Haigh Woodland Park

Haigh Woodland Park, better known to most Wiganers as Haigh Hall, has long been a popular choice for a woodland walk, some fresh air, and its children play area. In recent years it has undergone a serious makeover, with a new look playground, and the addition of a high ropes course, adventure golf course, and foot golf course. Additionally, the courtyard which previously featured a cafe serving greasy chips, has now attracted several independent retailers, an excellent addition.

The play area has now reopened, with maximum capacity, and a play park marshall monitoring numbers. We'd already warned F that we would not be going on the play area on our visit; play areas just seem to be impossible places to social distance, never mind all the touchable surfaces. As we walked past, it was already at capacity, and the queue was extremely long. But in general, the investment in a new play area has certainly resulted in it becoming very popular, justifiably.

We've done the adventure golf previously, and I was impressed with how they'd tried to give it a vague Wigan theme. We are yet to try the foot golf, as F currently lacks the strength to have a proper go. In this new world we're navigating, pre-booking is now required for both. The high ropes course, whilst I'm sure appealing to some, doesn't look a patch on Go Ape (though is much cheaper), and is currently closed.

One longstanding and understandably popular attraction in Haigh Hall is the miniature railways, which are run by volunteers and travel along a lovely woodland route. They are usually only open weekends and school holidays, but that can vary. There is also a crazy golf course which is run by the Friends of Haigh. Both were closed during our Sunday visit today.

The Kitchen Courtyard, aside from containing the toilets, now houses several independent food and drink establishments. We got delicious takeaway sandwiches from All You Knead, and ice cream from Holdens. There is also a chocolate shop, a bar/brewery, a flower shop, and a couple of cafes.

Upstairs in the courtyard, there is a pottery painting gallery. We picked up several pieces, along with some paint and a brush, to takeaway today, and the owners were delightful. Plus they were an absolute bargain and will keep F entertained when the weather turns. As we spent over £10, we also got free car parking which was a nice bonus.

All in all, for a family day out, or even just a few hours of fresh air, Haigh Woodland Park is definitely still a strong choice.

http://www.haighwoodlandpark.co.uk/

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Walton Hall and Gardens

A suggestion from another Mum on Facebook led to us visiting Walton Park one overcast but dry Thursday along with two of Baby's friends, who are the same age. Daddy had a week's holiday from work so he also came.

On the South side of Warrington, it took us about half an hour, though for Baby's friends, who don't live as close to the motorway as we do, it took about 40 minutes, so it's not exactly around the corner. Sat nav took us straight there, though it did take us through the crematorium, which was signposted as no through traffic, presumably because sat nav has a tendency to direct people that way.

The car park was large, and rather empty when we arrived just before 10.30am, but jam packed when we left around 2pm. Parking was a flat rate of £3 for weekdays, and £4 on weekends.

Walking past the ice cream van, we immediately encountered a very helpful map of the park. We were aiming for the play area and zoo, but also intended to visit the cafe for lunch. There was also an adventure golf course, plus a pitch n putt area, as well as large green spaces, and formal gardens.

The play area was fantastic; I was so impressed. It was huge, with lots of play equipment, and seemed in very good condition. Unlike some parks, there was plenty of space between the difference pieces of equipment, so even when it got busy later on, it still didn't feel too chaotic.

The usual pieces of play equipment were present: four baby swings, four normal swings, a see saw, a roundabout, climbing frames and slides. The single slide was set amongst several teletubby style hills, and there were a range of musical tubes. However, what really set this park apart was its suitability for toddlers. 

The main play area was described as suitable for children aged 3-7, with a separate, well equipped, area for bigger children aged 7-11, meaning that there were fewer older children tearing around the play area knocking into smaller children, which often happens at other parks. The roundabout had four enclosed seats, similar to those used for baby swings, and there was a separate climbing structure with just a couple of steps up, well placed handrails and small slides, that was perfect for toddlers.

Because the park was relatively quiet when we arrived, our babies were able to go on the slightly bigger climbing frame, with its taller slides, too, though they struggled to get up the steps or lower themselves onto the slides, independently.

The play area for older children was in a separate fenced area, so we didn't investigate it, but the kids in there were having a whale of a time.

The Children's Zoo was just past the playground. For a free zoo, it was really impressive. The enclosures were pretty large, and while the animals weren't particularly exotic, there was plenty for the babies to took at. It was quite a mix, with squirrels and rabbits alongside ferrets and chickens, in addition to farmyard staples such as horses, goats, donkeys and pigs. Adding something a little different, the main enclosure housed three llamas. Of all things, the babies loved looking at the chickens, presumably because they moved a lot.

When tummies started to rumble, we headed for the Heritage Cafe. It was bigger than expected, with a reasonable variety of toasties, panini, and sandwiches. There were also hot sausage rolls and pasties, and children's lunch bags ready made up, featuring sandwiches, yoghurts and jelly pouches. Three sandwiches and two drinks cost around £14, so the food prices were very reasonable.

All in all, a very successful day out. The free zoo was a lovely addition to the park, and the play area was excellent. We'll definitely be back.




Key Facts

Month of visit:
April

Weather for visit:
Overcast but dry.

Is it pushchair friendly?
Very, paths are wide and flat.

How are the baby changing facilities?
There are toilets next to the play area, and near the cafe. We used the baby changing in the female toilets near the cafe. They were acceptably clean but very cold.

What about somewhere to feed?
Plenty of benches around the park, and the cafe had some comfortable chairs.

Is it worth a visit?
Definitely.

Baby's highlight?
The swings.



Walton Hall and Gardens,
Walton Lea Road,
Higher Walton,
Warrington,
Cheshire,
WA4 6SN


https://www.warrington.gov.uk/waltongardens