Family Days Out

[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.

Geocaching for Beginners

February 2, 2019 by Penny 1 Comment

As a parent I’m always looking at ways of getting the best for my kids. This might be in terms of their education, but also their general health and wellbeing. I’m a firm believer in getting children outside as much as possible. The fresh air and exercise can do them the world of good. But at the same time I’m also very aware that as they become older it can be more of a challenge to drag them away from screens and they also seem to become more aware that staying at home on a cold and wet afternoon can be far more inviting. Kids can need motivation and that’s where I’ve found geocaching to be the perfect solution.

Geocaching is one of those things that I’ve been meaning to try for years, but only actually got round to in the last six months or so. It’s a hobby that lots of people have heard of in general, but not everyone really knows what it really involves or how it works.

What is geocaching

For those of you not in the know, let me start with the basics. Geocaching is basically like a big treasure hunt where you use your phone, or a traditional GPS, to find “treasure” in the form of a cache that other geocachers have left to be found. A cache could be anything from just a simple log in a waterproof container that you’re asked to sign to show that you found it, right up to a larger box containing objects that you can exchange. Quite often the attraction is in finding the cache rather than what is inside it. Also a good lesson for children in doing something not just for personal gain.

Different caches

Caches can also come in all different shapes and sizes. In my time geocaching we’ve found everything from large Tupperware boxes down to film canisters or keyring sized things with a small pieces of paper acting as a log rolled up inside. You sometimes have a bit of a clue as to what size of cache you are looking for so that it can help you know where to look, but other times you simply have no idea, so have to look everywhere!

How to find a cache

We made a start by downloading the official Geocaching app on our phones and signing up for a free account. Based on your phone knowing where you are it then shows you a map with local geocaches shown on it. For each cache you can then drill down and see a more accurate location and a “description” of the cache. These descriptions can vary quite a bit depending on who left the cache. Sometimes it’s a general description of the area where the cache is – possibly a park or similar – whilst other times it can be a more detailed set of instructions as to where to find the cache. This is often the place where you might find out that you need some extra equipment to extract the cache. Depending on where it is tweezers or even a magnet might be required. I’ve heard stories of more complex caches that have even required you to take water and batteries (I’m assuming not to be used together!) but these are a bit beyond me for now.

That’s the thing with geocaching – there are caches out there to suite geocachers of all abilities. The basic caches just involve you finding one cache, yet there are also “series” that you can complete where a number of caches have been left following a certain walking route or similar. There are also puzzle caches where you might have to solve something first to help you find a cache, or you might have to collect a series of clues from the caches in a series to give you the coordinates of a final cache. In other words it’s a mental workout as well as a physical one.

Premium caches

It is possible to upgrade your geocaching account to a paid for Premium one. It’s not necessary by any means, but it does give you access to some additional “premium caches” and also (the thing I’ve found most valuable) enhanced maps which show footpaths and tracks on them. It’s obviously possible to use an old fashioned paper map (or a digital OS one) alongside your geocaching app, but it’s so much easier to have everything in one place.

Being a geocacher is a bit like becoming a member of a secret club. In so many cases caches are hidden in plain few of unsuspecting members of the public and I’m always amazed when we find a cache that is somewhere that we’ve walked or driven past hundreds of times before without noticing it. It does mean that when you go to find or recover some caches you need to be careful not to be caught by “muggles” for fear of them removing a cache, but it adds to the fun and the thrill of it.

We may have only scratched the surface with geocaching so far, but it’s certainly worked its magic as a way of getting the kids out of the house and exploring the countryside willingly. They also need to pay a lot more attention to the things around them. Sometimes it needs a bit of encouragement, but they’re getting there. I’m keen to try my hand at some of the more involved puzzle caches – I just need to find ones that I can reach with a baby in tow!

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