Last Bank Holiday weekend we were able to go for a really nice family day out together. My sister and her partner live with us at the moment and have a new car so we were able to go somewhere further afield than we normally could. After spending quite some time researching places we could go we finally decided on Pensthorpe Natural Park in Fakenham, Norfolk.
Pensthorpe is about a 45-50 minute drive away from us as it’s in West Norfolk rather than North Norfolk but the drive was quite smooth and Erin was really excited about being in the car so the time really flew by. No one I knew had been to Pensthorpe so I didn’t really know what to expect but as we drove up to the car park we saw plenty of ducks hanging around so we knew immediately that Erin would have a good day.
Entry for adults cost £11.95 and children aged 3 to 16 cost £10.95. While the adult price is very reasonable I thought the price for the younger children was a bit much. Obviously we didn’t have to pay for Erin this time because she is only 2.
Pensthorpe is made up of 700 acres of land and 4 miles of trails and gardens to follow so comfortable shoes are advised. I went armed with a change of clothes and shoes for Erin because she tends to get pretty messy no matter where we go. We went on the Sunday before the Bank Holiday and we were lucky that Norfolk had some wonderful weather and the ground was very dry so we didn’t get muddy at all.
Pensthorpe has loads of different areas to explore from the dragonfly bridge to wildflower meadow to the picnic area. Erin loved running around and finding all of the different creatures there was. Even though she was pretty tired, Erin tried to walk around as much as possible but did need carrying a bit and was really good and had a bit of a break in the pushchair.
The views at Pensthorpe are absolutely stunning and we were all so impressed with how gorgeous it was there. There are large fields, lakes and so many beautiful flowers to discover along with a whole host of animals and insects.
What I really loved about Pensthorpe was how much there is to do for the whole family. For children there is a massive outdoor park with so much to do. It was probably the best park I’ve ever seen and Erin loved exploring all of the different things there was to do. Pensthorpe also has an indoor play area but when you arrive you need to book a time to visit so that it doesn’t get to over capacity. We only visited the outdoor park so cannot comment on what the play area was like.
Pensthorpe Natural Park is such an amazing place for families and we had the best time. It quickly became one of my favourite places in Norfolk and I would happily go back again. Season passes are available and if we could drive ourselves I think I would invest in one for us all.
You can find out more about visiting Pensthorpe Natural Park here: http://www.pensthorpe.com/
Fancy taking a closer look at our day out? Here’s the video: