Day Out ideas for Kent/East Sussex Border

dinky73

Hi

We are off to a rented cottage for Easter week and as I don't know this area well thought I could get some ideas from here. We are a couple in our early thirties with a 5yr old daughter. We plan to be out and about each day and don't mind a drive of about an hour to get somewhere if it's worth going.

We aren't far from the East Sussex coast but I don't know much about what to do in that area of Kent (near Tonbridge).

Good ideas would be theme parks, farm parks, child friendly musuems, parks, playgrounds, soft play places, child friendly pubs in the area, castles, stately homes with gardens, play areas etc, steam railways.

Any ideas welcome.

Many thanks
dinks :j

vikingaero

Depends how far you are willing to travel and how busy it might be.

One hour from Tonbridge will get you to:

Leeds Castle
Godstone Farm & Playbarn
Drusillas near Eastbourne
Eastbourne Minature Steam Railway
Kent & East Sussex Railway
Hastings
Dickens World in Chatham
Chatham Historic Dockyard
Museum of Kent Life in Maidstone
Shopping :rolleyes: at Lakeside, Bluewater or Royal Victoria Place in Tunbridge Wells or McArthur Glen Designer Outlet in Ashford

That's all I can think of at the moment.

shaileytuff

Live in kent with 2 daughters aged 5 and 2, dh and i are in our 30s here is a few things we enjoy doing with the girls :

Leeds castle, fantastic place whole day out, lots of actvities going on during school hols, as well as they castle there are huge grounds, take bread to feed the ducks/swans, huge play areas, maze, avairy, wonderful realxing day out.

Groombridge Place with the enchanted forest very near tonbridge (not sure where google it) lovely place and the boat trip that takes you up to the forest it dleightful with probably the best face painter ever situated here!

Druisillas comes highly recommended although not been before friends with small children rave about it.

They are a bit outdoorsy so if the weather is poor then a bit limited i am afrain although there is a great leisure complex, mote park in maidstone which as well as swimming have indoor play area and big slides you ride in sacks etc.

There is always the indoor ice rink at gillingham too

Would probably give dickens world a miss it is aimed at children 9+ and at 12.50 entrance may be a waste of money

vikingaero

shaileytuff wrote: »

Druisillas comes highly recommended although not been before friends with small children rave about it.

I can highly recommend Drusillas. We had annual membership until last year even though we live 1 & 1/2 hours away. When DD1 started school and we had all those birthday parties to attend we found we were hardly using our membership. Drusillas is better when the weather is good. Check the forecasts before going. They do have Amazon Adventure, their indoor softplay, but the rest of the attractions are outside.

Would probably give dickens world a miss it is aimed at children 9+ and at 12.50 entrance may be a waste of money

We went to Dickens World on Mothers Day. Under 5's are free and Mothers were free too (as we booked a table at the restaurant). It "can" be a place for younger kids. It does depend on your kids though. The advantage of Dickens World is that it is one of the few Kent attractions completely inside and not subject to inclement weather. Our two girls are 4 & 5 and they loved the place. Once you walk up the stairs it can seem very scary to younger kids and the boat ride is dark too. Our two had no problem because they are used to dark scary places if there are other visitors around. There is Fagins Den inside, a soft play area, and Pegattys Boathouse which shows a 3D cartoon style show about Dickens. In the centre courtyard they have theatrical shows and our girls love watching these. If your kids are boys toys types then they may not enjoy it.

Xpaced

Do Druisillas allow much petting of the animals? Trying to organise a day out for my girlfriend (23, but loves touching animals!), would it be weird going there without any children?

Hastings sea life centre would be good for a little'un!

Thanks

vikingaero

They have a Farmyard section where you can pet the cow, pigs, goats, donkey, and shetlands. The Farmyard is the only place where they have a hand wash station.

Xpaced

Great, thanks! Does anyone know what the "petting" is like at Godstone? I sound obsessed!

dinky73

Wow, thanks everybody. What great replies. That has definitely given me a lot to think about! Seems like there is loads to do in the area and it's great getting recommendations from people who have actually been there before.

Fingers crossed the weather is fine and we can do all the wonderful outdoor stuff suggested.

Thanks again to everyone who replied.

dinks

vikingaero

Xpaced wrote: »

Great, thanks! Does anyone know what the "petting" is like at Godstone? I sound obsessed!

Godstone is a full on petting farm. Loads of washstations and gel squirty points around the animals. Again it is better in nice weather and as a farm it can get muddy and mucky so take wellies and spare shoes.

aloiseb

Drusilla's used to have sessions where one of the keepers had a few beasts out and they got passed around for you to touch them if you wanted.I don't know if this still happens as I haven't been for 2 or 3 years, but my children used to think it was cool. There are few tarantulas in most petting zoos.

Apart from the animals....The playground at Drusilla's is so fabulous that my son (8) keeps asking if we can have his party there! - they have Everything a boy could want. However I did haved some anxious half-hours there when he was 3 or 4 because it's huge and not very enclosed. He'd just dash off into the Monkey Puzzle (enormous complex of ramps, towers and rope bridges, with several exits?:eek:!!**"?) and disappear.......Apart from this you can sit there for hours with your flask of coffee while they rush around using up lots of energy- bliss!

Otehr places which are good are Bodiam Castle (real moat, as seen on Adam Hart-Davis' programme) which is NT (join at Quidco, save £20) It's not far from the steam railway at Tenterden. There's also the Bluebell line which runs for more of the year, near Cuckfield. There is another very fairy sort of garden owned by NT, Emmets - hope i'm remembering right, but I think it had toadstool chairs at the picnic area, and lots of good trees to climb.

Have a happy holiday!

chivers1977

The South of England Rare Breeds Centre (google rare breeds centre and it is first) which is nr Ashford so maybe too far is really great. It is not too big but you can go into the paddock with friendly sheep and goats to pet and they have piglets, and cows to pet. There is a softplay area, indoor rope swing area, outdoor play, tractor rides, big lake etc etc. It is cheap IMHO only £7 IMRC for adults. We had a great time two weeks ago. It is lambing in April!!!