Great British Play Map, Calke Abbey, Ticknall (2026)

14/06/2026

It's that time of year! Believe it or not we're in June and Outdoor Cinema's are popping up all over the place!

We visited Chatsworth House in Derbyshire to see Pride and Prejudice (aka Pemberly) this weekend and it was very special seeing the film in front of where it was filmed.

Thanks to the LED screens the show started at 7.30 which meant leaving at a reasonable time when it was still daylight which is a game changer for me!

Chatsworth did a great job and the live actors made it extra special. The regency festival is taking place all weekend but you have to get in early to book tickets for the cinema.

We visited the day after for our favourite free Chatsworth walk from Carlton lees car park, through Beeley and the woodland, before heading back along the moorland to Chatsworth estate, the aquaduct and hunting tower and back along the river (let me know if you want the walk details and I'll pop them in the comments).

Who else has an outdoor cinema booked in this year?

I love taking a picnic and enjoying an amazing film outside as the sun sets surrounded by friendly people.

13/06/2026

🏰 Hidden Gem Alert 🏰

📍 Elvaston Castle Country Park, Derbyshire makes you feel like you've stumbled into the pages of a storybook?

Honestly, we're amazed more families don't talk about this place.
We spend a lot of time researching family days out and Elvaston has all the ingredients for a brilliant day together: beautiful grounds, woodland trails, a fantastic play area, secret gardens and enough space for children to simply run, climb, imagine and explore.

And perhaps the best bit?
Entry is FREE. ❤️

⭐ What we love
🏰 Exploring the castle grounds
While the castle itself isn't open, the Gothic architecture and surrounding grounds feel magical. We loved making up stories and adventures as we explored the estate.
🌳 The woodland playground
An adventure play area with climbing equipment, swings and plenty of opportunities to burn off energy.
🌿 Secret gardens and hidden paths
There is lots to discover beyond the main attractions. Winding pathways, hidden corners, streams and beautiful gardens make every visit feel different.
🚲 Family cycling
The paths are great for bikes and scooters, especially for younger riders who want to explore without tackling difficult terrain.
🦆 Wildlife spotting
🧺 Perfect picnic territory
There are countless picnic spots throughout the park, whether you prefer shade beneath the trees or open grass with room for a game of football.

💡 Family tips
✅ Pack scooters or bikes if your children enjoy riding.
✅ Take a football, frisbee or outdoor games - there is loads of open space.
✅ Leave time to wander. Some of the best bits aren't on a map.
✅ Bring a picnic blanket and make a proper day of it.
✅ Visit the playground early, then spend the afternoon exploring the grounds and gardens.
✅ If your children enjoy photography, challenge them to spot the most interesting castle features and hidden corners.

Have you visited Elvaston Castle Country Park? https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/yngvmjlz/elvaston-castle-country-park
👇 Share it below and help another family discover their next adventure.

Play Your Way ❤️

12/06/2026

🌳 We nearly drove straight past this one... and that would have been a BIG mistake!

We're always looking for those family days out that feel like you've discovered a secret. The kind of place where the kids disappear off on an adventure and you suddenly realise you've been there for four hours without hearing "I'm bored" once.

📍 Irchester Country Park, Northamptonshire - We'd heard good things, but wow. This place genuinely surprised us.

Set in over 200 acres of woodland, it feels like a proper outdoor adventure rather than just a park. There is ao much there is to explore, from the huge quarry-themed playground to the woodland trails and hidden surprises tucked away amongst the trees. We expected to stay for a couple of hours and ended up spending most of the day here.

⭐ What we love:
• A giant adventure playground with massive slides, climbing structures and swings
• A huge sand play area with hidden fossils to discover
• Woodland trails that are suitable for little legs and bigger explorers
• Hidden woodland play features including nests, dinosaur eggs and adventure structures
• A café right next to the playground
• High ropes and zip lines for older children looking for more excitement
• Plenty of picnic spots if you're bringing lunch from home

💡 Our top tips:
✅ Pack a bucket and spade for the fossil sand pit.
✅ Take a picnic blanket, there are loads of lovely woodland spots to stop.
✅ Leave time to explore beyond the main playground. Some of the best bits are hidden in the woods and you don't want to miss them.
✅ If your children love climbing, check out the high ropes course before you visit.
✅ Visiting on a Sunday? See if the narrow-gauge railway museum is open.

The thing we love most about places like this is that they don't need fancy gimmicks. It's just woodland, imagination, climbing, exploring and freedom. https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/jpgdyrzx/irchester-country-park
Have you been to Irchester Country Park? What's the best hidden gem you've discovered that more families should know about?

👇 Share it below and help another family find their next great adventure.

Play Your Way ❤️

11/06/2026

🌳 Hidden Gem Alert 🌳

This is a great place where the kids can burn off some energy and enjoy a bit of nature and it won't cost you a fortune?

📍 Ryton Pools Country Park in Warwickshire is exactly the kind of place we love discovering for the map. No flashy marketing. No huge admission fees. Just a brilliant family day out that quietly delivers far more than you'd expect.

We are always surprised by how much there is to do here, and we love the mix of adventure play, lakeside walks and wildlife spotting. We arrived planning a quick visit and ended up staying for most of the day.

⭐ What you'll find here:
🛝 TWO play areas
One pirate-themed play area near the café for younger explorers and a much larger adventure playground with climbing structures, slides and challenges for older children.
🚂 Miniature railway
Running on selected Sundays through the warmer months and regularly mentioned as a highlight by visiting families.
🦆 Lakes, ducks and wildlife
The park covers around 100 acres with several pools, woodland and open spaces. Bring binoculars if your children enjoy spotting birds and nature.
🚴 Cycling and scooting
Wide surfaced paths make it great for bikes, scooters and little legs.
🌲 Woodland adventures
There are sensory trails, hidden woodland paths, den-building opportunities and plenty of space for imagination to take over.

💡 Family tips from us:
✅ Take a picnic blanket. There are loads of grassy lakeside spots.
✅ Pack scooters or bikes if you've got them.
✅ Bring a bag of spare clothes if your children are natural explorers!
✅ Check if the miniature railway is running before you travel.
✅ Don't rush straight home after the playground, some of the best bits are around the lakes and woodland trails.

Have you been to Ryton Pools and do you love it as much as us? https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/ebznbpzj/ryton-pools-country-park

Play Your Way ❤️

10/06/2026

🌳 Looking for a family day out that genuinely keeps everyone happy? Moors Valley Country Park is one of our favourite finds in Dorset!

Jack loved the huge woodland play trail, adventure playgrounds, miniature railway and wildlife spotting, Ben and I enjoyed the beautiful forest walks and lakeside views.

If you're visiting expecting the treetop trail, you may be disappointed as sadly this has come to the end of it's life and is now closed with no sign of it being rebuilt - I really hope they reconsider this! Not to worry though, there's still loads of great things to do here!

The park in a nutshell......
⭐ Great for ages 2-14
🚂 Miniature railway
🌲 Epic woodland play trail - it just keeps going on and on....
🦆 Lakes, wildlife and walking routes
🥪 Lots of picnic spots
⛳ Mini Golf
🚴‍♂️ Cycle hire and trails
🐈‍⬛ Room on the Broom trail

💡 Family Tips:
Our top tips:
• Arrive early on weekends and school holidays as parking fills up quickly
• Bring a picnic to keep costs down
• Wear suitable footwear, you'll be doing plenty of exploring!
• Allow a full day if you can – there's far more to do than most families expect.

One thing we can guarantee though is that children leave tired, muddy and already asking when they can come back... which is usually the sign of a great day out! 😊 https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/wvzxpdrz/moors-valley-country-park

Have you visited Moors Valley? What was your family's favourite part?

08/06/2026

New Place added to the map!

We posted about Priory Park in Great Malvern a few weeks ago and this little gem of a play cafe added themselves to the map shortly after.

If you're visiting the area and need a low cost, indoor pit stop that has great cake and drinks, gives you a chance to sit down and relax whilst the kids play in a safe and clean space, we would definitely recommend this lovely play cafe just a short walk from the park.

Little Olive's is a modern play café that includes a woodland themed soft play, role-play village and sensory nest. It's a beautiful space and well worth a visit! https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/oezexwlg/little-olives-play-cafe

If you're a play/family day out business, big or small and are not yet on the play map then head over the website and click on the add tab!

07/06/2026

🌲 Have You Discovered This Hidden Family Adventure in the National Forest? 🌲

Sometimes the best family days out aren't the biggest attractions, they're the places that surprise you.

Rosliston Forestry Centre is one of those places. It's free and car parking for the whole day is an amazing £4! https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/evgjapoz/rosliston-forestry-centre

While many families visit for the beautiful woodland walks, there's so much more waiting to be discovered. Hidden along the trails are natural play opportunities that encourage children to explore, climb, balance, build and let their imaginations take over.

🍃 Woodland trails to explore
🪵 Natural play features
🏃 Plenty of space to run and roam
🐞 Wildlife spotting opportunities
🌳 A chance to reconnect with nature

We love visiting and there's always something for everyone to enjoy. One minute we're following a forest path, the next we're balancing on logs, building dens, searching for bugs or discovering a hidden play area tucked amongst the trees.

We love days out like this because they remind us that the kids don't always need flashing lights and giant attractions to have an amazing time. Sometimes all they need is a woodland trail and the freedom to explore.

💚 We think this place is perfect for families looking for:
✅ Outdoor play
✅ Nature adventures
✅ Woodland walks
✅ Affordable family days out
✅ Places to burn off energy

👇 We'd love to know...
What's the best hidden play trail or woodland adventure you've discovered that more families should know about?
Tag a friend who loves finding hidden family gems!

06/06/2026

Adults need a bit of playtime too!!!

In 2009 we first saw the Take That Circus Tour in Manchester and I didn't think it could be any better.

This week at Coventry we were proved wrong! This is one of the most immersive and mind blowing gigs I've been to and it was amazing to introduce our 11 year old to a show that meant so much to Ben and I all those years ago (I was on the pitch but Ben and Jack were seated as there is a minimum age for standing).

Anyone going to this tour you are in for a treat!!! Let me know if you've been lucky enough to see it yet and what was your favourite bit! I think Relight My Fire took the top prize for me.

I also feel the need to give a huge shout out to everyone who works on this tour and to Coventry Building Society Arena. I know how much work goes into putting on shows like this and without the army of people working tirelessly behind the scenes we would never get to enjoy nights like this, a night that will stay with me for the rest of my life 🥳

06/06/2026

Garden Centres with Play Areas

Do you know of any as we would love to add this category to the map at some point?

I recently came across this little gem in Doncaster and love the idea of there being a designated space for children alongside a predominantly adult focused day out!

Nice one Walkers Garden Centre for considering the whole family and thinking about the needs of children too, which as a family defiantly opens up days out for us!

📸 https://touchwoodplay.com/case-study/walkers-nurseries-garden-centre

05/06/2026

🌳 A New Woodland Adventure Is Coming to Waddesdon Manor! 🌳

If your children love climbing, exploring and letting their imaginations run wild, you'll want to keep an eye on this exciting new addition at Waddesdon Manor. https://greatbritishplaymap.com/map/wvgxpvpg/waddesdon-manor

A brand-new woodland playground is set to transform part of the grounds into an adventure-filled play space inspired by the natural surroundings. Early details suggest families can look forward to timber play structures, bridges, tunnels, climbing opportunities and plenty of nature-inspired fun designed to encourage active outdoor play.

🍃 Why we're excited:
✅ Nature-inspired design
✅ Opportunities for climbing and exploration
✅ Set within beautiful grounds perfect for a family day out
✅ Combines play, fresh air and adventure
✅ A great excuse to spend even longer exploring Waddesdon Manor

The play area is set to open this Summer and is free (with a grounds ticket) to enjoy. National Trust holders can access the grounds and house for free. For families planning a visit, the new playground will add another reason to visit alongside the house, gardens and exotic bird aviary, woodland walks, seasonal events and family activities already on offer.

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