Wild Place Project, Bristol Review
Wild Place Project
Bristol
Reviewed by Lee-Anne McCarthy
As a family with four children we are always desperate for new and exciting places to visit and explore. We were lucky enough to be asked to visit and review a very new and still developing attraction Wild Place Bristol. I had never heard of the attraction before and upon being asked to visit I immediately checked out their website and social media pages. Both of these provided fantastic information from the usual directions for getting there to even recommendations for footwear and attire that would be most suitable for the park. My 10 year old loved the sites and all the information about the attractions that it provided. She was particularly excited to see the site had a number of high rope activities.
The journey was great and as country bumpkins from the depths of the South Wales valleys we weren’t sure how difficult or arduous a journey the park would be especially with two year old twin boys for company. However the park was signposted so well and it was so easy to find. It took just a little over an hour from our home in South Wales to get to the Project. It is very close to Cribbs Causeway which I sure maybe perfect for mums looking for a little retail therapy after the family day out.
The park has a very large parking area available to visitors at no extra cost something many other attractions seem to cash in on these days. It was nice to see the immediate appreciation for the visitor. At the main ticket booth there are a number of tills however on the day we were visiting there was just one open however this was more than fine and we waited absolutely no time. You then enter the park through the shops gift shop. Manoeuvring the shop was a little difficult with a double buggy and I wonder if in busier periods it may be a little more of an issue especially for mums like me that are pushing what can only be described as wide load.
It is important for any visitor considering a visit to this attraction, it is a park in the very early stages of development. That being said it doesn’t make it any less fun or exciting to visit. There are some very good exhibits. A personal favourite was the lemur walk through. All four of my children were completely mesmerised by these beautiful animals roaming freely around their feet and heads. There are some other lovely animals to visit. The resident wolf pack played an awesome game of hide and seek with us the day of our visit but when they finally came out to play they were magnificent. The gorgeous zebras bounded around their field and were a real sight for everyone to behold. As the project is set in beautiful woodland there are some wonderful woodland walks. It was great fun especially as we chose a day where the ground was a little soft underfoot in the forest allowing us to reenact the Pig family by jumping in some muddy puddles. On the subject of paths I was a little concerned the morning of our visit about mud however the main paths throughout the park are gravelled and allow very easy movement of buggies etc… around.
One of my children’s favourite moments was a walk on the barefoot trail. This simple but amazingly affective idea was something that had them screaming with laughter. My husband is a man not really the biggest fan of dirt or mud, he got to enjoy this experience with the kids. The trail itself is exactly what it says. You take your shoes and socks off and walk a trail that has been cleverly developed with lots of different sensory textures from gravel, to sand, to mud. The children absolutely loved every second and especially when they got to see Daddy’s face as the mud squelched between his toes. There are taps then provided at the end to wash feet. I can imagine some people may be a little put off trying it for fear of not having anything to dry their feet on. In our case thank god for a clean nappy. Again not a criticism but maybe a suggestion to the project to find some way of providing people with some way of visitors drying their feet whether it be hand dryers at foot level or paper towels.
We took with us this time our own picnic. There were lots of outdoor spaces to eat with plenty of picnic tables doted throughout the park however there were occasions to be mindful of any food you may be carrying. We choose to eat in a covered barn type area. In the barn there where toilet and baby change facilities that were beautifully clean throughout the day. Also there were two climbing frames one for older children and one for smaller children. There were plenty of tables and chairs to sit and eat at. It’s not a criticism but maybe a suggestion that a baby chair or in my case two maybe helpful in this area for picnickers. This area was excellent if mums and dads wanted a sneaky sit down and cup of tea. Just across the way was the project own cafe with plenty of refreshments, to eat in or take away, and what looked like the most delicious cake I’d ever seen. Also in this area are some other outdoor play activities. A trampoline, giant sand pit and a tyre run. All these things however simple had my kids playing and enjoying the outdoors for what seemed like hours.
The final thing we did at the park was to allow our older two children to have a go at the newest activity at the site, the leap of faith. Now this is an additional charge of £8 for one activity, £15 for two or £30 for three. This for some maybe a little off putting however there is enough in this park that if funds did not allow it wouldn’t take away from the enjoyment of the day. Conversely it is possible to just visit the park to participate in this new activity. In my case the children each opted for different activities one choosing to leap off a ledge around 20ft in the air while the other being strapped to what can only be described as a giant swing. The children were thoroughly prepared for each activity with instructions clearly and carefully given to each of them. The instructor was friendly and approachable and both my children were happy and comfortable to ask questions about what they were doing. In the words of a ten year old ‘it was epic’ while the seven year old added ‘he loved it cos he felt like he was loving life’. Yes, it made me giggle too when he said it.
If you are expecting to attend the finished product you may well be disappointed if you visit the Wild Place Project now. However the fact it’s at an early stage of development really shouldn’t be a reason to stay away. This is a fantastic day out for all ages and at a reasonably priced £7.50 for adults and £6 for children an affordable one too (under 2’s and carer for disabled are FREE). The McCarthy Clan young and old had a fantastic time and it is already the talk of our local playgroup it is definitely a place we’ll visit again this summer.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £6 to £7.50. Annual passes cost from £17 to £26. Some activities require an extra charge.
For more information or to book tickets visit www.wildplace.org.uk.
Wild Place, Blackhorse Hill, Bristol BS10 7TP | 0117 980 7175
