A Weekend Glamping with Featherdown Farms

We arrived at our Featherdown Farm canvas hideaway in Layer Marney, Essex, in the rain.  The older two children were sceptical, the younger ones unsure.  We played some games, ate dinner and eventually settled for the night in the (incredibly) comfy beds. The next morning I was prepared for cries of 'I'm bored' and 'there is nothing to do', and I definitely heard those from the tweens who are used to technology and activities all the time. I knew I needed to keep going though so I offered suggestions and let them work it out. 

It didn't take long at all until things changed. Before long their fingernails had turned brown, their hair looked like they had been climbing through hedges and the light of the campfire danced in their eyes. I had looked at what was around locally but that list went unused, we had everything we needed on site.  It was such a wonderful opportunity to do very little, but in the best way.  I don't know how long I have got before my elder ones take too long to revert to this childhood wildness so it felt like a really special chance to spent this time with them.  It was a detox from technology and modern life and a connection with nature that we all needed more than I knew.

We stayed at the Tudor site Layer Marney which is a small site with six canvas hideaways (named after the six wives of Henry VIII).  In the mornings we met the farmer at 8am to change the goats hay, feed the sheep and collect the chicken eggs and the children all loved getting stuck in with this.  For the rest of the day we alternated between cooking outside of our canvas hideaway, playing table tennis by the wood stores, going to the playground and back to see the animals and sitting around the fires.  The children were convinced their food tasted better after being cooked outdoors - even more so as the eggs came from the chickens on the farm.  They loved watching the fires, collecting more logs and of course roasting marshmallows over them.  They played together, they made friends with the children staying in the other canvas hideaways and they were wonderfully wild for the duration of our stay.

Our trip had been timed to coordinate with the Tudor Fayre being held at Layer Marney tower on the Sunday and there was a pass for the tower in our guidebook for everyone to use. The fayre was fantastic, with so many people dressed up demonstrating Tudor crafts and skills like weaving and arrow making.  There was live music, lots of games for the children to try out and birds of prey to admire.  All the children played 'the game with no name' with a Tudor man and raced wooden horses. I was delighted to see how reasonably priced the gift shop was as we love to bring home a souvenir and they enjoyed choosing something each.

Our canvas hideaway was a great size for the six of us (Due to work commitments it was just the five children and I).  It is divided into three rooms, one with a double bed, one with bunk beds and then the cupboard bed which was a brilliant den in the day if they wanted to chill out.  All of the beds had incredibly comfortable mattresses and warm duvets provided.  As we had booked with a baby we had a cot set up in my room too.  We had a toilet in our canvas hideaway and running water in the kitchen area, a table with enough chairs for us all, a sofa and a log burner in the middle of the room which we used to warm the hideaway and to boil the kettle.  Outside we had a private hot shower, a fire pit and a wood stove which we cooked on.  The hideaways were well spaced out so we had lots of privacy.

We arrived home late on Sunday evening smelling strongly of smoke with a bin bag full of dirty clothes, dirty fingernails and with a sense of contentment from a weekend well spent.  There are Featherdown Farms all over the UK with availability for this summer (and dates released for next summer too). I thought this would be the ideal getaway for my animal loving seven year old but it was exactly what my tweens needed too. Rex at 20 months was just delighted by the freedom and space as well and we definitely plan to visit again in the future.

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Five Days in Bournemouth with Kids

I feel like I barely got my camera out during the five days we spent in Bournemouth and it was lovely. After our week in South Wales which was all about the natural beauty and outdoor adventures, Bournemouth offered a different kind of holiday (still very beautiful).  We stayed in a Daish's hotel, something I have done before with the children.  They are quite old fashioned and designed mostly with an older generation in mind, but they also offer packages for families and include breakfast and dinner each day as well as prime seafront locations so it seemed a great choice for us.

We had to get two separate rooms (the downside of being a larger family) but they were next door to each other.  We were right on the Westcliff, only a stone's throw from the sea and had two of our meals each day covered.  The children loved the hotel and choosing their beds and it had everything we needed for a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

We didn't explore as far on this trip, making the most of everything that was within walking distance.  We visited the aquarium which was at the base of the pier, walked through the beautiful gardens and explored the shops.  We swam in the sea and played on the beach and found ourselves down on the sand every evening after dinner, running off the last of the days energy.  We walked down the pier at sunset to go on the helter skelter and I went running along the flat promenades which stretch for miles.

We spent a day at Adventure Wonderland, a small theme park for younger children (I exchanged Tesco Clubcard vouchers for tickets) and despite me being a bit apprehensive on arrival, we didn't leave until they were shutting the gates as the children were having so much fun.  There were a selection of rides, a soft play, playground, small pony area and a brilliant maze and it is a fun day out, probably best suited to children aged 3-8.

We also decided to spend a day exploring on public transport and Bournemouth had an open top bus route with plenty of places to get off and explore.  I grew up holidaying in Christchurch every year and I wanted to take the children to some of the places I remember from my childhood.  We stopped at Mudeford Quay and watched people crabbing, enjoying the beach and played in the fantastic playground.  We went along to Boscombe pier where you can play crazy golf with a ball made of fish food and shoot it into the sea at the end.  There were big rocks on the beach which they all loved climbing on and jumping off.

Bournemouth is a beautiful place to explore and there is so much for families.  We all agreed that it was friendly and somewhere we would go back to.  There is so much we didn't get to fit in but the slower pace suited us all and the evenings spent on the sand are some of my favourite summer memories.

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Days out in Kent - Bearsted Woods

This summer has seen us discovering more of the county we live in and one of the places we have visited recently and enjoyed is Bearsted Woods near Maidstone.  Also known as the People's wood, the area is a good size for exploring with small people as the walks are all a shorter length and there is a lovely play area too.  We took a picnic and found a great choice of tables to sit at and during the hours we spent there, I think we only saw one other family!

We crossed over a lake and saw a field of friendly goats and there were signs around the area telling us about insects and nature we could spot on the trails.  We found a maze mown into the ground and although it wasn't tall enough to get lost in, the kids loved finding their way through it.  One of their favourite features was a line of painted rocks that extended for many metres and we wished we had brought one with us to add to the snake of them along the side of the path.  The paths were wide and well maintained and the kids loved going off route to explore their own short cuts (which were usually much longer).

We planned our day so that the playground was at the end of our walk.  All through the woods there are 'trim trails' which are stations with instructions for specific exercises, like the monkey bars, balance beams and spots to do star jumps.  The main playground was great though and there was something for all ages.  If you live locally, it is a lovely place to spend an afternoon but there are no amenities in the woods so you do need to bring enough water and use the toilet before you arrive.  There is a small shop not far from the playground if you need to stock up on anything (we went on a very hot day and ran out of drinks before the end of it).  For any Pokemon Go enthusiasts, there are also lots of Pokestops and two gyms within the woods!

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Days Out in Kent - A Pokemon Trail

My friend has a woodland near her house that she often walks her dogs in and over lockdown, she found someone had made a trail through the woods for kids to follow.  In a time where our options were limited, finding something fun, free and naturally away from others was always a win and recently she made her own trail through the same woods with an A-Z of Pokemon.

I met up with her to take the kids on a hunt and she made special sheets for them to tick off all the Pokemon they found.  For the older ones just writing the first letter is perfect too as they can practice writing down what they have found.  She laminated her Pokemon and attached them securely to trees and on the back of each Pokemon you can find the name of it too.

I love how simple this is and my children had so much fun running through the trees finding the hidden creatures.  There is no reason why we can't make our own in the future (another reason to buy a laminator!).  I shared on Instagram stories the trail that we have followed and had so many responses, that I decided to pop it in a blog post so that I could share the printable and the directions for anyone local who may want to follow the trail.

Instructions to get there:

There's space to park on Candler's Way, Chartham, CT4 7TU. Go through the field with the zip line. Exit the field at the top left corner, walk past Cobbs Meadow RDA and turn left into the woods. Follow the path into the woods. There is a loop to your right which is where the trail is set out. The Pokemon A-Z poster lets you know you have found the start.

Save Me and Print Me

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Days Out in Kent - Reculver

Lockdown has made me realise how much there is to do in our local area.  We are so used to spending the school holidays and weekends exploring further afield when really we could spend more time discovering local gems and making the most of the landscape.  This week we visited Reculver, known mostly for the ruins that can be seen from miles away along the coast.  It is easy to reach by road (not so much by public transport) and we spent a long afternoon enjoying the sunshine and the park.

The ruins of the church are set on a small hill and are free to visit.  The children love climbing all over the walls and the sea is fenced off around.  There are plaques with more information and the views are spectacular.  Just down the hill from the ruins is a lovely playground surrounded by picnic benches.  All four of the children aged 4-9 loved the playground.  There were swings, slides, roundabouts and see saws as well as disabled swings which you need to bring your own harness for.  There was plenty of seating and the area is kept really clean.  There is a toilet block and two cafes on the site that serve ice cream, drinks and cakes as well as chips and basic food.  

Reculver connects along the coastline to Minnis Bay and you can walk or cycle along the promenade from here.  The car park for the ruins is spacious enough and costs £1.30 per hour.

My children loved exploring, they were fascinated by the ruins and they enjoyed the variety in the playground.  They are is part of a bigger country park and there are lots of walks and trails to discover more of the area as well as little pubs.  If you are looking to spend a day outdoors it is worth a visit and the children are looking forward to going back.

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