Much as I love the Surrey countryside, it’s nice to escape to the beach too. We’re kind of spoilt where we live as we can be by the seaside within an hour. West Wittering is one of our favourite spots and I adore all the colourful beach huts down there. There’s a great mix between the freshly painted ones and those in need of some love. This was such an impromptu trip, we left without our wellies but that wasn’t going to stop us having a good time.
It was one of those days where it was drizzly outdoors but we were craving fresh air. By the time we reached Claremont, the rain was slightly heavier but we were itching to blow away those cobwebs. It always makes me laugh as parents we’ll head out whatever the weather whereas in years gone by we’d probably be more inclined to stay in the warm. Claremont is a wonderful spot though, the estate was once a dukes’ retreat and a playground for princesses and Queen Victoria.
We’ve had many great trips to Brighton in the past. Fatboy Slim playing an open gig on the seafront was certainly one of the most memorable. Some 250,000 people rocked up to see him play one hot summer’s day – over 4 times what the organisers expected. Those pre-parenting days seem a lifetime ago although of course we wouldn’t have it any other way. While POD always enjoys the likes of West Wittering, we made an impromptu trip to Brighton recently as we’d not visited for a while and she’d never been.
Just before POD went back to school, we escaped to Hatchlands Park in the Surrey Hills. Managed by the National Trust, there are a whopping 400 acres of parkland to discover so it’s an ideal spot for blowing away the cobwebs. There’s plenty to keep POD occupied from climbing trees to exploring the natural play area which has its own tree house. This last visit coincided with a trail which involved following the story of Morris and Callum – the Hatchlands Park donkeys.
We’ve been fans of the Alice Holt Forest in Hampshire since we moved from London to Guildford. I seem to remember my first visit was in 2011 when I was on maternity leave and we’ve gone ever since. Managed by the Forestry Commission, these woods are located just a few miles south of Farnham in Surrey. They provide the perfect stomping ground for POD what with the adventure trails and natural play areas which have always suited our little climber. There was something a little bit special about our last visit though in that the light was just superb.
The letter from Father Christmas sat on the mantlepiece until POD returned from after school club. She was thrilled to discover she was one of the children invited to help the elves in a secret toy factory at LaplandUK.
There’s much to see in Surrey and we’re truly spoilt especially at this time of the year. Somewhere I have to visit in autumn is Winkworth Arboretum. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a picturesque sight throughout the seasons but when those red, orange and yellow hues arrive – it’s quite spectacular. And the clever planting of their maples, oaks and rowans ensures the views are impressive and last for weeks. The arboretum has been looked after by the National Trust for some 60 years now.
As fans of the great outdoors, we love nothing more than escaping to blow away a few cobwebs. There are a wide variety of places to choose from in Surrey and the surrounding area with one of the favourites the beautiful Alice Holt forest.
This summer marks our sixth year in Surrey. While we’ll always have a fondness for the big smoke, that pre-parenting life seems such a long time ago now. We wouldn’t change it for the world though, five year old POD has grown up in the countryside, just as we did albeit in different counties.
Having recently visited the glorious Hatchlands Park to see the bluebells, we were back to show POD their swanky new treehouse. Managed by the National Trust, Hatchlands Park is a superb place for families especially. As well as the mansion, there’s more green space than you can shake a stick at, lots of trees to climb and an adventure play area. Oh and at this time of year bluebells too.
