A Grand Day Out (Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park)

Member Name: purplelynne

Product:	Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park
Date:	22/11/05 (630 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lots to do and see

Disadvantages: A bit hilly

I first visited Robin Hill was I was about seven years old. My family and a collection of our friends and relatives used to embark on a risky adventure every Sunday, which involved sneaking through the hedge to avoid paying the ticket price! A crowd of us used to gather along Briddlesford Road near Robin Hill and scamper through the bushes. One adult used to drive in and pay the admission fee complete with the car laden with picnic items, chairs, blankets and an assortment of cricket accessories. I thought this was highly exciting and terribly naughty!

Our adventures mainly involved the adults playing cricket, then drinking in the pub attached to the attraction, while the children ran off playing on the adventure park and visiting the reptile house. We never got bored of this routine, and spent long, hot summers lazing around. That’s all there was at Robin Hill in those days, and it was all we needed.

Times have changed and sneaking through the fence is no longer an option. I think the staff must have got wise to our antics, and improved the security of the site. In those days you paid at the little ticket booth while still seated in your car. Now queues are longer, there are more people visiting and the stakes are higher. You find a parking space first, then pay your money! Boo hiss!

I remember summer’s spent playing cricket and going off in search of snakes in the long grass. Our efforts paid off on one occasion, and we spotted an adder slithering along. We screamed, but stayed deathly still, shaking and whispering to each other, wanting the experience to end so we could run off and tell those children who didn’t witness it. Now this field is a car park, and the snakes remain in the security of the long grass, without the prying inquisitiveness of a collection of kids.

My worse memory of Robin Hill was visiting the reptile house and witnessing a huge python consuming a live rabbit. The rabbit was only a baby, pure white, kicking furiously, and the spitting image of my precious bunny Thumper, who was safe in his hutch at home. I didn’t know this though, and it took three adults to calm me down.

Alas, the reptile house is no more, which is a relief to poor innocent bunny loving children. In its place is a cinema showing wildlife programmes narrated by Terry Nutkins. Doesn’t really have the same appeal does it?

Despite my protestations of wonderful summers past, I still love Robin Hill. It is set in 88 acres of beautiful countryside with endless walks and scenery to digest slowly (a little like the rabbit maybe?). The park is described as a countryside adventure park, so if you go there expecting the exhilarating rides of Alton Towers or Chessington you will be severely disappointed.

There are about three rides which could be described as mildly exhilarating, but not vomit inducing in the slightest. I will mention these rides first, so if you are a serial skimmer you can get the ‘best’ over and done with.

Colossus Swing Boat
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These attractions are springing up everywhere, and do not set the world alight with innovation or death defying stunts. It’s basically a huge ship, which you sit in, and it swings backwards and forwards. It does go quite high, and may make you throw up that Magnum you just ate, but it does little for me. The ride seats about 40 people and queues are small in comparison to larger parks. Expect to want for a maximum of 20 minutes to experience this ride.

I once went on this swing boat with my stepson who was about 8 at the time. He went very quiet, and wouldn’t say anything to me, I kept asking how he was, but found it difficult to look at him without twisting my neck painfully. After the ride had finished he looked very pale, luckily he wasn’t sick, but if we had been on it any longer, the bloke in the white shirt would have been buying some Persil Non Bio pretty sharpish!

The Time Machine
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This is a virtual reality style ride where you sit on a large platform with about 30 other people and watch a large cinema screen while being rocked backwards and forwards at speed. The screen shows various ‘scary’ situations such as a mine shaft and dinosaur land, when the picture looks up, you feel yourself soaring upwards, even though you only move a few centimetres.

I went on this ride when my son was about 5 or 6. He is not a great lover of scary rides; in fact the scariest ride he will go on is the roundabout! We were assured by park staff that this ride was pretty basic. So off we went, took our seats and started the ride. He was frantic at the first curve. He slapped his hands over his eyes and sat cross-legged on the seat. He didn’t enjoy it one iota. He was too young to understand the basic concept of the ride and really thought that we were flying. My mum, who had also joined us on that fateful ride, is petrified of flying - not that she’s ever been on an aeroplane in her entire 70 years on this earth – and was equally scared witless. I have never lived it down; they still blame me for dragging them on this ride!

Toboggan Run
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I enjoy this ride, it involves sitting in a metal baking tray – well it feels like it – and being propelled down a 400m twisting slide. You can go on this ride with a child under 8 or children can go solo if they are aged 8 or over. I remember queuing to go on this ride with said son for over half an hour. We got to the baking tray, and he decided he didn’t want to go on it after all. Don’t you just love em’.

There is an additional charge of £1 per person for this ride.

What else is there on offer?
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This is the extent of the scary rides; the remainder of the park needs a little imagination and lots of energy. There are an assortment of play areas which include a huge assault course, called the Treetop Adventure Trail. This is built within a small forest of trees and includes swings, ropes, pulleys and obstacles to climb. My son and stepchildren love playing ‘it’ amongst the trees and ropes and will spend hours just moving from one area to the next. There is a picnic area very close by, so that adults can supervise their children while relaxing at the same time. It is a lovely experience in the height of summer with the sun streaming down on your face, scoffing a huge Cornetto and knowing that the kids are happy. Pure heaven!

Along a little further, as you follow the general direction of the walkway, you will come across a wooden maze made of fences. The kids love running into the maze and trying to get lost. They always find their way out much to my partner’s dismay!

A miniature children’s town is next on the list and this seems to be borrowed straight from Blackgang Chine, which incidentally, is owned by the same family. In this area the children can run about weaving in and out of the stable, sweet shop and school room. Duckdown Play Village is a wonderfully imaginative area which allows children to run around freely, use their imaginations and above all, have fun.

On the way to the main play area, you walk a good mile or so, passing different attractions on the way. Children will love the rabbit run, where they can crawl in and out of the many passages, just like a rabbit. Unfortunately the state of my knees stop me from joining in!

Also along the way is a gypsy camp, children can play on the child sized caravans, trailers and large adventure play areas made to look like forest creatures.

Inside the small wooded area you will find wind chimes, wooden sculptures and beautiful rhododendron bushes. Red squirrels frequent this area, and can always be spotted cavorting about the trees and running along the squirrel ropes.

Finally you reach the main area of the park you come face to face with a medium sized lake filled with carp. This lake called Troll Island also has various footbridges which you can walk over. The children love running over the wooden bridges making splashes as the water bubbles over the surface. You can also buy brown paper bags filled with fish food for about 50p.

This area also has a large pitch and putt green where you can hire golf clubs/balls for a short round of miniature golf. Other sporting facilities include volleyball, clay pigeon shooting, football and rugby.

There are large snake (obviously a left over from the old days) slides in the sports area, which are all free to use plus an assault course with swings and climbing frames. This area is very large and also includes the toboggan run, but you can laze around on the extensive grass area while the children play. Picnic tables are scattered all around the green along with plenty of litter bins.

Once you have tired of this area, you will relish the idea of a gentle stroll up the hill to the main entrance area. This is quite a steep climb, and my mum found it quite difficult when we made our last visit in August last year. You may need plenty of pit stops, and benches are provided enroute. An alternative route to the top of the hill for those more adventurous is the squirrel tower and this is an ideal energy zapper if the kids have any left at this point in time. The tower is made up of interlocking ropes which you climb up to reach the top of the hill. I think this is the lesser of two evils however, and I would only recommend this attraction for more able adults.

What about food?
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You are welcome to take a picnic to Robin Hill or sample the various delights in the park’s two main eating establishments. One is located at the top of the hill very close to the main entrance. It serves the usual fast food menu including chips, burgers, pasties and ice-creams. All at exhorbitant prices of course.

The second café is in the green area at the bottom of the hill and also provides various meals, snacks and drinks. Prices are the usual steep rates at all likewise theme parks so do not expect Michelin style quality food, or even McDonalds quality at that!

Unfortunately the on site pub is long gone.

Prices and opening times
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For 2005 the price per person is £7.50 (ages 4-60), senior citizens have £2 knocked off their admission price and there is a disabled concession of £4.50. If you return within seven days, it’s free.

I think these prices are quite competitive and allow me to walk in the front entrance instead of through the hedge!

Robin Hill usually opens in March of every year, so check availability before you set out. It is currently closed at the moment, it being a very cold and crisp November, but re-opens again in March 2006, so you have plenty of time to plan your trip before the park re-opens.

Anything else?
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Robin Hill offers many other activities at specific times of the year. These include:

* Antiques fairs
* Falconry displays every Saturday
* Open air concerts

This year and last there was the ‘Bestival’ which although I have never been, is a dance festival held every year which includes acts such as Basement Jaxx, The Magic Numbers, Fatboy Slim, Zero 7 and Island based band The Bees. This year they had an inflatable church which you could get married in (and some people did!)and a huge fancy dress parade which made it into the Guiness Book of records.

Visit www.sundaybest.net for more information.

Conclusion
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I love Robin Hill and I visit it every year, it is a brilliant day out for the whole family, and we tend to take advantage of their free entry within seven days. Every year I try to save enough money to buy a season ticket, so that we can visit more often. The ‘hill is not far from where we live, so this would make an ideal change from just going to the local park.

I would recommend Robin Hill to anyone visiting the Isle of Wight on holiday. It is ideal for couples with the long walks and sporting facilities and is great for kids with all the attractions and amusements on offer. Teenagers may be a bit bored, so RH may be best avoided if you have a ‘Kevin the teenager’ or a 'Vicky Pollard' in tow.

Robin Hill is highly recommended. I will give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Contact information
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Robin Hill
Downend
Nr Arreton
Isle of Wight
PO30 2NU

01983 730053

www.robin-hill.com

Summary: A great day out for both kids and adults.