Elsecar

I've often seen the signs for Elsecar Heritage Centre at Junction 36 of the M1 and wondered what it was. Located north of Sheffield, near Barnsley, Elsecar (pronounced Els - e - ka by those in the know, a.k.a. my husband) is now a collection of arts and crafts workshops in a former iron works and colliery. The village itself is also a conservation area.

Built around a central courtyard there is a gallery; old fashioned sweet shop; a shop selling cupcakes, icing and cake decorations; an antique centre; two traditional toy shops and a shop selling furnishings for children's bedrooms, to name but a few. There is also a soft play centre in the main building. Around the back there is a railway from which a Santa's Express service is run and also, on the day we visited, a Hallow'een themed train ride. Also in this area is Building 21, which is an exhibition hall. On the day we visited we paid £1 each to enter and look at a craft fair.

I could have bought many things, including a beautiful wooden toy chest, most of the bedroom furnishings from KidsDens and also a selection of Ania's cupcakes. I was, however, very restrained, only buying an essential hand made stocking for my little one's first Christmas.

For parents interested in arts and crafts, Elsecar is a little gem. For older children too I imagine that Elsecar is lots of fun, with cake decorating and other activities available. For small children there isn't much to see or do, and actually many of the shops are inaccessible by pushchair, unless you fancy lifting it up a flight of stairs.

Maybe, however, I missed a trick when I visited and I should have asked my husband to stay with the little one in the soft play centre whilst I perused the workshops and craft fair at my leisure! Next time? My husband also seemed to remember that there used to be a museum there. We couldn't find it so it has either moved or closed, which is a shame, as the site does lack an obvious link to its past.

Parking is free and just next to the centre is Elsecar park and reservoir if you fancied extending your visit with a walk. Just a mile or so up the road from Elsecar is Wentworth, a pretty village with plenty of pubs and a good garden and craft centre that we have visited several times.

All in all, a hidden little corner excellent for those who like arts and crafts. Worthy of note for those interested in clever and unique craft, is that the Building 21 exhibition hall will be holding a Christmas Fair on the 11th and 12th December. Leave the pushchairs (and men?!) at home!


Elsecar Heritage Centre website

Wentworth Garden Centre website

Ardsley Reservoir

I have been on a hunt for an unpopulated, pram friendly walk since my little one was born. Ardsley Reservoir may just fit the bill.

Located between Wakefield and Leeds, Ardsley Reservoir is a stretch of water with panoramic views south towards Emley Moor. The site is managed by Yorkshire Water. As a reservoir it is not a natural site, so be prepared for some concrete and necessary water works, but on the whole, the reservoir and its banks are unspoilt. Best of all is the wide, very pram friendly, path the whole way around.

The reservoir is accessed from Haig Moor Road where there is a free, off road car park.There aren't any facilities on site, so be prepared to nappy change on the back seat of the car!

It is about 1.3 miles around the whole reservoir and I easily completed 2 circuits on my visit. It was a blustery late October afternoon, so not really peak walking weather, but I imagine the views to be fantastic on a clearer day. It was busy with dog walkers and people out for a stroll, but no where near as busy as some of the local country parks I have visited and every bit as scenic. As with everywhere I visit locally I was aware of the hum of the M1, so it is not a complete escape, however well worthy of a Sunday afternoon stroll if you are in the area.

In researching this walk I came across a website run by Yorkshire Water, summarising easy walking routes that they manage (see link below). I'll certainly be investigating a few more of these.

Map of location 
Useful webite: Yorkshire Water walking routes http://recreation.yorkshirewater.com/?OBH=3820

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm

At about 7 months old our little one became much more interested in life outside and started snorting with laughter when someone made the noise for a pig or a cow. We decided it was time to try and find some of the real thing rather than just rely on our poor imitations!

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm is exactly as its title suggests - a slip of land in the middle of a built up area where goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys and the odd cow seem happy to co-exist with the city bustling around them. I didn't grow up in a city, so find the concept of taking children to a farm to see animals a slightly odd one, as where I grew up many of those things were in the fields near where I lived. Misgivings aside we went for a visit.

Immediately after parking the car a donkey let out a call of welcome to us - the little one was absolutely enthralled! We made our way towards the visitor centre or 'epicentre' as it is known. The farm is a form of social enterprise, with allotments available for local use; I also think many of the staff are volunteers. Entry was very cheap and we bought a bag of grass pellets to feed the sheep and goats.The information given to us included a map. I didn't find this very easy to follow I'm afraid and we also found that some of the paths were hard to navigate with a pushchair.

I think it took us about an hour to walk around the farm and see all the animals. My favourites were the pigs and the little one's were the goats who cheekily displayed their climbing talents in order to get more food! I think it would be perfect with toddlers who would understand what the animals were and would be able to walk around the farm. An older child would also be interested in the nature section by the main centre.

In summary, I think it's a great asset to have in the middle of a city; I know how lucky I am to have been able to see sheep and cows in the fields as a child and I appreciate that a city farm helps children who wouldn't get the opportunity to see these animals otherwise. It's not all that easy with a pushchair, however, and I don't know how much longer I could have eeked out the visit. Value for money is excellent - it costs under £2 to get in. There is a cafe on site which sadly wasn't open on the day that we visited. It is, above all, a farm - so make sure footwear is appropriate.

Website - www.mvuf.org.uk 

Pugneys, Wakefield

Pugneys is a country park located just off the M1, (Junction 39, Wakefield) and is signposted from the A61. It comprises of two lakes, the bigger of the two is used for watersports. The car park was supposed to be a ticket operated barrier, however this wasn't working on the day I visited, which meant that parking was free. It is a clear favourite for mum and baby groups wanting a little bit of air.

Due to its proximity to the M1 you cannot escape the background hum of traffic, which for me meant it's not a particularly restful place. However, there is a good walk around the larger lake which is pushchair friendly, with benches at intervals as good resting points. It is just over a mile in total. Unfortunately, although it wasn't a hot day when we visited, we were swarmed by thick clouds of black flies - annoying and not particularly pleasant! Fly irritations aside, there are lovely views of Sandal Castle (somewhere else on my 'must visit' list).

There are toilets and a cafe on site. The cafe staff were very accommodating to a group of mums with prams and there are signs displayed saying that breastfeeding is welcomed. Staff were also happy to heat up bottles and food for babies. The food is reasonably priced although the cafe itself is functional rather than glamorous! Perfect for muddy prams and boots. There are also baby change facilities in the building.

All in all, it's a city park which does what it says. Cheap, accessible and functional, rather than a place of outstanding beauty.

Map

Newmillerdam - can you ever find solitude in a city park?

Living in a busy city, but having grown up in the country, I often long for solitude and an unspoilt landscape to be within easy reach. We'd heard other people talk about Newmillerdam in Wakefield and so one crisp Autumn Sunday we headed out that way for a walk. The place is signposted from the A61 through Wakefield and is easy to find. However, parking was a nightmare! There is one designated pay and display car park, but there must have been ten cars waiting for a space. We found an alternative space to park in on the road, but also noticed people using a closed pub's car park. Clearly parking is a regular problem! It was a walk along the busy A61 to get to the dam, which the road crosses. We found the entrance to the park at the side of another pub, but greatly obscured by parked cars; it was a challenge to get our pushchair between them to actually get on to the footpath.

Once through the gates there is sketchy map which shows a path around the water. It was really busy with lots of people enjoying the clear blue skies. There are ducks who clearly enjoy being fed and lots of gulls. The site is apparently a Site of Scientific Interest and also a Local Nature Reserve. I admit to being a bit of a bird watcher, so was quite interested to see what we could see. Mallards and sea gulls were the answer! Not particularly inspiring!

The paths are easy to walk along and are pushchair friendly. There are lots of benches to sit on and watch the world go by. Sadly we didn't manage to find any solitude or peace. The A61 is just too close, so there is a constant hum of noise. There is a small cafe part way round, but we didn't try anything from there. Alternatives for refreshments include a Toby Carvery pub and a cafe on the opposite side of the dam. If I'm honest, it's not particularly pretty and I wouldn't rush back - it's just too busy for me.

Click on link for a map of the location

Autumn Leaves at Fountains Abbey

There surely aren't many better places to see the change of the seasons than Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, near Ripon in North Yorks. It's one of our family's favourite places to visit, and I remember going there when I was young. Today is the first time we have taken our little one though!
For anyone who doesn't know, it is a National Trust property, which makes going there free for members but £8.50 per adult otherwise. As we're not members (still trying to decide if we'd get value for money or not!) we paid up and started our walk. It takes about 2.5-3 hours if you want to walk from the Abbey to the water gardens and back again. All the paths are pushchair or wheelchair friendly, although we put our little one in our carry pack. You are given a map on entry to the park which is really easy to follow.
The weather for our visit was perfect; a gorgeous Autumn day with clear blue skies, crisp air and golden leaves. On the way round there are lots of benches for picnics or rests, most with spectacular views. We added to our walk by following signs to hidden temples and statues. I'd recommend visiting in Autumn because of the sheer beauty of the trees and the magic of the fungi dotted in the woodlands - I just wish I knew more about them!
Practicalities for anyone visiting there with little ones are that there are parent and child parking places; there are activities for older ones to do; there is a small adventure playground; toilets include a baby change and they were clean and tidy when we went! There are also two cafes; one at the visitor centre and one at the Water Gardens. We didn't visit either, but maybe next time we will.
It's a great place to go at any age but it's certainly somewhere we will be going back to as our little one gets older and make his own discoveries in the ruins of such a beautiful place.
For more info and directions see www.nationaltrust.org.uk

One rainy day at The Deep, Hull

No where does a rainy day quite like Yorkshire! On one such day we decided to visit The Deep in Hull (www.thedeep.co.uk), "the world's only submarium". It costs £9.50 per adult on the door, but offers are available if you buy tickets on line. The car park is a pay and display, but some of the ticket is redeemable in the gift shop. When we got there we were told that our ticket enabled us to visit again for free over the course of the next year. I wasn't entirely sure if this was just once or as many times as we liked.

It might seem churlish to describe how fish are kept, but they appear clean and the aquariums are well stocked with a great variety of fish. The stingray are amazing, as are the eels that hide in the rocks - watch out for the huge green one in the big aquarium! The bubble lift at the end is amazing too.

The Deep is completely child friendly and accessible by pushchairs and wheelchairs. There is lots to see and despite our little one's young age, he was captivated by the fish and entertained the whole way round. Best of all was just as we needed a sit down and some lunch we came across a picnic area, complete with highchairs. I think with older children The Deep would be even better as there is so much to discover and look at. We look forward to taking our little one again when he is older.