Aldenham Country Park
With its Winnie-the-Pooh 100 Aker Wood trail, brilliant adventure playground, pony rides, monkey nets and farm there is absolutely loads for children of all ages to enjoy at Aldenham Country Park . It’s a big park comprising of 160 acres of parkland, farmland and lakeside walks. The 100 Aker Wood trail is free to enjoy and an appropriate size for toddlers to walk around. We loved throwing pooh sticks from the bridge, seeing all the character’s houses (although Pooh’s which we thought would be open wasn’t when we visited) and spotting the bees nest in the trees. Some of it is a bit weather-worn and could do with a lick of paint, but that didn’t seem to bother my little boy. It was REALLY muddy when we went so take your wellies unless you visit during warm weather.
If you’re keen to make the most of your trip then there are some other activities on offer including a small farm. We decided not to go in as it’s £3 per person and we have visited so many elsewhere! There’s also pony rides, monkey nets and a climbing pole. My toddler’s a bit too young to enjoy them, but if you’re interested then there’s a price list (correct Feb 2016) included in my gallery of pictures. There’s an additional indoor facility for people with special educational needs (we had a peak inside – there’s a lovely little sensory room, a small ball pool and toys). You do pay to park – it’s £4.50 – we purchased a token which you then put in the machine on your way out. Dogs are welcome but they have to be kept on a lead. It’s a bit of a drive for us – but it’s straight down the M1 so doesn’t feel as far as it is. Is it worth the drive? Yes. But given the additional costs compared to some country parks it’s probably not one we’d frequent as often – it is an ideal place to meet up with friends from London though.
TIME FROM MK – 45 mins approx.
ADDRESS – Aldenham Country Park, Aldenham Road, Elstree, Hertfordshire, WD6 3BA
The adventure playground is one of the best we have ever been to and caters for children with special needs. It has cool climbing frames, a zip wire (with a specially adapted chair), sandpit, sand and water area and large musical instruments. There’s so much to keep the children entertained and will be such good fun in the summer. You do pay for it though – it was £5 for one hour per child. Although expensive for a park – particularly if you have more than one child – we went at a very quiet (cold) time in February and the staff weren’t monitoring how long we were in there. If you’re not keen to pay but the children want to play, there’s a smaller park for toddlers as well as balance beams and other equipment for older ones.
Aldenham Country Park Gallery
A selection of images from our visit to Aldenham Country Park in February 2016
I'm Laura, mum of two boys - aged six and four. I started this website at the end of Sept 2015 whilst on maternity leave. I now work four days a week and do this blog late at night once the little boys are sleeping. It's won several awards over the last four years and I continue to run it for free and mostly focus on free, cheap, and good value days out. Do drop me an email laura@miltonkeyneskids.com if you want to contact me. Don't forget to follow all of our latest adventures on facebook, instagram and twitter and have a look at all of the videos of the places we visit on the Milton Keynes Kids YouTube Channel - subscribe to it for notifications every time I add a new place. And remember... you may been reading this post months after we visited, do check with the destination you're visiting for up to date opening times and prices. If you find this blog useful then please do comment on my posts and leave me a Facebook review - it makes doing this all the more worthwhile.