very own castle, as well as the nearby Little Brown Jug pub which is great for outdoor lunches in the garden and does kids’ portions of most dishes.
Into the woods
The recent explosion of ‘Forest School’ activities is a terrific new trend. Kids get to build dens, play with mud and hold campfire sing-alongs as we get toward the colder months. There are numerous forest schools which operate locally (see our listing on page 30 of this magazine). For a nice weekend walk in the woods however, I’d hop on the tram to Addington Hills which has acres of tree-filled space and things to discover, just on the edge of Croydon. There are lots of learning opportunities (different leaves, trees etc.) and it’s a real dog-walkers’ heaven.
Enjoy the great outdoors!
Con's column
Kent countryside on the doorstep
If you have access to a car, you are of course less than 30 minutes from the glorious countryside of the Weald of Kent, which houses an extraordinary range of National Trust and English Heritage properties, many of which have a spring and summer schedule bursting with delights for kids. Of note is the famous Leeds Castle, if knights, dragons and jousting are the order of the day. Alternatively, Knole, near Sevenoaks, where the little ones can watch deer roaming. We particularly love the tucked away village of Chiddingstone, which has its
You can find a directory of local parks and open spaces at www.nct.org.uk/branches/beckenham-borders/toddlers-and-beyond. If you have additions or updates, we'd love to hear from you at [email protected].