Swanshurst Park

What it’s like

A free park with a playground and a patch of woodland to poke about in, no rides despite the label.

Don't be fooled by the theme park category this ended up filed under. There's no rides here, just a children's playground and a stretch of woodland and natural grassland that kids can potter about in. It's the sort of visit where the entertainment is whatever they find, sticks, mud, a good tree to climb, rather than anything laid on for them.

Entry's free, which counts for a lot when you've got a toddler who wants twenty minutes on the swings and then wants to leave. There's no booking involved either, so it's a turn up and see how long they last kind of trip. The woodland bit gives you somewhere to wander if the playground's had enough of your kids for one day.

It's dog-friendly and the site says it draws plenty of dog walkers, so if your little one's nervous around dogs off the lead, that's worth bearing in mind before you head over. Otherwise there's not a huge amount to plan around: no set hours listed, no food on site to build a visit around, just grass, trees and a playground to fill the middle of the day.

Need to know

Dogs

Dog-friendly. Attracts many dog walkers

• Free entry and no booking needed, so it suits a spontaneous visit
• It's an outdoor park, not a theme park, so there's nothing laid on for kids beyond the playground
• Popular with dog walkers, so keep that in mind if your child is wary of dogs

Plan your visit

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