Wales Theme Parks / Zoos National
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Billy Badger's Play Den: Moreton Park Hotel (Chirk, North Wales).
by GillMN Where is it? And what's near by?~ My Granddaughter Olivia and I visited Billy Badgers Play Den recently. It is situated adjacent to Moreton Park Hotel and very close to Moreton Park Garden centre. It is in North Wales on the junction of the A5 and A483 quite close to Oswestry. There is ample free parking close to each of the ... amenities. There are 'Disabled' spaces close to the entrances and wheelchair access is very good throughout as far as I could see. Nearby Chirk Castle is well worth a look as is Chirk itself and, if you find yourself there on a pleasant Sunday, the car boot sale at the next A5 junction is a must for enthusiasts! ~Entranced at the Entrance~ The play areas are accessed by a corridor from the Hotel and by a door into the corridor from the side car park. The room is roughly circular in shape with table and chairs set around the perimeter and a nice lounging area at one end with two couches and a low table. Courtesy newspapers were available at the entrance. The room is well lit and the bright colours of the play equipment are very welcoming. Olivia, who is two and a half, couldn't wait to explore! To the right of the entrance is the reception and cafe area. I ordered a drink of tea for myself and a child's meal for herself, wondering if I could tear her away from the toys and climbing area long enough to eat it. A friend was meeting me there and as she came in she exclaimed about how pleasant the room was. One area towards the back wall was given over to a very nice log cabin play house. I would have loved to play house in there if I was a little one! Leading from the main room there was a door to a securely fenced outside play area. It was furnished with picnic bench seating and some play equipment. As it was raining I didn't go out into it but from the windows it looked tidy and expansive. ~Acts of Faith!~ Olivia dove straight in and caused me some anxiety as she started hauling herself up into the tower of the main play structure. It was high and accessed by steps contained in the four supporting corners. The triangular, alternate, corner steps/platforms are cleverly designed so a child has no chance of falling far. I watched her hoist her little self up the first two steps and then she disappeared from view! I could hear a slightly older little girl talking to her and telling her what to do. (Thank Heavens for Mumsy type little girls!) I couldn't see her and was too big to get to her if she got into difficulties. I waited for her to re-appear, and then I waited a bit more, hovering anxiously at the bottom of the winding chute type slide that would deliver her to me (I hoped). I could hear her scrabbling about, the tube echoed her movements. After a while I heard a tremulous voice coming from the tube near my feet. "Nanna?". "It's okay love, I'm here"..........I bent down to call up the tube. "Nanna!?? Nannaaaa, I stuck!" Hmmmm, don't panic Gill!...........I called up the tube again, trying to sound reassuring "You are okay Olivia, you just have to let go, Nanna will catch you!" Silence.... "Just let go Sweetheart!" There was dead silence for a while, then a tiny doubtful little voice issued from the tube "Okay Nanna". Next thing she came sliding sideways to my feet at the bottom of the chute. I was about to pick her up and comfort her for her fright but, laughing with all of herself as only two year olds can do, she jumped up and hurled herself back into the fray. I went and drank my tea to recover. She, the little madam, was as happy as Larry and spent the next fifteen minutes clambering up the steps, bum wriggling ferociously as she pulled herself up and laughing uproariously as she roared down the chute. She absolutely loved it! Never mind that 'Nanna' had aged ten years! Scattered around the floor were many children's toys, mostly of the 'sit on and scoot along' variety. I think Olivia tried most of them! She was fascinated by children playing on the see-saw toys too but declined to try them, possibly because she had seen a little girl being tossed off the back of one of them when an over enthusiastic and much bigger sister had plonked herself down on the other end! No harm was done fortunately. Most of the toys look well used and some were a bit dingey but all were clean. ~Dining with Badgers-Sett Meals~ Olivia's sausage and chips arrived delivered by a smiling and helpful member of staff. She asked if we wanted a high chair or anything else and went off to bring another round of very drinkable tea and coffee. Olivia was more than ready to eat and sat down promptly, I had thought that I wouldn't be able to pry her away from the slide but all that mountaineering had given her an appetite. The chips were french fry type and the sausage was good quality, a bottle of soda or juice came with the meal. There were free sauces available to go with it. (and plenty of napkins to remove excess tomato sauce) Considering that so many children ate in there, the tables and carpets underneath were spotless. Our table was curiously pockmarked as though it had been used by smokers but, as I said, it was very clean. The staff cleared up as soon as a meal was finished, they were efficient and unobtrusive. I particularly like the fact that if you buy a meal the child gets free entrance to the den. The entrance fee for a child is £2.50 the meal cost either £2.99 or £3.99 (I was so diverted by Olivia disappearing up the tower that I can't remember!) so it's a bargain whether you eat there or not. I think £2.50 for a child to be so entertained in such a pleasant clean place is very good value! The children's meals included Chicken nuggets (presumably a chicken's nuggets are close to it's Goujons), fish fingers, sausage all served with chips and a drink. There was more on the menu that I don't recall. For adults there was a choice of sandwiches served with salad or chips and some lovely toasties. I had a cheese and onion one and it was full and delicious! I might be selling the menu short here because I was distracted! The prices were very reasonable and the service was polite. To the left of the reception were the toilets. The Ladies toilet was spacious and well equipped. ~Billy No Mates? Not at all!~ I have always thought that having a children's party anywhere but in your own home, is the only sane way to proceed. Having it somewhere else means....no vomit to clean off the carpet or the dog, no preparation, no making thousands of butties, no little accidents to mop up and disinfect, and no thinking to yourself "will the littele beggars never go home!" Billy Badger very helpfully solves all these problems by being available to host parties in. What bliss that would be! There is even a room set aside for all the partying little darlings to eat, drink and be obnoxious in. And the staff entertain them And the staff feed them And the staff clear up after them. It's a no brainer! Joking aside, I think this would be an ideal place to have a childen's party, there is plenty of space and a lot of scope to entertain the children and keep them occupied. The staff here seemed to genuinely like and care for their young guests. (unlike some play areas I've seen) ~Some very minor quibbles~ The same girls that made the meals were answering the telephone enquiries, taking bookings, seeing to admission prices and keeping everything tidy so sometimes you had to wait whilst someone else was being seen to. Some of the padding on the supports was a bit tatty and took away from the neatness of the place. Part of the play area was being used for storage and was unavailable to play in. ~Overall~ Billy badgers Play den is not the largest or most elaborately designed play area I have ever seen but it is more than adequate. Olivia enjoyed the play, the freedom and the food enormously. Prices are very reasonable, the staff are hardworking and charming. Car parking is free and the place is easy to find. I will be taking Olivia back. I would reccommend a visit even if you have to 'borrow' some children to take! Opening hours Sunday to Monday - 11am till 5pm Friday and Saturday - 11am till 7pm Details of prices etc can be found online at. http://www.moretonpark.com/billybadger Or by phoning 01691 776661 Read the complete review |
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Dwyfor Ranch Rabbit Farm (North Wales)
by benz2922 Over the past several years we must have visited the rabbit farm over a dozen times. In several ways it does not compare to the large and more publicised zoo's but in many ways it is also better. The rabbit farm may not have lions and tigers and bears but what it does have, or more to say what is does provide is a unique and special ... experience that will never be forgotten. The rabbit farm is situated within Criccieth, Gwynedd on the Llyn Peninsular. Set back of the road it is very much out in the open country but to be fair it does provide adequate sign posts which is very much a first for small places such as this. The rabbit farm is a family run business and the aim of the experience is to provide customers like me with a fun and friendly atmosphere where they can enjoy a unique and exciting experience, being there several times I definitely feel I have experienced that and more. The rabbit farm is home to a range of different animals, the majority of them being your average farm type animals such as sheep, horses, pigs, goats and rabbits. Then some more challenging animals that you are very much less likely to see in the wild such as Meerkats, budgies, puppies, peacocks and alpacas. Upon arriving at the farm you are greeted by a relatively small car park which is however ample for the amount of visitors that are usually there. There is a small hut which is where you go to purchase your tickets, you are greeted here with warm welcome from a member of the family who works there. The ticket prices are very reasonable an adult costing £4.50 and a child costing £3.50. You are also able to purchase bags of food to feed the animals, these cost a reasonable 50p per bag, we usually buy 3, which equals as one each mainly just because we love to feed the animals so much. You get instructed as to which animals you can and can't feed the only ones that you can't being the Meerkats and the puppies. Once you enter the farm you are greeted by several outdoor pens which include the larger animals such as the alpacas, horses, donkeys goats etc. all of the fences are low enough for you to be able to reach over and there are also several areas beneath the fence in between the slats that are perfect for the children to be able to reach over to stroke and feed the animals. There really is no shortage of animals to feed as they all immediately rush over too you as they know you have what they want .....food! There is of course no escaping the fact that these are animals and they can be prone to biting but not once have I ever been bitten and the animals seem so caring and eat out your hand with delicacy, well, I can say that for all but a few animals, there are a couple of large goats that think it acceptable to ram the smaller ones out of the way to get to the food you were going to feed them and then scoff the food out of your hand without even considering anybody else ..... I try to avoid these at all costs as they just seem very greedy to me and the other goats don't get a look in. One other problematic animal is the peacock, there beak really does hurt if it manages to catch on your skin so again another one to avoid. The animals that really are lovely to feed include the baby goats which are free to roam around the park so you may just come across one from time to time, the horses are also lovely although they can leave your hands very mucky. The pigs are very funny to feed, they really do emphasise the saying "eat like a pig" they literally grunt all over your hand, these animals are not uncomfortable to feed but they do smell like something awful! The best animals are saved for last and these are in barns at the end of the trail, firstly there are sheep, these are fun and they love food but they are not very comfortable with you stroking them, they just want the food! Secondly there are puppies, these are actually available to buy and every year I have always wanted to take one home but we never do. It actually makes me a little bit sad to think that some puppies might be bought by holiday makers who fall in love and then get neglected when reality sets in back at home. That is why I have always prevented myself from buying one, we already have one dog at home so two would just be a nightmare. Anyway, with the puppies there is always a member of staff, well I say member of staff it is actually a young boy who I assume is part of the family who owns the farm, he passes you the puppies to hold and watches to make sure little children don't get carried away or hold the dogs in the wrong position. The Puppies are adorable to hold and I always struggle to give them back after 10 minutes or so. So lastly there are a range of rabbits and guinea pigs, these you are able to just pick up as you wish and most of them avoid scratching you as you do so! There are some benches in the area also so young children are able to sit down with a rabbit on their knee. They always like to take little bits of food out of your hand and these animals are the most easy to be with as they don't mind the food and they actually love being picked up. As well as having the animals the rabbit farm also does pony rides for an extra £2.00, my daughter has done this once and she wasn't really to keen but I have seen other children who seem to enjoy it very much. Its basically just you sat on a pony whilst it is being lead around a pen a couple of times, I would recommend this activity for slightly older children however. Towards the end of the trail there are some sinks and antibacterial hand wash and the owner very much encourage everyone to wash there hands after feeding or handling the animals. There is also a café, we have never been in here so I couldn't give you any information on prices and quality or such things but they do also have several picnic areas and we always bring a picnic to enjoy instead. There are toilets on site and there is disabled access throughout the entire park area and café. I absolutely love visiting the rabbit farm as does my daughter. It is not overly large but the day is what you make it. You could visit all of the animals and be back in the car within half an hour or you could pack a picnic, spend more time with the animals, make several trips round and make a very fun day out for an extraordinarily cheap price. I highly recommend paying it a visit. The rabbit farm is open 7 days a week 10am -5pm. Read the complete review |
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Cefn Mably Farm Park (Cardiff)
by Tigerdad3 We went to Cefn Mabley yesterday for the first time after hearing about it from a friend who went there last week. Upon arriving we thought that within an hour or two we would have possibly been bored but once we entered this definately was not the case. The park is open everyday of the year between 10am and 5pm except for 10 ... days over the christmas period and is pretty reasonable on prices as well. The prices at the time of us going were as follows: Adults - £4.50 Children (12 Months +) & OAP's - £4 We were also giving the option of buying animal feed at a cost of 50p per bag which we did, well actually we bought 6 bags to start with as there was 5 of us (2 adults and 3 children) so wanted to make sure we had enough to last us the day. As soon as you enter you are in the main indoor feature which is the restaurant which is reasonably priced and the soft play area for the kids. They have an over 5 play area and an under 5 play area. The under 5 play area has a big soft snakes and ladders board on the floor with big soft dice for the kids to throw and soft counters to use on the board. It also has a dual layer play section with twin slide and ball pit. The best feature of it though is the floating ball machine that they got which gets the kids really thinking about it. You basically cover all 6 holes up with the soft balls, press the button and then the balls automatically float in the air for a period of time - Trully amazing to watch for the young kids and adults alike. For the over 5 play area, there is hanging punch bags to go through the the car wash effect reels to squeeze through then numerous ways around before you find all the hidden features which are: Small replica football pitch Ball shooters ( Amazing fun for the kids ) Big red ball area Dual slide Undercover slide & Much more. Once you make your way outside then you immediately come across an area that allows everyone to sit down and hold a rabbit or guinea pig with the ability to feed and brush them. This area is then surrounded by goats, chickens, peacocks, turkeys and chinchillas. You then immediately come across some toy tractors that our kids loved to ride around the farm, It gave them a sense of play at the same time as learning about the animals and getting the chance to feed them. There are pony rides available as well which are very short rides and cost £2 per person so this could be a little longer but still a great experience for little ones. Wherever we walked around the park the animals would follow on their side of the fence (thank god lol) especially if they seen the brown bags we were carrying with their food in. We had horses tapping gates asking for some, donkeys literally screaming at us and goats trying to fit their way through the farm gates. It was one day that we certainly will never forget and will be definately be returning there sometime soon. For those who have never heard of it their address is - Cefn Mably Farm Park, Began Road, Cefn Mably, Cardiff. CF3 6XL If you decide to go there we hope you have as much fun as we did. They do also have a party room there and can take bookings all year round. Read the complete review |
Wales Theme Park / Zoo National |
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2 reviews Address: Rabbit Farm / Theme Park / Zoo National / Llanystumdwy / Criccieth LL52 0SU / North Wales / Tel: 01766 523136 |
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Address: Canaston Bridge / Theme Park / Zoo National / Narberth SA67 8DE / Pembrokeshire |
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1 review Address: Chirk / Theme Park / Zoo National / Wrexham LL14 5DG |
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2 reviews Theme Park / Zoo National / Farm located near Cardiff in Wales |
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1 review Address: Cantref / Theme Park / Zoo National / Brecon / Powys / Wales / LD3 8LR / Tel: 01874 665 223 |
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Address: St Florence Parade / Theme Park / Zoo National / Tenby / Pembrokeshire / SA70 8RJ / Wales |
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1 review Address: Penmynydd Road / Theme Park / Zoo National / Menai Bridge / Anglesey / LL59 5RP / Wales - There is more than just butterflies and birds to this park. The reptile house will bring you face-to-face with iguanas, lizards and snakes! |
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2 reviews Address: Brynsiencyn / Theme Park / Zoo National / Isle of Anglesey / Ynys Mon / LL61 6TQ / Wales - Wales largest marine aquarium. |
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1 review Address: Brynsiencyn / Theme Park / Zoo National / Anglesey / North Wales / LL61 6TQ - Let your kids experience a real working farm. |
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5 reviews Address: Y Felinheli / Theme Park / Zoo National / Gwynedd / LL56 4QN / Wales - Something for the entire family. |
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