We dove into the world of never never land at Evenley Wood Garden this week.
Oh what an adventure we had. We arrived quite late in the afternoon and in hindsight I think we could have easily spent the whole day here. I don’t want to tell you too much about the trail, because I want you to go there and really enjoy it for yourself without expectation. We did have such a lovely time and the kids were so excited.
I’ve included this image to give you an idea what the paths are like at Evenley. I would say it’s better to take an off-road wheelchair or pushchair/pram than something you’d take along tarmac pavements. Whilst it’s dry the paths are well established and solid underfoot, but when the wet weather hits some areas get especially boggy. I would say the gardens undulate, nothing is too steep and its easy to wonder around at a gentle (or fast pace keeping up with running children!).
The staff at Evenley Wood Gardens are so creative and resourceful. If you haven’t gathered already, my family LOVE crocodiles so this part of the trail was a big big win! I wish I could have a crocodile like that in my garden! Just a little further on from where the crocodile is, is a wonderful adventure playground that is an utter must for kids to go to. Unfortunately we didn’t make it on this trip, so I haven’t got any current pictures of it.
The playground has a mixture of balance beams, dens, nature themed climbing frames, swings and zip lines. It’s a great spot to reset and get the children really using the bodies (for those of you that know think SEND circuit potential!). It’s also completely covered by the treeline, giving you a cool shaded spot in the summer and a bit of a break from the rain in the wetter cooler weathers.
Just look at all of these beautiful wild flowers! There were a few of these beautiful expanses of wild flower and they were such a joy to walk past along an established grassy footpath. If it wasn’t for my youngest sons destructive mood in that moment I think we would of sat and sunbathed in the flowers’ colour for some time.
Instead the children enjoyed cooling off in the shallow stream that runs along the bottom of the gardens. It’s not all as grassy as this, some parts have less grass and more stones. Up near the little stone bridge the bank is thick with clay ready for children to mould into whatever creatures and faces fill their mind.
Key Learning For Me: My eldest is sensory sensitive, he feels everything, he also worries a lot and is pressure sensitive. So to help him feel more confident and comfortable going into the stream I made sure we had some waterproof sandal/crocs (couldn’t find the beach shoes!) for him to wear in the water. And it made all the difference! The last time I had attempted to get him into the stream it was a complete fail with us leaving with a screaming distressed child, this time he was elated and didn’t want to leave!
We picnicked by the stream before finishing the trail and finding Pirate rock, which then led us to finish our day at Evenley.
Useful to know
Entrance
£9 per adult £1.50 per child (Under 4s go free)
Seasonal tickets available
Maps available at the entrance for free
Seasonal Trails
Additional fee, price varies
Opening times
From 1st February – 23rd December, Everyday 10am – 4pm
Parking
Free, on site, in a field
Accessibility
Use an off road wheelchair or pushchair if possible
- Paths are established but prone to getting muddy and puddle filled during wetter parts of the year.
- Some paths are less established, but you can access most parts of the garden on the main paths.
- Some paths are along grass and are sloped (not too steep an incline)
- No gravel paths to worry about wheelchairs getting stuck on, from memory I think there are some small stoney areas.
Picnicking
Benches, picnic tables and covered seating areas throughout the gardens
Toilets
Yes, they have lovely toilets that are accessible as you head towards the gardens and cafe.
Cafe
A charming wooden hut cafe with indoor and outdoor covered spaces. They usually have a small amount of foods that are gluten free or vegan, but from memory there was very little available if you are both gluten and dairy free.
Payment
Cash and card accepted at both the entrance and the cafe
For more information