We’ve seen so many great places recently including Alice Holt, a beautiful woodland setting cared for by the Forestry Commission. It was once the centre of a Roman pottery industry with hundreds of kilns producing pots of all shapes and sizes over a period of four centuries.
Located in Surrey, Alice Holt offers walking, cycling trails and play areas. It’s home to Go Ape where you can enjoy being adventurous high above the forest floor on zip wires, Tarzan swings and crossings. There’s also Go Ape Tree Top Junior which includes tree-to-tree crossings and a zip finale.
With POD not yet three, we tend to opt for the shorter waymarked trials of which there are several to chose from. The Habitat Trail for example is a 0.6 mile family walk with giant wooden animal play sculptures and the Willows Green Trail is 0.5 miles with a steep section.
Both of theses trails are short enough for POD to walk and explore her surroundings. On this occasion we provided her with a list of things to find in the forest – an acorn, bracken, a brown leaf, a stick, a blackberry and a fir cone. A task our toddler felt was necessary to undertake with her sunglasses on.
The Easy Access Trail at Alice Holt is a double looped route which enables visitors to experience a wide range of contrasting woodland habitats. Winding paths take you through dense conifer plantations and a majestic stand of mature Scots pine. The smell was just amazing.
Having taken a detour through the wonderful “deep dark wood”, we hit open woodland. Used for den building events, it was a great place for POD to hide, climb tree stumps and kick leaves.
Putting our heads through the holes was highly entertaining too especially when Daddy made lots of silly faces!
After collecting more leaves and twigs, we had a short food stop before spending time in the wooden play area. There POD got to explore before deciding she’d climb the ropes up the side of a pirate ship. Not only did she reach the top she did it in double quick time too. Not a bad effort for a toddler!
Alice Holt’s Habitat Trail has a rather impressive Totem Pole to admire before reaching the first play sculpture – an owl. It’s a great structure that enables children to climb to the tail and look down from the top of it’s head before using a fireman’s pole to reach the ground.
We then came across a Woodpecker Tree with a hollow trunk before reaching the bath and moth climbing walls. Although POD wanted to climb everything in sight, her favourite by far was the Giants Play Area where she got to sit in a giant’s chair!
We’re linking this post up with Country Kids at Coombe Mill. If you have an outdoor post to share, click on the badge below.
Charly, what an amazing place! Woodland walks are lovely, but all the sculptures and play areas make this one extra special. Love the photos of POD, especially with her sunglasses 🙂
Thank you Sara, the forest is just fabulous. POD can run around to her hearts content. She loves wearing her sunglasses : )
Fabulous looking place. I’m trying to find somewhere like that near me. Surrey sounds great 🙂
You definitely should do, we’ve got lots of National Trust properties near us plus Wisley and Alice Holt. Worth looking at National Trust, RHS, Forestry Commission and English Heritage 🙂
What a super place to spend the day – there really seems like there is something there for everyone, young and old alike. Lovely photos of Pod having such fun and being adventurous in her climbing, thanks for linking up and sharing all your outdoor fun with Country Kids.
There really is Fiona, it’s a fabulous place. Beautiful and so different depending on where you are too. Just wonderful 🙂
wow that looks such an amazing woodland. your little girl pulls some adorable faces too!
Thanks Sarah – she’s loving her face pulling!
Gorgeous photos and cool sunglasses! Seems like you all had a great time! 🙂 x
Fabulous time thank you, POD managed to do a lot of collecting too!
Sounds like a great place to go for walks. I love the expression in the last photo too!
#countrykids
A fabulous place to go Kriss, it’s a huge forest and so different depending where you are too. Fabulous 🙂
hahaha I am loving that picture of POD look at her face, oh Charly that did give me such a giggle, what a little character she is, she is definitely competing with daddy for the funny face award. It looks like a beautiful place, I love the Fee Fye Foe Fum chair xxx
Saw your Instagram pics of this, looked like a lovely day out – really must drive the family out to those woods myself! x
[…] Forest fun at Alice Holt is another favourite and provided great entertainment for POD. Cared for by the Forestry Commission, it offers walking, cycling trails and play areas. It’s home to Go Ape. […]