)
by GuruOnAMountain
I spent a few days in the Lake District recently with my dad staying at a lovely place called the Cuckoo Brow in in Far Sawrey (much recommended, even though there is no review category on here for it). My dad works as a coach driver so he knows most arts and parts in these places so we got to see a great deal of it while we were ... here.
For those who don't know, the Lake District can be found in Northern England in the district of Cumbria and, as one can imagine, is littered with lovely picturesque lakes, hills and small, picture book pretty towns. It is a popular location with hillwalkers with some of the hills being over 3000 feet (or so I was told although I tend to avoid hillwalking myself)! For the less adventurous, there are plenty of walks that aren't so strenuous and the tourist information offices have plenty of books and leaflets available telling of all the walks in the area (there was even information on walks that can be done easily with pushchairs that avoid styles etc.). While driving around we seen many people walking on the roads and as the roads are relatively quiet, this is possible with a bit of care, although there are a few blind corners on some of the windier roads so walkers need to be cautious.
England's largest National Park can be found here in the Lake District and it really is an area of outstanding natural beauty.
The most well known of the lakes is probably Lake Windermere and the town of Bowness on Windermere and the nearby town of Windermere are often full of tourists, particularly in the summer season. Bowness is a particularly good place to head if you fancy a trip on the Lake as there are loads of boat trips up for offer here and even rowing boats and small motor boats to be hired.
There are also quite a few unusual shops and so for the shopaholic, a wander round the town will be productive. In Windermere the flagship store of Lakeland can be found which sells homewares and baking goods and is worth a look for people who enjoy spending time in the kitchen.
Keswick is another lovely town to visit and is very picturesque. Again, there are a few unusual shops here and also quite a few museums in or nearby such as the Puzzling Place and the Pencil Museum. Kendal is also worth a visit and has a small museum and is the home of the famous Kendal Mint Cake, a favourite with hill-walkers due to its high energy content. We also visited the small town of Hawkshead which was small but again, very picturesque and visited the Lakes Aquarium on the banks of Windermere.
For the outdoorsy types, there are plenty of things to do such as walking, hill-walking, canoeing, sailing or cycling and for the those of us who prefer a less active holiday and who have already enjoyed all that the towns have to offer there are plenty of museums and tourist attractions such as the Lakes Aquarium, The Pencil Museum, the Rum Story and the Puzzling Place.
There didn't seem to be much in the way of public transport round here. We did see a few buses but they were rare and I don't know if this improves in the peak season. Relying on a car to get around is great in terms of seeing most of the area but parking charges are in place everywhere (even at night) so it becomes very expensive over the course of a few days.
All in all, I'd recommend a visit. It is a beautiful place and there is plenty for everyone to do.
Read the complete review |
