Groombridge Place Gardens

I have a grandson (almost 2) and finding things to do is difficult. There is a tension between wanting to take him somewhere interesting and going to places that are aimed at older kids. With the recent spate of E.Coli infections resulting from petting farm visits the problem of finding somewhere was slightly worse this weekend.

I had taken him to Godstone Park Farm earlier this year which was an “OK” day out. With a mix of age range activities. Horton Park Farm, a month earlier, had been much better for the 18 month + age. I thought at the time I was being OTT as I had washed hands between every animal petting/feeding. Many parents just seemed to be doing it as they left the farm, and even them not all of them. The signes had simple said something like “Please Wash Your Hands After Touching The Animals” and not given any reason why. I can understand why such farms may have been reluctant to put up signs saying “DANGER E.COLI” but a more informative. “Children Are Susceptible To Infection From Animals – Hand Hygiene is Important – Please Wash Hands Frequently”. May have encourage the right response without instilling panic.

Back to this weekend and we found a somewhere to go called “Groombridge Place Gardens & Enchanted Forest”. Enchanted forest sounded interesting especially as the web site (www.groombridge.co.uk) said “designed to intrigue, amuse and entertain”. Set on a hillside (so expect to be walking up hill most of the time) along paths that are often less than pushchair friendly there is a long route around a wood with the odd place of inertest to discover. Except that places on the mab described as “Blue Pool” was in fact a muddy looking pond. The “Teepee” was just that, a Teepee. Similarly the “Standing Stone”, Double Spiral” where just that. I felt we were traveling around a forest to see an exhibition. I failed to see the intrigue to be amused or entertained. The “Giants Vineyard” was in reality a vineyard. The “Romany Camp” three, locked up, gypsy caravans parked side by side rather than in a portrayal of an active camp.


Even the formal gardens were less than immaculate. Simple things annoy me. I struggle at home (unsuccessfully) to keep my lawn free of weeds, clover etc but these where no better than what I would expect in a municipal park.

On the plus side, the Raptor Centre and its birds of prey demonstration was very impressive and the ice cream was excellent quality (why don’t they do a toddler size). But the Raptor Centre is funded by donations – not the entrance fee – and the ice cream is obviously extra. Overall the £9 per head was not worth it. A walk and a picnic in one of the many heaths and woods that litter the south east of England would have been just as good.