Lyme Park

My first Mothers Day, and Baby had shown herself to be a baby genius by organising a day out for Mummy. She'd very generously invited Daddy too.

It was a secret destination with a secret lunch reservation, but Mummy realised where we were going when we approached the entrance to Lyme Park, as Daddy needed to show Mummy's lifetime membership card to gain free parking.

The heavy snowfall the previous day had shut the estate, and there was clear evidence of this everywhere. The car park was rather muddy, and there were banks of snow that had obviously been piled up as staff attempted to clear it. The house only opened at 11am and we were there not too long after, so it wasn't too busy. There were plenty of dog walkers putting muddy dogs back into cars so the grounds are clearly a popular early morning walking spot. As we left, the car park was getting busy, though there was still the odd space or two.

With plenty of time to spare before our lunch reservation we decided to visit the house first. We were greeted at the courtyard entrance by a friendly volunteer who pointed out the buggy park, toilets and ticket office for us. We had taken the carrier in anticipation of the no pushchair rule. The buggy park wasn't particularly large, but it did have locks provided which was a nice touch. There were also lockers in which we could store coats and changing bag until needed, no charge.

A quick trip to the ticket office and we were ready to visit the house.

Every room guide we met was friendly and keen to share their knowledge, with at least one or two going out of their way to interest and entertain children walking around with their parents. There didn't seem to be (though I must admit I didn't go out of my way to look for one) a trail for children to follow, and there were a couple of children who seemed to be rather bored.

One particularly interesting feature which I haven't seen before, was the costume department, where children and adults could dress up in Edwardian clothing, and then visit the rest of the house, or the tearooms, or even the grounds in their new attire. We didn't give it a go on this occasion, but it seemed a popular idea.

Mummy and Daddy enjoyed their visit; the house was larger than I had realised, with some interesting history to it. There weren't too many people wandering round either which meant we could take our time (as much as Baby would allow) to view all of the rooms.

After a quick change and feed for Baby, we made our way to the Cellar for our reservation. Although the reservation was for afternoon tea, Daddy has made it for lunchtime, because he knew Mummy wouldn't be able to wait til mid afternoon to eat.

There weren't too many tables in the Ale Cellar so I was glad we had a reservation. In fact I think it may have been reservation only. There is an afternoon tea on offer usually but this was a special one being offered for Mothers Day.

Tea and coffee were included, but any other drinks were extra. As I don't drink tea or coffee we had to add on a soft drink. The table wasn't very big, even just having the drinks on the table made it very crowded, so when the food stand arrived it was tough to find space. Even tougher was making sure everything was far enough from Baby to prevent her getting her hands on anything.

The afternoon tea was scrumptious. A good selection of sandwiches, plus scones and small squares of cake. Daddy ate most of the sandwiches and Mummy ate most of the cakes. There were two of each cake, which included brownies, victoria sandwich and lemon drizzle. There were plenty of sandwiches too. Staff were more than happy to put the leftover cake in a takeaway box for us, when we were too full to continue. I did hear another (quite large) party further down complaining that there wasn't enough food, but there was more than enough for us.

A lovely first Mothers Day in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food.


Key Facts:

Month of visit:
March

Weather for visit:
Sunny but very cold. Heavy snowfall the previous day had actually shut Lyme Park.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Not particularly. Pushchairs aren't allowed in the house for obvious reasons. There is a buggy park with chains to lock your pushchair up by the entrance, and they loan slings to carry babies around the house. On a previous visit in October we took the pushchair around the woods, and whilst although the initial paths were fine, once in the woods, they were very muddy and the pushchair wheels got so clogged with mud they just stopped turning.

How are the baby changing facilities?
We used the ones in the house, which looked like they had been refurbished very recently and were lovely and clean. There was a specific baby changing room, next to the ladies toilet, which had a drop down unit, sink and chair. Last time we were there we used the changing facilities by the woods, which were reasonably cold, and just acceptably clean.

What about somewhere to feed?
There was a specific room in the for feeding with a comfy chair and a microwave. It was very small though so only room for one person. Plenty of cafe options too.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes. Especially for older children who will love the adventure playground in the woods, and the large grounds to explore. The room guides were all very friendly and made a big fuss of Baby which allowed Mummy and Daddy to get a little bit of culture.

Baby's highlight?
The large mirrors in some of the rooms; Baby loves to look at her reflection.


Lyme Park,
Disley,
Stockport,
Cheshire,
SK12 2NR

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme

Smithills Open Farm

This farm had been recommended by a few different people, so after the success of Wimpole Farm on holiday we decided to give it a try.

We used sat nav, but as we got close, sat nav wanted to send us in a different direction to the brown signs pointing to Smithills Country Park. We decided to follow the signs, and this turned out to be the correct decision. The farm signs weren't great however. We missed the turning for the entrance, as from the side we approached (turning right into the gate) there was only a sign for Smithills Hall. After we'd driven past, looking back I saw a sign for the farm. Luckily there was a little turning place; presumably we're not the first to have made this mistake. Once we'd driven into the park, we found another sign. However, the arrow wasn't particularly clear, and at first we took the left, rather than the right fork. Finding our way blocked, we backtracked and drove up a road that looked as if it would just lead to a housing estate. Continuing, we arrived at the farm, and found our way to the car park. Clearer and more frequent signage would definitely not go amiss.

The car park was busier than I'd expect for a cold Monday in term time. At the ticket desk, we paid £7 for each adult, Baby was free. The girl on the desk offered donkey rides, tractor rides and animal feed for an additional charge, but we declined. Walking round, it was very clear that the animals are used to being fed by visitors, they would stick their heads above and through fences as soon as we even thought about walking past them.

By the entrance there was a large board with the times of various activities happening that day. We saw one other visitor taking a photo on her phone, which proved a good idea as an aide memoire.

We were given a map when we bought our tickets, but it wasn't particularly useful. I found it a tad confusing as entrances/exits/through routes for each of the barns weren't noted. After walking round, I could just about understand it, but if I was using it to navigate to a specific barn I think I would have struggled.

We first walked through an animal barn containing pigs, alpacas, horses and sheep. Baby looked, but didn't seem particularly interested. It was freezing cold so I'd decided to put her in the pram rather than the carrier, perhaps this meant she was less engaged.

Through the other side of the barn we could see the toilets, so I took Baby to be changed. Clean nappy on, we found the cafe, for some much needed warmth. Burgers, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, toasties, plus breakfasts, all at very reasonable prices. The food took longer to arrive than expected, but at least that suggests it was freshly cooked. The egg from Grandpa's egg and bacon barm was also missing, but we didn't want to wait another twenty minutes for them to redo it, so he just ate his eggless barm. The cafe was not that big, around twelve to fifteen tables from memory. When we arrived, at 12pm, we took the last table. By the time we left there were a handful of free tables, but I can imagine that at peak times at weekends and during holidays it's very difficult to get a table. There did seem to be plenty of highchairs available and there were some picnic tables outside.

Baby was too little to ride the donkeys, but as no-one was riding them, we took Baby over for a look. All three looked very sad, but then as every Winnie the Pooh fan knows, that does tend to be their natural expression. We could hear a talk being given whilst the cows were being milked so we walked into that barn, but there were steps up to the viewing platform (though only a handful) so I didn't take Baby's pram up there. This barn also housed lots of calves and a couple of very inquisitive llama, who were interested in chewing Baby's pram, when no animal feed was forthcoming. There were also goats, donkeys and lambs.

As we made our way through the barn, the staff told us that Pets Corner was about to start, if we wanted to join in. I was a bit dubious about this, as previous experience Pets Corners has involved one animal being held by staff while it is mobbed by lots of boisterous children. This one was different, and much more organised and calm (for the most part). Bales of hay around the edge provided seating, with just one step up so we kept Baby in her pram and took a seat.

First up were some lambs. Bottles were handed out to visitors, (including Grandma), and then the lambs were let loose. They clearly know the drill as they were racing around to find the bottles. Staff kept an eye on them and once a lamb had finished a bottle, it was scooped up and put back in its pen, to ensure that all the lambs were able to feed. The staff then collected the empty bottles in. I'm glad I kept Baby in her pram for this bit as the lambs were very energetic.

Next was a baby goat. The staff brought him round to each family one at a time, allowing them a minute or so to stroke the goat. I took Baby out of her pram and used her hand to stroke it, and she loved it. Further animals introduced in this manner included a baby donkey, piglet, and even an owl. There was also a snake, which was draped over four unsuspecting volunteers in the middle of the barn, and children were invited up to touch it. Mummy does not like snakes so Grandma took a very brave Baby to stroke it. Baby was more interested in stroking the fur collar on the lady holding the snake!

At the end, the staff brought out chicks and handed them out to each family. We declined, as Baby wasn't quite ready to be holding animals by herself. Rabbits were also offered, we just let Baby stroke one being held by a member of staff briefly, rather than actually taking one to hold.

Staff had made sure to reiterate the importance of hand washing, so we took Baby to wash her hands before finding the weird and wonderful section, and Meerkat Mountain. Back in her pram, Baby was unable to see most of the weird and wonderful animals (owls, skunks, coati among others) because of the mesh enclosures, and because they weren't particularly easy to distinguish from their surroundings, colourwise. On our first walk past there were no meerkats to be seen, and although one had appeared when we walked back down, the walls were too high for Baby to see over in her pram.

We visited the cow barn, which also contained goats and horses, before starting to walk around the field enclosures. Unfortunately the terrain proved too much for our pram, and so we turned back, although I don't think we really missed much, as the animals in these enclosures weren't particularly close to the fences and so would have been difficult for Baby to see.

All in all, a nice little farm for a day out, with the added bonus of the well organised Pets Corner giving Baby a new experience.


Key facts:
Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit:
Very very cold, but dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes. The main barns have wide paths that pose no problems for a pushchair. The enclosures further out (behind the cow barn) had more gravelly paths, and I turned back, as pushing along there was proving too difficult.

How are the baby changing facilities?
I was very disappointed with the facilities. There were two sets of baby changing, one next to the women's toilets and one next to the men's, though when I used them, I didn't realise there was a second room. I had to leave the pram outside the one in the ladies as I couldn't get it in, and close the door, which was a very wide door. Equally, I had to walk in, then close the door, before I could put the baby changing unit down. Thankfully Grandpa was on hand to hold onto the pram while Grandma and I changed Baby.

Next challenge was the baby changing unit itself. Covered in dried mud, and requiring a good clean before I could put Baby down. To clean it, Grandma had to use the tap, the water from which was icy cold. As someone who prefers to use cotton wool and water rather than wipes (and indeed had forgotten wipes this day!), this was not good. Additionally, it was so cold in there (no heating) that Baby was shivering even before I'd started to undress her. Next time I'd change Baby in the car. It might not be any warmer but it would definitely be cleaner. When we discovered the second set of baby changing by the gents we had a quick look, but unfortunately that room wasn't any cleaner.

What about somewhere to feed?
Freezing cold with nowhere to sit in the baby changing, so I fed in the cafe. It's only a small cafe however, so if there was a queue for tables I would have felt a bit time pressured.

Is it worth a visit?
Yes, especially if you have mobile children, who can get involved in feeding, milking, tractor rides etc. Even for Baby the Pets Corner proved a big success. I'd imagine it gets very busy at weekends though.

Baby's highlight?
Pets Corner.

Smithills Open Farm

Smithills Dean Road,

Bolton,

Greater Manchester,

BL1 7NR

http://www.smithillsopenfarm.co.uk/index.php

Anglesey Abbey Gardens

We knew that the house wasn't open during our visit, but the key attraction at this time of year is the snowdrops in the garden, rather than the house anyway. Grandma is keen on nature so she really wanted to go and see the snowdrops.

We started with some lunch in the cafe. A wide variety of hot food and an even wider variety of cakes. Plenty of seating, but it was very busy, and there was a constant stream of people looking for tables. Usually it didn't take more than a few minutes to find one, as most people were too keen to see the snowdrops whilst the weather was dry, to linger.

Pram issues meant that Baby was in the carrier, but it was quite cold, so we walked reasonably quickly. Despite the busy car park, the gardens didn't feel crowded at all.

The route around the gardens is a circular one, with very few places where you are required to choose a direction. The path in the first part of the route was lined with a variety of plants, including the famed snowdrops. Beautiful colours contrasted and caught Baby's eye as we walked along. Leafy green plants, expansive red twig like bushes, low lying purple plants. So many plants lining the route meant that I was able to help Baby touch some plants to feel the different textures.

We moved into an area with taller plants, including plenty of trees. Baby particularly liked some tall trees with silver bark, offset against a backdrop of green hedges and dark soil.

We then reached the mill. It was open, and selling flour, but it was very busy so we didn't go in. I get a bit antsy around crowds of people anyway, but with Baby strapped to my chest, the potential for people bumping into her was just too much for me to contemplate.

The next part of the walk took us along the river (beware those with more mobile children, there is no fence along here), until we reached the house, with the final part of the walk again taking us through more formal gardens, back to the shop, tearoom and toilets.

All in all, a lovely walk, that Baby very much enjoyed, as she was able to get up close to everything. She also loved the attention she received being in the carrier.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit:
Sunny but cold

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes, the paths around the garden are wide, gravelled and although there were one or two puddles/muddy patches these were easily avoided, even after heavy rain.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There is one baby changing room in the visitor centre, which also had a toilet in it. It was clean, but when we used it, there was quite a long queue forming due to it being the only one there.

What about somewhere to feed?
No chair in the baby changing, but I fed in the cafe with no issues.

Is it worth a visit?
Baby loved the fresh air and the variety of colours in the garden, we'll definitely be going back.

Baby's highlight?
The red bushes and the little voles.

Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill

Quy Road,

Lode,

Cambridge,

Cambridgeshire,

CB25 9EJ

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/anglesey-abbey-gardens-and-lode-mill

Wimpole Home Farm

Another National Trust property, and baby's first experience of farm animals. The Hall wasn't open when we visited because of the season, but we would only have wanted to go round the farm anyway, as doing the hall and the farm both in one day would have been too much for Baby.

February half term meant that it was very busy. The car park was full, which meant we were directed onto the overflow car park, also known as a field. Lots of rain in previous days meant the field was very muddy. Wellies would have been a good idea but unfortunately we hadn't taken any. Pushing the pram from the car over to the entrance was very hard work and in the end we carried it for the last stretch, as the wheels were caked in mud and no longer turning.

Arriving at the farm we were greeted by donkeys and goats. Through the entrance there were cows in a large central pen. Unfortunately Baby had fallen asleep on the walk from the estate entrance to the farm entrance (a good 5-10 minute walk), so we made our way straight to the cafe. The previous day's outing had shown us how busy it could be, and on a previous pre-Baby visit the cafe had run out of jacket potatoes (its main hot food offering) so we wanted to have lunch early anyway.

As expected, the cafe was very busy. There were no free seats inside, but as Baby was snug in her pram we decided to sit outside, where there were a handful of tables under cover, as well as plenty of picnic tables. The queue was so long however that by the time food arrived, Baby was just waking up. Jacket potatoes, soup, pasties and sandwiches formed the main savoury options, with the usual wide selection of cakes most National Trust places are so good at offering.

After lunch, and a quick change and feed for Baby, her five year old cousin had a quick play on the tractors. These are the delight of little children, with their bright colours and free turning pedals, and the dread of parents, who usually have to bend over double to push their children who haven't quite got the strength to turn the pedals fast enough to make the tractor move.

A suitable amount of energy expended, it was off to see the animals. The barn with the sheep, including two little lambs, offered yet another opportunity for Baby's cousin to burn some energy. Hay bales occupied half the barn space, the perfect height for climbing on, and well spaced out to allow for jumping in-between.

Outside the sheep barn there was a meet and greet with Jacob the shire horse. Baby wasn't quite sure what to make of the very large horse, even when Mummy and Auntie showed her that it was a very friendly horse who was quite willing to have his nose stroked.

Beyond Jacob's vast body, Baby spotted some animals which seemed a more approachable size: several white geese, who honked as Auntie took Baby to see them. Next were some chickens, followed by some cows with very large horns, who were more interested in their lunch than in Baby. The other shire horses in their stables were also having lunch, so Baby saw more of their backends than of their faces. The goats were slightly politer, at least looking at Baby while they ate.

Baby has a book, bought by Grandma and Grandpa when they visited Scotland, called Harry the Highland Cow, and a cuddly toy to match. So Grandma was very pleased to see that the cows in the big pen included a Highland Cow. Unfortunately this Harry had decided he wanted to have a bit of a lie down and a rest in the corner, making him difficult for Baby to see. Perhaps sensing Grandma's disappointment, another (white) cow decided to take a liking to Baby, and followed her as we walked round the pen. Mummy and Baby kept a safe distance because of the cow's long sharp horns which he has been known to stick through the fence, but Auntie was braver and tried to stroke the nose pushed through the fence. The cheeky cow quickly stuck his tongue out and gave Auntie's hand a big slobbery lick. 'Like very wet sandpaper' apparently.

Hands suitably washed, next up were some shetland ponies. The perfect size for little children to ride. These were followed by a visit to the piggery, which was bursting with little piglets, born in the late Summer and Autumn. We saw one little piggy which was born three days after Baby. One pen had seventeen piglets in it, who all jumped up and ran around when their food arrived, which amused Baby muchly. Not so entertaining was a rather large pig who grunted very loudly at Baby, making her cry for a moment or two.

With Baby all tired out from seeing so many new animals, we left Baby's cousin to expend yet more energy on the adventure playground and headed back to the car, making sure to stop at the gift shop on the way out for a stamp for Baby's National Trust Visitor's Passport.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit
Sunny and dry, but not overly warm.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Usually, yes. The path down to the farm from the entrance is wide and gravelly, and once you're in the farm, it's mostly concrete. On this occasion though, I found myself wishing I'd taken the carrier, as the mud in the car park was horrendous. We drove past the following day and saw a sign stating that heavy rain overnight had forced them to close the car park, so worth thinking about recent weather when planning your visit.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There are baby changing facilities in the entrance courtyard area, which we didn't use, and in the farm area itself, by the cafe, which we did use. It was a separate baby changing room, but it was so small that prams would have to be left outside. There was a large sink which someone had obviously used to clean their boots, a changing table, a nappy bin and a plastic chair. No heating, so it was very cold, as it was a cold day. Even in Summer I should imagine it remains quite cold in there. The lock on the door didn't work at the time of our visit which meant we were constantly having to tell people we were using it, and would have been very inconvenient while I was feeding Baby, had Grandma not been on hand to keep the door shut. As there was only one room, there was a small queue to use it.

What about somewhere to feed?
As mentioned above, I fed Baby in the baby changing room, more due to lack of any other alternative than because it was particularly suitable. Had the cafe not been so busy, I probably would have fed in there, where it would have been warmer and cleaner, but as there were no free tables inside, we sat outside, and feeding outside on a freezing cold day wasn't really an option.

Is it worth a visit?
Definitely. Children and babies alike will love seeing the different animals, and Wimpole has thoughtfully provided areas for children to let off steam. They also offer a variety of activities throughout the day, such as meeting the shire horses, meeting rabbits, and watching the animals being fed. In the Summer, there are also horse drawn carts which take visitors down to the farm.

Baby's highlight?
Seeing the piglets running around, being honked at by geese, and watching her cousin play on the hay bales!

Wimpole Estate

Arrington,

Royston,

Cambridgeshire,

SG8 0BW

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wimpole-estate

National Trust Museum of Childhood at Sudbury

February half term saw us take Baby on her very first holiday, to Cambridge, to visit some family. As it's roughly a four hour drive, and Baby has never gone further than 1.5 hours in her car seat before, as well as the recommendation being to not let babies stay in car seats for longer than two hours at a time, we needed a stop half way. Being National Trust life members, a National Trust property was the obvious choice, and Grandma (who was in charge of the map) suggested Sudbury, with its Museum of Childhood.

The car park was busy, Grandma and Grandpa repeatedly commented on how they'd never seen it so busy, though Grandpa also repeatedly pointed out that it was half term, and we should have expected it to be busy. We were directed to what appeared to be an almost full overflow car park. As the museum had only opened half an hour earlier, I suspect some people arriving slightly later might not have been able to park.

A five minute walk (including crossing a busyish road) led us to the entrance to the courtyard containing the shop, cafe, toilets, and museum entrance. Sudbury Hall wasn't open the day we visited.

Our first stop was the cafe, but unfortunately the queue was extremely long and there was a distinct lack of tables. Many families had chosen to use the picnic tables outside, but breastfeeding a baby outside on a freezing cold day wasn't particularly appealing. We decided to try a pub round the corner which was advertising hot food, but here again we were out of luck. No free tables and a small queue already.

Back to the courtyard we walked. I reasoned that Baby needed a change and a feed anyway, so whilst I took care of that, Grandma and Grandpa would queue, and we'd see how far they'd got by the time I'd sorted Baby out. We were in luck, as the queue had gone down significantly, so Grandma and Grandpa had been served and found a table when Baby and I joined them.

Suitably nourished, we made our way to the Museum entrance, where there was a queue to get in. There was a buggy park outside, which was very full. An open sided marquee style covering had been erected but I doubt this would have provided much protection in the event of any actual rain, and it was so busy that prams were being left outside its confines anyway.

There were several themed areas, including work, school, babies, stories and toys. The work area included several role play sections, but we skipped these as Baby obviously isn't old enough and there was congestion with all the kids wanting to have a go. The rest of the museum was much less crowded.

On certain days children can experience a lesson in the schoolroom, and there are other interactive features around the museum, including a dress up section and the opportunity to play with various toys. There are also exhibits behind glass. In the baby section there were some toys especially suited to babies, including a Spot the Dog that Baby took a particular shine to.

Grandma has visited before (apparently with Mummy, who has no recollection of the visit) and said it has changed a lot since then, a statement one of the volunteers heartily agreed with. Hopefully next time we visit the Hall will be open too.


Key facts:

Month of visit:
February

Weather for visit:
Sunny and mild.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Yes and no. If your child can walk, and is likely to walk around, you are encouraged to leave pushchairs outside. When the museum gets busy, if everyone were to take a pram round there'd be no space to walk past, as some of the corridors are quite narrow. However, we did take the pram round because Baby can get quite heavy, and found corridors/walkways easy to navigate, plus there was lift access to every floor, albeit with a very small lift.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There is a baby changing room in the courtyard, next to the gents toilets. A slightly strange set up, there is an area with a toilet, sink and a single chair, with rather a lot of spare floor space, with a lockable door. Outside of this, there is a fold down changing table. Once someone is using the changing table it becomes awkward for anyone to get in/out of the toilet however. Whoever designed the space clearly didn't have a baby themselves. Having only one changing table also meant there was constantly a queue. For those keen on cotton wool/water, rather than wipes, note that this is impossible here as the sink is far too far away from the changing table.

What about somewhere to feed?
If you can find a seat in the cafe, there's nothing to stop you feeding in there. There is a mezzanine level which might offer fewer passers by, but sitting there would require leaving pushchairs downstairs. The baby changing facility had a single chair, which I used, however the constant queue made me feel under pressure to hurry baby along, which wasn't ideal.

Is it worth a visit?
Children will appreciate going up the Victorian chimney and working in a scullery, though they may find the exhibits in cases less entertaining. It's not the biggest museum, so won't keep you occupied all day, but the grounds are good for letting off steam and there certainly seemed to be many families enjoying them in addition to visiting the museum. Less worthwhile for babies, who can't partake in the activities and aren't that interested in the static glass cases.

Baby's highlight?
Spot the Dog. The cabinet with various teddy bears in it, including Paddington and Winnie the Pooh, was also a big hit.

National Trust Museum of Childhood

Main Road,

Sudbury,

Ashbourne,

Derbyshire,

DE6 5HT

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sudbury-hall-and-the-national-trust-museum-of-childhood