Jupiter really loves deer. She grew up in a small town that had a lot of deer, deer hunting, and often just wild deer wandering about. As we have been going on more creative date nights, due to most things being shut, I surprised her with a trip to Weald Country Park – which ended up being so popular, that we went back with the kids. This time of year is when all of the deer are out, making it a perfect wintertime activity. Weald Country Park is free to enter – although if you park nearby you’ll need to pay for the car park – and contains a few different park areas, trails, a pond, deer and a cafe.
Jupiter and I were primarily there for the deer. The first time we went, she went straight to the enclosure which contained a bunch of deer. You can actually feed these deer by dropping food into a tube system, bringing it to their food trough. This is pretty neat and she really enjoyed looking at them. The second time we went with Kai, Amelia and Robin, we came more prepared with apples cut into chunks. Each of the children enjoyed feeding the deer these apples, watching them munch it up. Once we were done checking out the deer, we walked down the hill to a massive pond. It’s worth noting that there is a small park right near the deer, although it’s aimed at younger children.
At the pond area, there are plenty of feeding spots and loads of birds and animals. You can walk fully around it – including over a tiny but cute bridge – stopping at various bird feeding spots and a few benches along the way. This is a beautiful place for a walk, especially if you enjoy seeing animals as you explore. On the other side of the pond, there are a few more little parks: one for slightly older children then the first park, with a lot of climbing areas and big slides. We spent quite some time there with the children – these parks are all themed after The Stickman – which is very clever. Next to this park, in a small woodland, is a play area themed around Stickman’s home, which has musical instruments and little pots for mixing whatever you find in the forest.
If you go deeper into the forest, there are lots of different trails. For those going without children, you can be quiet enough to actually find deer and follow them about in the wild. When Jupiter and I went on our own, we saw well over 100 deer, split into two groups, grazing and running around. It was an absolutely magical experience that was worth the silence and exploration required to find them.
Weald Country Park also has a little cafe, where you can purchase drinks and food, but we haven’t actually gone in or purchased anything. It’s also dog friendly and, simply, an all-around great place to take the family.
This post is apart of our Blogmas series, with each and every post being about Christmas or Winter.
It looks like you had a great time! I’d love to go there one day 🙂
All the best, Michelle (michellesclutterbox.com)
I hope you do get to go someday!