Destinations

[AD] Lee Valley Park Farms – Conservation Week Visit

February 25, 2019 by Penny Leave a Comment

There’s something magical about taking children around a farm. We’re quite lucky in that our usual journey to school goes through the countryside and past several farms. We often spend the journey talking about the sheep and lambs in the field, or the horses that we regularly drive past. We’ve even had the delights of a muntjac deer on the road infant of us and an owl flying alongside the car one morning! Not everyone is fortunate enough to see animals up close this regularly though, and that’s why visits to places like Lee Valley Park Farms are so good. Children can really get up close to the animals and learn so much from them.

We were invited to visit Lee Valley Park Farms during half term which was when they were running their conservation week. I’ve been to the Lee Valley plenty of times with the kids before, but this was my first visit to the farm itself.

As soon as we arrived at the car park we could tell that we’d come somewhere popular. It was a beautiful day (more like April than February) and despite arriving only an hour after opening the main carpark was already full and we joined other visitors parking in the overflow one. There was also a queue to get into the reception area, but I’m pleased to say that this moved reasonably fast.

Animals

There’s a great selection of animals at Lee Valley Park Farms. Everything from the expected pigs, sheep, goats and cows through to more exotic animals like meerkats, bearded dragons and miniature zebu (which I have to admit I’d never even heard of before last week!). The kids loved going round the farmyard area and seeing lots of familiar faces. You can also buy bags of food from reception so that you can feed some of the farmyard animals. Both Little Miss C and Master C really enjoyed this. It was Tube Stop Baby’s first visit to a farm and she was more than a tad wary of coming face to face with some of the animals for the first time.

We timed our visit so that we could attend a talk in Critter Corner and LMC was thrilled to get to stroke a bearded dragon as it’s been one of her favourite animals for ages. Master C and I also attended a birds of prey talk and it was amazing to see the birds fling around, close to the audience.

Master C’s highlight of the visit was getting to feed one of the guinea pigs. It’s something that he normally shies away from doing, but the staff encouraged him to have a go and he got a real thrill from eating it eat the lettuce he gave it. Although he does since keep telling anyone who listens that he fed a hamster! I might have to keep educating him on the difference.

Play areas

The other part of the farm that the kids loved were the numerous play areas dotted around the site. There’s indoor play in the Bundle Barn (which we didn’t visit) but also the Dino Dig and Splash where they spent ages digging in the sand, the Farmyard Adventure where they climbed and climbed, and also the Hilltop Adventure where they bounced for ages on the giant pillow. Near the Hilltop Adventure there is also the Alpine Adventure Toboggan Run which they thought was great fun.

Accessibility and Facilities

We visited the farm with all four kids and this meant that we had Tube Stop Baby with us in her pram. I should warn readers that the site is on a hill, and whilst it is entirely possible to get around all of it with a pram or pushchair, it is hard going in places. I certainly felt like my arm and leg muscles were getting quite a workout as the day went on. It is also worth noting that the only working toilets on the day that we visited where down by the reception area. This meant one trek back down with Master C when he needed the loo, and also alfresco nappy changes for TSB as we quite simply couldn’t be bothered to walk all the way back down with the pram every time she had a dirty nappy!

We took a picnic with us and as the weather was so glorious it was lovely to sit and eat it in the sunshine. There were plenty of places for us to sit near the play areas and full picnic tables up near the Hilltop Adventure. We also had no problem finding rubbish bins to put our waste in afterwards. The only problem we had is that the sun was quite unrelenting and there was no shade up at the Hilltop Adventure. There were some structures that that we could imagine some shade being strung between possibly, but I’d certainly make sure you take sun hats etc if you visit on a hot day.

For those that want to buy food there there was a lovely looking cafe down by the reception area and it also looked like a kiosk by the Farmyard Adventure, although this wasn’t open when we visited.

Lee Valley Park Farms – our thoughts

We had a great family day out at Lee Valley Park Farms. It was our first time out as a family of six and we were particularly lucky that we had perfect weather for it. They all had a great day out and seemed to particular enjoy meeting the bearded dragon and guinea pigs. The play areas were also a huge hit.

For me one of the nicest things was just sitting in the sunshine as they played and looking around me. When you’re at the farm it’s hard to remember that you’re really not all that far from London and the busy M25. At moments it almost felt like I was looking round at the Yorkshire Dales instead!

Lee Valley Park Farms – what you need to know

Lee Valley Park Farms are located in Waltham Abbey, Essex, not far from Junction 25 of the M25 (the A10 junction). There is free onsite parking. And, if you’re inspired by my recent post on geocaching, there’s a lovely little geocache not far from the car park that is very kid friendly.

The full address is: Lee Valley Park Farms, Stubbins Hall Lane, Waltham Abbey, Essex, EN9 2EF. This postcode is the best one to use in a SatNav.

The farm is open 10am to 5pm every day from 16 February – 3 November 2019.

There are peak and off peak entry fees for the farm, with everyone over the age of 2 costing the same. £10 at peak times and £6 at non-peak. Grandparents receive a 20% discount on Wednesdays.

More details can be found on their website.

Disclaimer: We were invited to visit Lee Valley Park Farms as guests for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own.

The Island Line – The Isle of Wight’s railway

October 31, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

Where can you ride a tube train along a pier? On the Isle of Wight’s Island Line – that’s where!

Not everyone realises that the Isle of Wight has its own railway. Fewer people realise the historical significance of it, especially for lovers of the London Underground.

The Island Line – basic facts

Let’s start with the basic facts. The Island Line runs between Ryde on the north of the Isle of Wight and Shanklin, which is eight and a half miles south along the Eastern coast of the island. It is actually part of the main National Rail infrastructure and is currently under the South Western Railway franchise. You can plan journeys via the main online National Rail planners and can use all regular railcards and through tickets on the service.

The northerly most station is Ryde Pier Head, where the service connects with the passenger ferry to Portsmouth Harbour. It then continues south through Smallbrook Junction, which is an unusual station in that it exists purely to serve the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. There is no separate public access and was actually opened by British Rail in 1991 when the Steam Railway was extended to reach the Island Line. It is therefore only served by Island Line services on the days that the Steam Railway is running.

The southern terminus is Shanklin, yet originally the route extended on to Ventnor but services on this section ceased in 1966.

So, what makes it so special you may be wondering? I fully admit that all the above just makes it sound like a regular train service?

Rolling Stock

The answer lies in the rolling stock.

The Island Line is served by 1938 London Underground tube stock and when you’re travelling on board you can expect to be somewhat confused about where you are and where you’re going, simply because it still just feels like you’re in London as soon as you step aboard.

The reason for this slightly strange old rolling stock is because the ceiling of the Ryde tunnel is 10 inches too low for “standard” National Rail rolling stock. This means that the 1938 tube stock has the honour of being the oldest passenger rolling stock operating timetabled services on the National Rail network.

A trip back in time

As well as feeling like you’re in London, a trip on the Island Line is also a bit like a trip back in time. All the stations have a vintage feel to them, with lots of cream and green paint and old fashioned signs and station canopies.

I also wouldn’t be a proper train geek if I didn’t mention the moquette.

The particular train we travelled on featured what I remember as Metropolitan Line moquette on the main seats, but there was also a treat inshore if you pulled down the guard’s seat (remember these 1938 London Underground trains had guards – something that the Island Line has too!)

There you reveal a different moquette design – one that I think was a Network Southeast National Rail design. Although I’m trying to double check that fact!

Feel the bounce!

What you do notice as you travel on the Island Line is just how the rolling stock wasn’t really designed for this kind of journey. You really feel yourself being bounced along as you travel and as much as I love the Island Line I just couldn’t ever call it a “comfortable” ride in that sense.

If you’ve ever lived or commuted in London though you’ll find it a slightly strange travel experience. It feels, and sounds, just like the London Underground, yet the view out of the window is a million miles away. As you go along Ryde Pier you’ve got the Solent on either side of you and you can watch the Hovercrafts. You don’t get that in Zone 1!

Listen to our trip

Why not join Bonn and I as we travel along the Island Line? We’re delighted to say that episode 2 of our new Hobbies and Interests podcast was recorded as we travelled along the Island Line earlier in the year. Why not plug in your headphones and travel with us?

Leighton Buzzard Railway

October 9, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

I have a completely train mad son. And if I’m honest Bonn and I are pretty big train fans too. It therefore goes without saying that we tend to visit quite a lot of train lines around the country. Both in terms of the visitor attraction heritage railways and also just exercising our family railcard. We’re plotting a little train related challenge for when our baby arrives later in the year, but until then I thought it about time to start documenting some of the lines that we visit. Our “local line” is the Leighton Buzzard Railway here in Bedfordshire, so it seems the right place to start documenting things.

This narrow gauge railway describes itself as England’s Friendly Little Line and I think it’s quite a fitting description. At just under 3 miles long, it was originally built to serve the various sand quarries to the north of this market town, but when they switched to using road transport it was handed over to volunteers and opened as a heritage line.

The route

The thing about the Leighton Buzzard Railway that makes it slightly unusual is what it runs past. For a large proportion of the route you’re going past 1970s style housing stock, and whilst that’s interesting in its own way, I certainly wouldn’t call it a view for typical tourists! The last half a mile or so to the Stonehenge Works, where the line currently ends, you are in the countryside, but this feels quite different to the housing estate before.

The route also features several level crossings where the train has to stop for staff to go and stand on the road and stop traffic with little flags to let the trains pass. It’s very quaint and one of the most exciting things in the world for six year old train addicts like my son!

More to see and do

At both ends of the route there is plenty to see and do. You start your journey at Pages’ Park where there is an impressive modern souvenir shop in the new station building, along with tours of the engine shed itself. In the latter you can find out all about the railway and the engines that they now run on it. Leighton Buzzard Railway actually has one of the largest collections of narrow-gauge locomotives in the UK, and some of them have previously worked all over the world. It’s definitely an eye-opener to find out all about them.

Pages’ Park also features the 1940s themed Buzzrail Cafe, although shockingly I’m yet to actually manage a visit there.

At the far end of the route, Stonehenge Works features a cute craft shop that also serves light refreshments before your return journey. The works also house all the locomotives and rolling stock that aren’t in current passenger service, along with various exhibitions about narrow gauge railways through history. There are also engines for children to clamber all over, which they obviously love.

Extending the line

There are also plans for the line to be extended further. The group running the Leighton Buzzard Railway have now secured the full length of the original line – meaning that they should be able to run an extra half a mile into the countryside beyond Stonehenge Works. The first part of this (to Mundays Hill) is hoped to be open in late 2019. In time for us to make a return trip with baby in tow!

Visiting the Leighton Buzzard Railway

You can find all the latest opening hours and timetables on the Leighton Buzzard Railway’s own website, where you can also book tickets. At various times of the year they run special services whether that be for Christmas, Easter, Fathers Day or some other event.

Pages’ Park station, where you start your journey on the Leighton Buzzard Railway is situated on the south side of Leighton Buzzard. It is well signposted with tourist Brown Signs, many featuring a steam engine logo on them. There is a car park available on site and it is next to a park which features a nice children’s playground. Full directions are available on their website.

Rushmere Country Park – woodland, heathland and meadow in Bedfordshire

August 13, 2018 by Penny 2 Comments

Sometime you stumble upon somewhere that’s just perfect for the day out you had in mind, and that’s exactly what happened for us when we went to Rushmere Country Park in Bedfordshire.

We were on the lookout for somewhere for a nice walk. Somewhere where the kids could run off a bit of steam. And somewhere where we could appreciate nature and the countryside around us.

I’d initially heard of Rushmere Country Park as someone local had told me that it was the ideal place for kids with some decent bits of playground equipment. I’d managed to find their website, but as with so many places like this, you only really get a feel for them when you visit.

Where to find Rushmere

Located in Heath and Reach, just outside Leighton Buzzard, Rushmere Country Park is 400 acres of woodland, heathland and meadows, managed by the Greensand Trust on a not for profit basis. It is free to visit, with visitors just being asked to pay to park in the park.

Things to see and do

The main car park is located off Linslade Road and there you will also find the Herons View Visitors Centre and the ‘Tree Tops Cafe”. From here you can look down on the heronry. Established over the last 16 years this provides a secure breeding ground for approximately 10+ pairs of breeding grey herons each year. There are binoculars available to use, along with remote cameras. It’s an excellent opportunity to see the herons up close.

The main thing that we liked about Rushmere Country Park is that there was plenty of opportunity for children to just enjoy being children. As well as several play spots around the park – encouraging children to have a go at balancing, climbing, hiding, exploring, listening and looking – there are also loads of naturally occurring play areas too. Along the main path several fairy doors have been put in, which are perfect for younger children.

Our three kids spent ages just exploring the rhododendron bushes and the den like areas created under them. You know you’re on to a winner when your five year old (who didn’t want to go out originally!) describes it as “the best day out ever!”.

Finding your way around

Maps of the site are available from the visitor’s centre, and these show the different footpaths, bridleways and trails around the country park. There is also an access for all footpath that is suitable for wheelchairs and buggies.

The Woodpecker Trail is a circular walk of around an hour to the Stockgrove Lake and Visitor Centre (where there are also toilets and refreshments) and back. Not all of this is on the access for all route, although with a decent off-read pushchair I think you would manage. Although you might build up some good muscles in your arms in the uphill sections!

Our kids took their scooters with them, and although they needed to pull them in certain sections they did manage to get them all around the trail. Having the Stockgrove Visitor Centre at the half-way point of the trail was perfect for re-fuelling, especially since when we happened to be there there was an ice cream van parked up waiting for us.

A whole day of fun

There’s plenty at Rushmere Country Park to keep visitors entertained for a whole day. Especially families. As well as the refreshments available on site, there’s a decent sized picnic area and BBQs are allowed if raised off the ground. Dogs are also welcome at Rushmere.

There are cycling trails around the park, and some of these are really quite challenging in places, appealing to more experienced cyclists. Horse riders can also access the site along the public bridleway marked on the maps and on permissive horse routes (a Greensand Pass is required for this in advance).

Rushmere Country Park, Heron View Visitor Centre, Linslade Road, Heath and Reach, Bedfordshire, LU7 0EB. Tel: 01525 234260 www.greensandtrust.org

Hovercraft – the geekiest way to travel?

May 17, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

When I heard that Bonn had another job over on the Isle of Wight I knew I had to go with him. Heck, one of the first conversations the pair of us ever had was about the island’s train service (a post on that soon). The place is a transport geek’s paradise. Now only do you have vintage tube trains providing a mainline service. But there is also the geekiest method of sea travel known to man. The hovercraft.

Hovercraft to the Isle of Wight

Hovertravel have been providing passenger hovercraft services between Portsmouth and Ryde since 1965. In fact, it’s the only commercial hovercraft service in Europe. Can you get any geekier than that?

The fact we had to take a car with us meant that we travelled over to the Isle of Wight by more traditional car ferry this time. We’re determined however to take the hovercraft next time. Even if it does mean going backwards and forwards across the Solent a couple of times to make the logistics work! With it only being a ten minute journey that shouldn’t be too problematic.

If you’re on the island there’s a fantastically positioned footbridge over the train line that provide a brilliant vantage point. You can stand there and watch the hovercraft arrive and depart for as long as you want. I can promise that you’ll be astounded at their turnaround time.

That’s one of the big advantages of a hovercraft for foot passengers. The fact that they can just pull up onto a beach or other landing area means that there isn’t time spent docking. You also therefore don’t need so much infrastructure to support them.

And not forgetting. It just looks damn cool!

Understanding how it works

I’m pretty sure that any true transport geek wants to get their head around how the hovercraft actually works. That’s where the wonderful Ladybird books has all the answers for you.

Collecting vintage Ladybird books is one of my hobbies and I was therefore thrilled to see a copy of their “How It Works – The Hovercraft” book when I was in the Hovertravel terminal in Ryde. You can read all about it here and pop over to their website to buy a copy online too.

Hovertravel provide a passenger hovercraft service between Southsea, Portsmouth and Ryde, Isle of Wight. In Portsmouth there is a Hovertravel run Hoverbus that connects Southsea to Portsmouth Harbour. In Ryde it is only a short walk to Ryde Esplanade station on the Island Line and Ryde bus station. You can find out more about Hovertravel, including their timetable and fares, over on their website.

Guernsey – Five quick facts

May 11, 2018 by Penny Leave a Comment

With the recent release of the film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society tourist numbers to this part of the Channel Islands is on the rise. Not everyone knows where Guernsey is though, or much about it. So here are my top five facts that I think everyone should know about Guernsey.

German Occupation of Guernsey

Probably the best known fact about the island, and core to the film, is Guernsey’s occupation by the Germans. The Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey were the only parts of the British Isles to be occupied during the War. The occupation lasted from 30 June 1940 until 9 May 1945, and so 9 May is celebrated as liberation day.

American Mary Ann Shaffer found herself stranded at Guernsey airport by fog and picked up a book about the occupation to kill time until flights resumed. This is what inspired her to write the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Bailiwick of Guernsey

When people say “Guernsey” they assume you’re talking about one island, but the Bailiwick actually consists of four main islands. As well as a plethora of smaller islands. There is Guernsey itself, the biggest of the islands and home to the majority (63,000) of the local population. In comparison, Alderney has a population of approximately 1,900 and Sark 600. Herm (population 60) is part of the Parish of St Peter Port, on the island of Guernsey.

Guernsey, and Jersey are Crown Dependancies. So, whilst they are not part of the United Kingdom, The UK is responsible for the defence and international relations. Each Bailiwick has its own independent laws, elections, and representative bodies.

The Guernsey Pound

Whilst not having a totally separate currency, Guernsey (like Jersey) issues its own bank notes. The Guernsey Pound is linked to the British Pound and you can use either notes in the Bailiwick. Around places like St Peter Port you can find cash machines that distribute British Pounds, but any that are unmarked will give you local notes.

Trying to spend them in the UK will result in blank faces, but go to any bank and they will exchange them back to Sterling for you.

Oldest Postbox

Whilst most postboxes that you find in the Bailiwick are blue (the postal service being run by Guernsey Post) there is one red one to be found. On Union Street in St Peter Port is what is believed to be the oldest pillar-box still in use in the British Isles.

It has been repainted in the livery that it is though to have had in 1852/53, when it was first installed.

Guernsey Sweaters

You may not have needed a jumper at all when we visited, but the Bailiwick is famous for its knitwear. Developed in the 17th century these traditional sweaters were primarily worn by fishermen. A traditional style “diamond” insert under the arms made it easier for those wearing it to move their arms around.

The jumpers had distinctive stitches within the pattern that mirrored things like a sailing ship’s rope ladder, crashing waves and pebbles, stones and sand. Each family had variations on the pattern and many fishermen who were lost at sea were identified by their jumpers.

For more information on Guernsey please visit the local tourist boards’s website and look out on Penny Travels for further posts about our visit there.