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A Splashing Time at The Wolseley Centre, Staffordshire

Blog· Days out

18 Mar

Looking out of my window this morning I spotted a glimpse of sunshine which meant only one thing…fresh air and adventures. Okay.. I think I was making it up.  The moment we had a picnic packed and loaded the car there was nothing left but a grey sky and a hint of a black rain cloud threatening overhead.  Undeterred we headed out to The Wolseley Centre, Nr Rugeley to explore the beautiful grounds.

The Wolseley Centre is Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s HQ and is a hidden gem. Whats more it is completely free to visit. I was feeling quite smug that I had stumbled upon such a lovely place to explore that it totally free.

We were visiting without Mr S today, as he has been working away 🙁 but luckily it was well signposted off the main road, and super easy to find.  On arrival there is a large car park which is completely free. A donation for the car park is greatly appreciated and contributes towards the Trust’s work protecting the wildlife. We parked up and headed to the gift shop to pick up a map, and left the gift shop armed with fishing nets, bug pots, and duck food. The girls always manage to con me into spending money.

We headed straight to the Play trail and I have a great tip for you here….perhaps leave this part until the end!  I was unable to steer the girls away from the splash bridge…absolute heaven to a 2 year old and a 6 year old, even my little man’s face beamed from his pushchair. The girls spent ages splashing and jumping and tried their hand at a spot of fishing, before returning to the bridge for more splashing.

We tool a stroll around the lake and fed the ducks and geese with our food that we had purchased specially from the gift shop. M wasn’t too impressed with the geese so we didn’t hang around long here. The walk is lovely, it was really quite quiet, and there are lots of benches and picnic tables dotted around to stop and enjoy a drink and a picnic.  Another thing that I really liked was that everywhere was really accessible with a pushchair. Visitors can also enjoy the sensory garden, wildlife life garden and 26 acres of beautiful grounds to explore.

It wasn’t long before the grey clouds turned into heavy rain, but the girls insisted on having a picnic, exploring the sensory garden and having a rest on the swing. Needless to say we were pretty wet by this point, so I let them return to the splash bridge for more water fun.. reminding myself that there is no such thing as bad weather…just a bad choice of clothes.

And yes my girls continued their wardrobe habit with a wet splashing walk in tutus. And yes I forgot M’s wellies – we left them behind last weekend. Maybe next time I will try to encourage the splashsuits…..and also remember appropriate footwear 🙂

Need to know;

Opening times – 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday
10am to 4pm Saturday & Sunday

Car parking    – Free (a small donation is greatly appreciated)

Getting there – The Wolseley Centre is  on the A51 near Rugeley (ST17 0WT)

I am linking up our visit to The Wolseley  Centre with Coombe Mill for this week’s #CountryKids.

Mrs S

x

For more inspiration head over to the MiniMalpi for outdoor inspiration and a visit to Whisby Nature Park

Country Kids

13 Comments

Previous Post: « Family Day Out in Staffordshire I Monkey Forest review
Next Post: March 2017 Round Up »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ella says

    March 18, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    Wow! I didn’t even know this place existed! Definitely adding it to my to-do list!! AND you ventured out with 3 kids and no Mr S!! Brave lady!!!!
    Love the final photo of Lil_E’s yellow wellies and blue tutu…fabulous!!!
    ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 19, 2017 at 9:29 pm

      Thanks so much. I am feeling super smug I had a successful outing with 3 kids and without Mr S…. even if we did forget appropriate clothing and wellies for all! thanks for stopping by and commenting xx

      Reply
  2. Dean of Little Steps says

    March 19, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    I love their outfits. Love the colours on their jumpers and tutus. I love how kids can just get away with everything. My daughter included 🙂 This looks like a lovely day spent outside 🙂 #countrykids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 19, 2017 at 9:28 pm

      Thanks so much for the lovely comment. They really can just get away with wearing anything. I do secretly love their choices though- I never discourage individuality! ha ha.

      Reply
  3. Fiona Cambouropoulos says

    March 19, 2017 at 2:36 pm

    I just love the wellies and tu tu look, it is so girls having fun. What a great find this place sounds. Very annoying about the rain coming over but at least you managed a good explore first. It made me smile you finding this place with it’s free car parking and then buying the nets and things. New things are always exciting though and I bet the girls were thrilled to try them out. The river over the bridge looks lots of fun, I’m sure I would have been going home with soaking wet children, and not from the rain!

    Thank you for sharing a great looking place on #CountryKids

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 19, 2017 at 9:27 pm

      Fiona I had two very wet children for the drive home. and child A (without wellies) had a boot full of water 🙂 good memories though, and I feel super proud I managed a day out without Mr S. Thanks for hosting, and have a lovely week xx

      Reply
  4. Sonia Cave says

    March 19, 2017 at 6:51 pm

    Uh oh everyone knows about your lovely secret pplace now 😉 It does look fab and I love the bridge that encourages splashing. What a great day out. My daughter is the same when her tutus (yes she has many!) but Im lucky here that the temperature is so cold she has to wear outdoor gear over the top! Well, for now at least…. #countrykidsfun

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      March 19, 2017 at 9:25 pm

      Whoops I shouldn’t have told everyone 🙂 it was a really lovely day. Even better when it is free. And that wellie/splash bridge… my to year old is still talking about it! thanks for commenting x

      Reply
  5. Mary @ Over 40 and a Mum to One says

    March 20, 2017 at 9:17 am

    That splash bridge would be very popular with my son too. Love the tutus. Looks like a fab place to explore and wonderful that it’s free to enjoy #CountryKids

    Reply
  6. The Princess and The Pickle says

    March 21, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    I absolutely love that last photo – the tutu and wellies combo is just too cute!!

    Reply
  7. Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) says

    March 22, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    What a wonderful place to explore. I do love the look of that splash bridge – my girls would have a whale of a time on that and I suspect I wouldn’t be able to resist joining in too! I do love the fact that your girls were splashing around in tutus 🙂 #countrykids

    Reply
  8. Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says

    March 22, 2017 at 9:38 pm

    Your girls always look so stylish! And that splashing bridge – even I’d have hours of fun with it.

    Reply
  9. Clare M says

    March 28, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    Places like that are so great, sadly not near us but we have our own lovely spots too. I love the fact that it’s picnic time all year for you! #CountryKids

    Reply

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Vanlife • Camper Family • VWT5


Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......

I’m reall
Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5


Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕

Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)

🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx


Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my ne
Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?


Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography


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Ad/ Oh the places we will go ....... I’m reall Ad/ Oh the places we will go .......
 
I’m really hoping better days are coming for us all 🌈
 
Tonight I wanted to tell you about a wonderful campaign by @whsmithofficial and I’m honoured to have been asked to be a part of it. 

Their aim is to encourage people to try something new throughout 2021. @whsmithofficial have some wonderful products to help you plan your trips (products linked in stories).
 
I would really love you to join me on Friday at 6pm over on the @whsmithofficial account, chatting about why we love vanlife, our favourite road trips, and what vanlife means for us. Believe it or not before we purchased our camper, we had never camped before! 
 
If you have any questions for me, I would love you to send them my way via my stories and I will do my best to answer them on Friday. 
 
Look forward to seeing you over on the @whsmithofficial Instagram on Friday at 6pm! 

#bringiton2021 #vanlife #vanlifewithkids #vwt5
Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are y Just popping on to check in on everyone, how are you all doing? How are you feeling about the announcements tomorrow?

I know so many are finding it all a bit ‘meh’ at the moment.

So this is a little Sunday reminder to keep doing what makes your soul a
smile, check in on each other often and look after yourselves..... and know that better days are coming 🌈🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 

(My usual Sunday campsite share will be a little late - I’ll post it tomorrow I promise - I’ve been painting the girls bedroom all weekend😆 )

🌈 💕
Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynn Last week I chatted to the lovely Jenny @travelynnfamily as part of her bongo convo series.

Did you catch it?

I think it is the first time I’ve ever chatted on a live, or chatted in front of a camera even 😆

Anyway I just wanted to say thank you  so much for all the messages and lovely comments after the live. I’ve had a few vanlife questions too so I will pop them in my stories for you.

Thank you  Jenny for inviting me to take part in your new live travel chat. Chatting about Van life and road trips .... It definitely made my soul smile :)
🏕Sunday share is back 🏕 My next campsite to 🏕Sunday share is back 🏕

My next campsite to share is a really lovely campsite in Llangollen. We were introduced to this lovely site by my beautiful friend @a_girl_on_the_crescent 

Abbey Farm Campsite

@abbeyfarmllangollen is a working farm set just outside the beautiful town of Llangollen in North Wales.

Suitable  for camping, touring caravans and motor homes and camping pods available.  There are three self-catering cottages to rent and also a static caravan site.

The camping fields are set next to the ruins of Valle Crusis Abbey, and what we loved the most - there is a small brook that runs across the bottom of the field that the kids absolutely loved.

Facilities

Hot showers/ toilets
Laundry room
Bistro/bar
Shop
Electric Hook Up
Dogs Welcome 

What we loved 💕

⭐️Family campsite 
⭐️The brook provided hours of fun
⭐️Picturesque Llangollen a walk away 
⭐️Beautiful location with lots of space and walks
⭐️An ideal base to explore North Wales 

Definitely one to bookmark 

🏡For now the message is to stay at home, but my Sunday share is to inspire and introduce you to new campsites for when the time is right xx
Camping with kids 🏕 I was going to share my ne Camping with kids 🏕

I was going to share my next favourite campsite but thought I would mix it up a bit with a new topic. Campervan storage. So tell me... What is your favourite storage hack? 

As our Campervan conversion  isn’t quite fully finished we have had to be clever with storage. As a family of five in a T5 space is super tight! 

Our favourite hacks so far....

➡️ Using cushion covers / pillow cases to store items 

➡️ storage hooks on the back of the seats (I think I learned about this one from @daisy_thefamilycamper ) 

➡️ Using a pop up tent to store the large bulky items such as car seats and strollers etc 

➡️ Packing pods to organise the clothes!!! My absolutely favourite thing ever we have used them for years.

➡️ plastic storage bucket for the outside toys that we take to the beach (and can even double up as a baby/toddler bath 

 
 ➡️ Foldable items, folding table, folding scooters, folding chairs, the list goes on but helps with space 

➡️hamman towels. Absolutely wonderful. We were sent some towels to review a few years back and they are incredible. We haven’t looked back and we are fully converted. They don’t take up much space, dry really quickly, have multiple uses  and basically we just love them! 

🌈 I have linked my post in my stories - but would love to hear if you have any campervan storage ideas to share or add? 

Hope you have all had a lovely weekend whatever you have been up to ?
Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for Vanlife with kids - sharing our fave campsites for the time when it is safe to travel again 😍🚐

 Sunnyside Croft Touring Site 

This is my next campsite to share... the beautiful Sunnyside Croft Touring Site - an award winning site located between the villages of Arisaig and Mallaig on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands 

⭐️What we loved 🌈

Direct access to the most beautiful beach 
Family friendly, clean  and quiet 
Dogs allowed 
Eco friendly
Lovely touches - outside shower for wetsuits, infant and toddler washroom with a bath 
Pets allowed 

We loved staying here for two nights as part of our Scotland road trip with our beautiful friends. Mallaig is the nearest village  and we loved visiting Skye and Glenfinnan too. The campsite has direct access to the most spectacular beach - just a walk away along a dedicated path.  Definitely one to bookmark and a campsite we would definitely return to.

📸 Our first view of the beach from the campsite 
 
➡️ swipe for more photos of Arisaig and Mallaig

🌈 #stayathome and keep hoping for sunnier days☀️

#dreamingofvanlife #keepondreaming #arisaigbeach #scotlandphotography
Happy Sunday!!! So I have decided on a Sunday fo Happy Sunday!!! 

So I have decided on a Sunday for the next few weeks I am going to do a little campsite share. Sharing our favourite campsites that we have stayed in our #t5camper over the last two or three years. I wanted to (hopefully) give you some inspiration for all those dreaming and planning for when we are able to hit the road in the future. 

My first campsite is @love2stay in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK. Set in 22 acres of grounds with touring and Glamping on-site. 

Love2stay is a beautiful resort and an absolute gem of a site. We have booked again for this year and have stayed more than once over the last two years.

Facilities

Love 2 Stay  has serviced pitches and a  glamping village. The toilet block is modern and clean.  There is so much to do on site you won’t want to venture far. 

➡️ swipe for pictures 

There is a natural swimming pool, restaurant and pizzeria, fitness suite and thermal bath, assault course, children’s adventure play zone, barefoot trails, mini and junior craft activities, cinedrome for movie nights, yoga and Pilates classes, paddle boarding and kayaking....... the list goes on 

What we loved 

⭐️So many activities on site for everyone 
⭐️restaurant/pizzeria on site 
⭐️Swimming pool 
⭐️Spa/gym on site 
⭐️Dogs allowed (with separate dog walking area and dog agility course )
⭐️Brilliant size serviced pitches
⭐️Glamping available 
⭐️Usually Open all year round (covid restriction dependent) 

Things to consider 
 
⭐️it gets booked up so book in advance 
⭐️No tents allowed 
⭐️No on-site grocery shop
⭐️it is the most expensive campsite we have ever stayed when you factor in all the additional activities that do -but it’s a wonderful experience and we absolutely love it here and it is a place that we will keep on returning to. 

Please do ask if you have any questions or if you have stayed here too? 

I’ll be back next Sunday with another gem !
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3

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