Peril at Ightham Mote

Stunning views - worth the peril??

I'm making it a bit of a mission to explore our local woods this autumn.

Autumn is just about my favourite season and I love the idea of seeing all the leaves changing colour, rooting around for blackberries and checking out weird fungi.

And as with every one of my missions, I have (of course!) made it my family's mission.

And so it was that we headed to Ightham Mote, in search of woody adventure.




Blackberry picking

There are three 'official' walks through the woods outside Ightham Mote. They're all free, but you do have to pay for parking in the National Trust car park. The upside of that is that there is a little cafe and a picnic area - a perfect spot to prepare for the perilous walk ahead - or recover from the perilous walk. Whichever suits you best.

The lady at the Ightham Mote reception told us that the longest walk (still only two and a half miles) had lovely views, so we decided to try that one.

What she didn't tell us was that the lovely views came with a huge drop (no barriers - eeks!) that actually made me feel a bit sick. I had to sit down. And hold onto both little no-price-taggers like a woman possessed.

Add to this the fact that you have to cross a road twice (with no warning), and that the path really isn't pushchair-friendly and I would say it is definitely not a walk for people with small children. Unless you don't mind heights and are prepared for a bit of unexpected traffic.

The views are really lovely though, and we all loved picking blackberries and spider-spotting (lots and lots of spiders). And we completely recovered after a post-walk drink at The Plough in Ivy Hatch - their beer garden has a sand pit, badminton, petanque and chickens.

It made up for the peril, but I think we might have all enjoyed it just as much without fearing for our lives.

Check out the Woodland Trust website to find out where your nearest woods are.


Ightham Mote
Mote Road,
Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks TN15 0NT

Parking: £2

Fabulous free summer

Sooo long since my last blog - it's been a very busy summer.

We've been making the most of some of the great free things that have been on over the lasr six weeks.

We've been on bat walks, checked out gloworms and found terrapins in a Maidstone Park.

Calum's shown off his acting skills and made ghosts at Sevenoaks library.

We've checked out the bouncy castle making its rounds, seen some Olympic marathon action and seen rare newts at Bough Beech.

We've made jumping frogs and an insect house. We've all tried our hands at archery (I hit the target - whoop!)

We've been for walks, made sand castles on the beach and spent time at the swings.

It's been a lovely (almost!) free summer holiday - I hope you've had a great one too.

 Keep an eye on my facebook page so that you know what's coming up over the next few weeks.

Free fun through the holidays

My two would rather play frisbee than bounce

We're just back from a free family day at Otford Park - there was lots to do for children of all ages (although my two decided that our own frisbee and the swings that are always there were fun enough . . .)

Bouncy castle for older children

It was organised by Spring House and there are plenty more throughout the summer (check out my terrible photo with all the dates). Check the times before you go - we got there at 11am, half an hour after it was supposed to start and it wasn't in full swing until noon.

Not complaining though - with a free bouncy castle and lots of play things for little ones it was a great way to spend a few hours in lovely Otford.

Lots of shade and fun for little tots

My terrible photo of what's on - I will get a better version!

No Price Tags at the Olympics

Credit: MoHotta18

No tickets for the Olympics? Never fear! I've got some of the best, free (of course!) ways to enjoy the sporting event of the year . . .

Road cycling: 28 July - 1 August
Head to the Mall to watch the start and finish of the men's and women's road cycling - we're tipped for a medal so it's definitely one to watch.

Race Walk: 4, 11 August
Speed walking!! Again, stop off at the Mall to see the winners cross the finish line. I think my little ones (and I!!!) will really enjoy watching to see if anyone breaks the rules of the race and forgets to keep one foot on the floor at all times.

Triathlon: 4, 7 August
Hyde Park is the venue for this triple race - it's likely to be crowded but you will get to see top athletes running, swimming and cycling, as they go for gold.

Marathon: 5, 12 August
The marathon will pass just about every tourist spot in the capital - from Trafalgar Sqaure to St Paul's - a bit more serious than the usual London marathon and certainly won't last as long!

Swimming marathon: 9-10 August
The swimmers are set to race for two hours (!!!) as they swim six laps around Hyde Park's Serpentine. The south side of the lake will be open to spectators without tickets.

Paralympic Games - Marathon: 9 September
The Mall is obviously the place to be this summer, with the Paralympic Games marathon starting and finishing here too!

London 2012 Live Sites
There are five official Live Sites across London showing live coverage of the Games (with a bit of entertainment as well!) There are lots more throughout the capital to try too.

Fancy an Oyster?

Whitstable Oyster Festival

So it's officially festival time in Kent - here's a taster of what's on this weekend and (of course) they're free. Hooray!

Saturday and Sunday

Whitstable Oyster Festival
I love Whitstable, so I really don't need an excuse to go. But if you do, the Oyster Festival starts tomorrow and goes on through next week. Perfect if you're looking for something to do in the first week of the very long summer holidays!

There's absolutely lots to do. Some activities are paid for but there are plenty of free things to try out too.

Some of this weekend's highlights include the Oyster Parade (with music, giants, performers and more), Taiko drumming and the Whitstable Brewery Beer Festival (free entry during the day). There are lots of things for children, as well as markets and of course plenty of oysters.

I really want to go and see the Grotters and Glows (lots of glowing oyster shells on the beach) and the fireworks on Thursday . . .


Deal, Walmer and Kingsdown Carnival and Regatta
The carnival and regatta runs through next week too. There's a mix of sailing, open-air concerts, fireworks and more this year.