Monday 14 December 2009

Millets Farm, Frilford, Oxfordshire

Approx time: 20mins +
Paths: gravel, mud, footpaths
Points of interest: open areas, animals, PYO
Amenities: parking, toilets, cafe, farm shop, garden centre
Grading: any pushchair (but could be bumpy with a stroller)
Weather: Good for all seasons

Millets was once a small farm but has now gone more commercial with a large garden centre, shop, restaurant, cafe and craft shop.
http://www.milletsfarmcentre.com/
Millets Farm centre has free entry. There is a small “farm yard” with pigs, goats, pony, cows, sheep, alpacas, ducks etc. does vary sometimes with more or less animals. Next to the farm animals is a good size children play area.
It won’t take you long to look round the animals but if you want to stay a few hours (and spend money) you could go round the garden centre or farm shop and have something to eat in the cafe.
In the summer you can do some PYO, great fun for all children.

Wednesday 2 December 2009

Oxford University Parks (Oxford)

Approx time: 45 mins +
Paths: gravel
Points of interest: open areas, picnics, river, ducks, pond
Amenities: very limited parking within Oxford City Centre, toilet within park, cafes and shops about 20mins walk
Grading: any pushchair (but could be bumpy with a stroller)
Weather: big puddles after heavy rainfall and flooding. Good for all seasons.
Warning: open water along some of the route



A map of the park can be found at http://www.parks.ox.ac.uk/map750.jpg

We usually enter the park opposite Keble Road. There are a number of entrances from all corners of the park. There is a circular route round the park which you can follow so no explanation needed. Lots of large open spaces so worth taking a ball to kick around in the summer or other outdoor games. Collecting conkers and leaves in the autumn. Snowball fights in the winter! Any budding botanist will like picking out trees and plants, full lists can be found on the park website http://www.parks.ox.ac.uk/index.htm
Cricket can be watched in the summer and rugby in the winter.

5 mins walk south along Parks Road is the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Pitt Rivers museum. Always worth a stop here as it’s free and great for children (and adults) of all ages.