Things to Do with the Family At Barnett Hill in the Surrey Hills
Get ready to explore - there is so much to see!
Winkworth Arboretum
Winkworth is a national and local treasure, perfect for visiting any time of the year as the landscape changes with the seasons. The collection of over 1,000 different species provides an impressive backdrop to a host of activities from family woodland walks, special children’s events and heritage open days for preserving and maintaining the special history and natural habitat of the area. Winkworth has a large lake and over 149 acres to explore and is particularly renowned for its fabulous Autumnal colour displays. Children will love the natural play area & new tree adventure. The Winkworth Tree Adventure is made up of two main multi layered platforms connected with a rope bridge and rope tunnel, providing an adventure for children of different ages and abilities. Older children will be able to play alongside their younger siblings, each engaging with different elements of the structure. A 15 - 20 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
RHS Wisley
The flagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society and one of the world's greatest gardens, Wisley is a wonderful place to visit at all times of the year. Children are really welcomed and there are acres for them to run through and explore. The gardens delight in every season: swathes of bulbs & blossom in spring, unforgettable mixed borders & roses in summer, autumn’s bountiful colours, and frosty walks in winter. Don't miss the stunning Glasshouse and the Back to Nature garden designed by the Duchess of Cambridge, an exciting and inspiring garden for children & families to play, discover & relax in, while connecting with the great outdoors. It includes two treehouses linked via an aerial walkway, swings, slides & trampolines, logs to climb & crawl through, a stream with water pumps, dens and a giant sand pit! Lots of fun & interesting children's activities are laid on during the school holidays. A 25 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Hatchlands Park
Hatchlands Park is an elegant National Trust property set in over 400 acres of gardens, woodland and parkland. It includes the wonderful Wizard Wix’s Willow Warren, a natural children's adventure play area with wooden sculptures, a tree house, den building & a fascinating bug burrow. There are walks a plenty - either make up your own route or download one of the NT's suggested routes before you visit. Six rooms in The Mansion can be explored on selected dates in the summer months. A 15 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Wildwood Adventure
Experience the thrill of zipping through the tree canopy, skate boarding through the sky, tackling the hanging boulders and swinging through the trees like a modern-day Tarzan! Wildwood is aimed at children (and their accompanying adults) aged between 6+. A thrilling adventure of rope bridges, wobbly crossings, tightropes, climbing challenges, fiendish obstacles and ziplines reaching up to 15m above the woodland floor. A great family activity that gives a real sense of achievement at the finish. A 15 minute drive from the hotel.
Brooklands Museum
Explore this unique museum through hands-on and interactive experiences. Brooklands is a fantastic place for a family outing with lots to see! The museum is on the site of the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit and displays a wide range of Brooklands related motoring and aviation exhibits ranging from giant racing cars, motorcycles and bicycles to a vast collection of civilian & military aircraft, including the WWII Wellington Bomber and the only Concorde with public access in South East England. Explore up close a fantastic selection of vintage aircraft, cars, motor cycles, weapons & missiles or take the Brooklands Concorde Experience and actually see inside the World's most famous aircraft. Children can learn about the supersonic age in a fascinating 35 minute on board tour and meet an ex British Airways Concorde pilot! Many of the tour guides are ex racing drivers or pilots, who are all keen to impart their knowledge & stories and enthuse the next generation. A 30 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Painshill Park
Painshill's 18th century 158 acre landscaped garden was created between 1738 & 1773 by the Hon. Charles Hamilton. His vision was to create ‘living paintings’ in a new style of magical garden. Inspired by Renaissance art and his Grand Tours, he went on to create a sequence of breathtaking & surprising vistas in his garden. The landscapes form living works of art into which Hamilton placed follies for dramatic effect. Stroll around the serpentine lake, wander through woodland and admire his follies including a Ruined Abbey and Turkish Tent. There is a natural play area and wildlife spotting trials as well as wildflower meadows to run around in & get back to nature. Or if you're feeling fit climb the 99 steps of the Gothic Tower to see what you can spot across four counties! Cake is a Painshill speciality so be sure to treat yourself in Mr Hamilton's Tea Room after your walk. Children aged 5 and under are welcome to take a scooter or bike. A 25 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Bocketts Farm
Bocketts Farm is a bustling working family farm. The combination of animals & extensive play areas (both inside & out), make the farm a great day out for pre school and primary aged children, come rain or shine. Pack your wellies & meet the animals in the huge undercover barn, watch pig races, take a pony ride, hop on board a tractor & trailer for a farm tour, cuddle cute rabbits, try your hand at goat milking or help to feed many of the wonderful farm animals. As a working farm there are always some baby animals to see at all times of the year including lambs, kids, calves, piglets and chicks. Plus there are trampolines, giant slides, a bouncy pillow, two spacious indoor play barns & outdoor adventure trails to burn off all that energy. A 30 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Hampton Court Palace & Garden
Hampton Court Palace is set in 800 acres of formal gardens & parkland in a loop of the River Thames. Packed with quizzes, activities, facts & pictures the family trails & audio tours are a great way to explore. Experience the public dramas & private lives of Henry VIII, his wives & children in the world of the Tudor court and admire the impressive Great Hall, Haunted Gallery and his vast Tudor kitchens. The gardens include the world's oldest puzzle maze, a record-breaking grape vine & descendants of Henry VIII’s deer herd. The estate also includes the Magic Garden, a large outdoor play area with Tudor towers, a raised walkway and slide, sand & water play, grassy slopes to slide down & mythical creatures hidden among the foliage. A 40 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Walking in the Surrey Hills
Some of the most familiar beauty spots in England are found within the Surrey Hills including Box Hill, Leith Hill and the Devil’s Punch Bowl. With extensive rights of way, open commons, sunken lanes & easy access it is the perfect place to enjoy the fresh air and outstanding scenery. There are so many stunning walks to choose from for all levels of ability and through all sorts of terrain. Our favourite is the Newlands Corner St Martha's Church walk, where you are afforded the most wonderful views across the hills from St Martha's.
Cycling in the Surrey Hills
Cycling is a great way to experience the Surrey Hills. The huge success of the 2012 London Olympics has seen a surge in cyclists and The Prudential Ride London - Surrey 100 carries on this Olympic legacy, inspiring amateur cyclists to take up the challenge and ride parts of this famous circuit. For those looking for more off-road action, the Surrey Hills offer a spectacular range of single track mountain bike trails through ancient woodland and taking in some of the highest points in Surrey. There are lots of different routes to choose from for all ability levels.
Guildford Spectrum
A one stop shop for lots of family activities including ice skating, swimming in the lagoon, ten pin bowling or during the Winter catch Guildford Flames playing ice hockey! The leisure pool has 8 amazing waterslides, a crazy wave machine and an interactive children’s section. Who will you race down the Surf slide? There are three lanes, see who reaches the bottom first! G grab a rubber ring and hold on tight while you fly down the tyre ride or take on Whizz if you dare... the flume is in complete darkness! The Olympic sized ice rink runs 90 minute sessions, which must be pre booked and there are plenty of penguin & snowmen skating aids for the novice skater. A 20 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Dapdune Wharf
The Wey was one of the first British rivers to be made navigable, and opened to barge traffic in 1653. Set in four acres of grounds in the heart of Guildford, Dapdune Wharf is the historic home of the Wey barges that worked the waterways from Guildford to the Port of London in the first half of the nineteenth century. The visitor centre at Dapdune Wharf tells the story of the navigations and the people who lived and worked on them. Visitors can see where the huge Wey barges were built and climb aboard 'Reliance', one of three surviving barges or even learn how to tie a sailor's knot. Boat trips can also be taken during the summer. A 20 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Thorpe Park
The perfect day out for teenagers & more adventurous children aged 10+! Home to over 30 exhilarating (and some quite terrifying!) rides, attractions & live events Thorpe Park is the ultimate destination for thrill seekers. Reach new heights with Stealth the UK's fastest roller coaster launching riders to 205ft at 80mph in just 2.5 seconds or take flight on Swarm the UK's only winged coaster. Or try Colossus, the UK's first roller coaster with ten loops or maybe you'd like to brave one of Jigsaw's most twisted traps with SAW, the world's first horror themed roller coaster featuring a 100ft "beyond-vertical" drop. A 40 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Chessington World of Adventures
With over 40 rides and attractions, more than 1,00 animals and a Sea Life centre there is plenty for a great day out for children of all ages (you will definitely need a whole day to see everything). The park is a combination of theme park with rides varying from the more sedate suitable for younger children such as The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure to some downright scary thrills like Vampire (very scary in the dark!) and zoo which brings you face-to-face with over 1,000 animals including lions, tigers, gorillas, monkeys, penguins and underwater creatures in the Sea Life centre. The theme park closes during the winter months but the zoo is open all year. A 35 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Trampolining at Air Hop
A great rainy / chilly day activity for children. Air Hop has over 75 interconnected trampolines that span across a huge warehouse and up the walls on the Main Court – as well as Dodgeball, Battle Beams, Foam Pit and Slam Dunk. This huge trampoline park allows children to burn off oodles of energy for an hour jumping over what is effectively a trampoline 'carpet' whilst simultaneously having lots of fun. Grip socks can be purchased when booking or bring your own. Pre booking particularly at weekends is essential. A 20 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Indoor Climbing at Craggy Island
Indoor climbing is a fun, sociable activity with lots of challenges and a few thrills thrown in for good measure. Craggy Island has hundreds of top roped and lead climbs, plus bouldering, auto-belays, training and beginner areas plus an excellent café where parents can enjoy a coffee and watch their children have fun on the climbing walls. Children aged 5 - 7 can enjoy a mini hour long introduction to climbing with a taster taster session with qualified instructors whilst older children can enjoy a longer 90 minute instructor led session. Pre booking is essential. A 20 minute drive from Barnett Hill.
Paradox Parlours Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are a wonderful rainy (or chilly!) activity, especially when you have a couple of teens in tow. The whole family need to work together in the fully immersive rooms (there are two different rooms to chose from) to solve the puzzles. On arrival the host will present the story of the room before you enter the themed room and have 1 hour to solve the challenge laid out. There will be a little bit of searching, a lot of thinking and plenty of teamwork required. Don't worry it's not TOO hard and the brilliant staff know exactly how to "read the room" and are on hand to give handy hints if you need them. A 15 minute drive from Barnett Hill. A 15 minute drive from Barnett Hill.