I love this place, especially during winter when you're offered pretty much unobstructed views of…read morethe reservoir for most of the walk / run. For walkers, it's around 2 hours to complete the loop and for runners / joggers - maybe an hour (depends on how fast / fit you are!) Mostly solid trails the whole way round although during winter / wet periods some paths can become very muddy so worth wearing correct footwear. I'd say an easy walk, but a couple (just a couple) of steep(ish) hills to bear in mind. Lots of mountain bikers at weekends, so if you're running or walking, keep your wits about you.... Nice cafe at the visitor centre and if you use Alton water regularly you can buy a parking season ticket from the cafe for (I think) about £30...(although you can park up at the lemon hill end for free...not sure how long that will last though!) Lovely walk, run, outdoor space - very child friendly too.

Nice location, good facilities, can recommend the wind surfing course and have heard good things…read moreabout the kayaking and sailing courses too. It seems pretty easy to turn up and hire equipment when you want to. Nice walk and cycle ride around the reservoir too.

Terrific fun and excitement for the whole family whether it's raining, sunny, hot, cold, snowing or…read moretuesday.we've been to all the Parcs in all weathers and it doesn't matter. Eleveden in Thetford Forest was great as it's flat so the best place for children's bikes and pushing pushchairs - compare to centre Pacrcs at Longleat which is beautiful and brilliant but so, so hilly! The sub tropical paradise is marvellous as well as the outdoors stuff - my children particularly enjoyed the high ropes and adventure activities as well as cricket, football, cycling and so on.endless list. Doing so much can add up in cost but you can always eat most of your meals in your villa - needn't take long to have fresh pasta etc and it'll cut down the costs. Enjoy

As a family we are serious fans of centre parcs and by a split majority this is the favourite of…read morethe uk versions. So Centre Parcs is a family holiday park based in the middle of a forest with a giant leisure pool at the centre along with a sports centre, spa, water facilities and access to practically every sport you could wish for. A mixture of restaurants and bars are dotted around the place and a lake offers a mix of water sports. There is a fairly expensive supermarket with some local produce - we normally take food with us, For your money you get a detached villa, rather cleverly designed so you have your own private space - they are mostly modern and well equipped, with good kitchens and plenty of space and free access to the pool. Wildlife on your doorstep - rabbits, deer and ducks Middle class parents cycling around to do sports with their kids.... Everything else you book and pay for just like a leisure centre.The whole place runs smoothly - the pool is great. The best indoor pool in the UK that we have sampled - and we visit a lot. Separate review for that.... and also the best water slide in the UK - The Tropical Cyclone - a brand new £4 million slide - great fun. Sampling this new slide was the driver for our visit. Separate review for that...... Expensive during school holidays but out of season you can get some great mid week deals. A must to visit for the pool and slide alone - everything else is a bonus. With kids or with friends and family a great place to have a lot of fun.

A second visit for me because I enjoyed it first time so much and missed quite a bit. Luckily, on…read moreboth occasions, the weather was kind to us. Different season, so different aspect. This is one thing about gardens that I enjoy. Love these visits but one niggle. Would the lady in the hut at the entrance give a smile, once in a while, please.

Marks Hall Gardens and Arboretum in Cogglesgall, Essex features landscaped woodland walks and…read morefootpaths, with vistas across lakes to an 18th Century Walled Garden. The Trust that runs it is dependent on their own resources and our generosity as visitors. The development of the Arboretum is an ongoing project. The trust's aim is to achieve a large collection of shrubs and trees from across the temperate regions of the world. The collection is planted geographically, so plants from the principal regions of the world are grouped together. There are areas representing Europe, Japan, China, Asia, the Americas and Gondwanaland (Southern Hemisphere). Upon entering the Arboretum you encounter the European section, which blends with the countryside beyond the deer fence thereby creating a liberating sense of space. Ancient oaks are a reminder that this former deer park contains the relics of monastic planting going back 700 years. The 'Gondwanaland' section is devoted to the super continent that eventually broke up to create South America, the Indian Subcontinent and Australasia. It is an undulating landscape of low mounds, sheltered by southern Beech and Eucalyptus trees. On warm days the aroma of eucalyptus provides a heady scent. There are also swathes of Cabbage Palm, Agapanthus and Cortaderia which in early summer lend a pleasingly exotic touch to this otherwise very English place. The lakes had once been three fish ponds created for the monastery that once stood on the site. They contain Roach, Golden Orfe and Goldfish. Next to the lower lake is an original nuttery containing Cob Nut trees. This area is now a spring flower area with snowdrops, species of daffodils, cowslips and other wild flowers. The Millennium Walk is located within the Asian section of the Arboretum, and has been planted with autumn, winter and early spring in mind. Dogwood and Rubus provide colourful reflections in the lake whilst Sarcococca (Christmas Box) combine with the Chimonanthus (Wintersweet) to provide a spicy sweet scent that compliments the bold colour contrasts. The Walled Garden is the piece de resistance of the whole garden. Created from five separate gardens, it is now a huge space containing sculptures and planting. Long stone seats provide a structural contrast to the lush planting and are complemented in turn by spheres of clipped box. In another part of the walled garden, an undulating stone wall acts as the foil to fiery plantings of red, orange, gold and yellow, where the colours last well into autumn. There is lots more besides, a walnut walk that follows a track within the conifers to a clump of young walnut seedlings, a grove which in Spring is carepeted by snowdrops and the long avenue which once formed the main entrance to the Estate and approach to the Mansion and now a planting of Oaks and Wild Service trees. The Visitor Centre offers a Tea room (with lovely cakes!), Gift Shop and Plant Centre. Marks Hall is the perfect place to escape London for a sunny Summer afternoon.

We have stayed a couple of times at this site and have not been disappointed on either occasion. We…read morehave taken our tent and had a standard pitch (not a deluxe one with electric hook-up). There are just over a hundred pitches and we have never found noise to be a problem on this site. It is very sheltered and peaceful and it never feels cramped. The site is well run by helpful and friendly staff and the toilet and shower blocks are of a very high standard and kept extremely clean. There are a couple of family/disabled shower rooms too which is useful if you have small children. There are decent laundry and washing-up facilities and a well-stocked on-site shop for any essentials you may have forgotten. They also have book and magazines you can borrow during your stay. There is a small children's play area which has got one of those giant swings, a sandpit and climbing frame with slide. There is also a well-stocked fishing lake although we have not used this. Some lovely woodland walks surround the site too. I highly recommend a stay on this site (but not when we want to go of course!). It is also within easy access of the North Norfolk coast and is a good base for exploring this delightful part of the country.

Very beautiful place, well taken care of. Always fun to see the new flower arrangements. Love the…read moreroses!

Great way to pass an afternoon , wandering around with friends ,inside time passes and its all good…read more-lots to look at and plenty of seats outside the castle itself .Kids love it