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28 March 2016

Outdoor Fun at Belton House

On Friday, we visited Belton House, it was possibly not the best day to choose as the traffic was queuing for miles to get in. However, the sun was shining and the daffodils were out in force, which made for a beautiful day out. Starting with a picnic, then heading to the adventure playground. we enjoyed the warm sun and the masses of grass, perfect for running about and letting off steam.



I remember visiting Belton House as a child, the adventure playground was as impressive to me back then as I am sure it was to the children now, one of my fondest memories was of the huge slide they used to have there, I remember sliding down it clutching my newly purchased Victoria Plum book.

Now they have so many wonderful slides, bridges, swings and zip slides it really is an adventure play and was obviously the place to be, as each corner was full of excited children and slightly bemused parents who weren't sure where to stand.



After the playground we headed to the gardens, for me this was another highlight, if you were a child of the 80s you may remember Moondial by Helen Cresswell, I loved the series and have fond memories of running down the path to see the the exact spot of the where the Moondial stood, it is definitely one of those childhood memories that never leave you. The children rolled down the same grassy banks I remember rolling down with my brother., it was perfect.


The beautiful gardens and church were great to walk around in the sunshine and the children loved running amongst the hedges and around the pond. The pond, although empty, was still beautiful and very much reminded me of the one on which we floated boats in Paris last summer.


Heading into the woods, we came across some breathtaking views and daffodils as far as the eye could see. It was a quieter place to be. Away from the hustle and bustle we found a stream where we did some exploring. The children and their dad collected some water from a stream to check for signs of life, they couldn't see anything but we found so many flowers, they more than made up for it.



Further round the woodland we found a wonderful boat house, painted bright yellow, it looked like a little cottage in the woods. I can only imagine what this would have looked like back in the day. So much space and wonderful places to sit and think.


The vast woodland was a great place to explore, we looked under bits of wood to find creatures, and we saw everything from centipedes to beetles and snails to woodlice. Under old logs is the perfect place to look for bugs and insects and searching underneath them together is a great way to get children into wildlife and exploring. Old trees are often a great place to see the tiny holes from woodworm. This old tree trunk was teaming with life and showed the effects of the weather where the rain had worn away the bark.


We had a great time walking around the lake and walking amongst the daffodils, which gave us time to reflect on the busy start to the day. We walked about 5 miles in total around these beautiful grounds, we didn't make it into the house this time but it seemed a shame to be inside when the sun was shining outside. We'll be back on hopefully a less busy day.


Have you been to Belton House? If so which was your favourite bit?

18 comments :

  1. I have never been to Belton house, but I love the look of it, all symmetrical like I would draw as a child! I do love Spring when the daffodils are coming

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    1. It is a very beautiful place, the gardens are stunning too.

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  2. This place looks beautiful! I've never been but it looks like a wonderful day out.

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    1. Definitely worth a visit if you are even passing by, even just for the house.

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  3. Looks like you had a lovely time. I went to Belton a couple of times as a child and the last time was about 4-5 years ago. I definitely haven't been since the new adventure play area was put in. I think it's time I went back again soon!

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    1. Oh do go back now, the adventure playground is just ridiculous. I struggled to take photos it was so busy!

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  4. I used to love family days like this when my children were younger. Belton House looks beautiful.

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    1. Aww, I dread the days the children don't want to do this as much. Trying to make the most of it now :)

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  5. How clever to go on Friday as the weather was fairly yuck over most of the Easter weekend! Looks like a fabulous place to visit. Thanks for sharing your photos x

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    1. The traffic was pretty nightmarish as were the queues as I think everyone had thought of going that day!! It was well worth it in the end though.

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  6. I have never been but it looks similar to Kingston Lacy which my kids adore as they can run free

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    1. Oh wow, just looked at Kingston Lacy and it is very similar indeed, the kids loved the space here.

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  7. That looks like a great family day out, and I do have a vague memory of moondial! x

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    1. It was a long time ago, but I visited around the time it was out so it has always stuck in my memory.

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  8. Oh my gosh! I only rewatched moondial the other day! I really need to visit! Looks like you had a fab day x

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    1. Really? I may have to seek it out to watch, at the time I loved it, definitely worth a visit.

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  9. This looks like somewhere we would love as we really enjoy days out like this x x

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    1. It really is a a beautiful place, a whole days worth of space to explore.

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