In a nutshell
This gigantic adventure playground is a welcome antidote to soft play parks: there are no grubby plastic balls here, just epic tree-high mazes, rope bridges, slides and zipwires. With face painting, crafts and interactive storytelling in bell tents and wooden shacks, it feels like a festival that has put down roots.
Best thing about it
Five-to-10-year-olds will be kept happily occupied for hours clambering around the place, and parents can join in too. And there’s plenty that younger children can do: my four-year-old twins loved the climbing; my two-year-old claimed to be scared but enjoyed the toddler zone. I’m not a big fan of crowded children’s attractions but there’s something very restful about the woodland setting – you can gaze into the surrounding trees and forget any queues or screams.
Fun fact
The fantasy-themed Bewilderwood – a world of Boggles and Twiggles, where children are told the story of Swampy the Marsh Boggle on a lovely little boat trip – was devised by its founder, Tom Blofeld, who is nephew of Henry, the cricket commentator.
What about lunch?
It’s a nice place for a BYO picnic but there are also three cafes selling sandwiches, snacks and hot food – baked potatoes (£2.50), bangers (£4.25) and hotpot. Coffee is £2.50, tea £1.60.
Exit through the gift shop?
Bewilderwood is not a shrine to consumption and the gift shop is tasteful and low-key (and avoidable, if you’re really anti-gift shops). Apart from rustic birdhouses, it’s stuff for children: books and soft toys, fridge magnets, Top Trumps, hats and costumes.
Getting there
It’s two miles from Wroxham on the Norfolk Broads, 10 miles north-east of Norwich (2½ hrs from London by car; 1hr 45mins by train). The nearest railway station is Hoveton and Wroxham (two miles), which is 15 minutes from Norwich by train. There’s a footpath to the attraction; local bike hire also available.
Value for money?
Entrance is based on a child’s height. Our two-year-old (under 92cm) went free, 92–105cm £13.50, over 105cm (including adults) £15.50. We spent four hours there and could have stayed all day so it’s excellent value for money, particularly as face-painting, storytelling and crafts are inclusive. But it’s almost all outdoors so if you’re not a hardy type you’ll need fine weather.
Opening times
Open daily April-September, 10am-5.30pm, weekends and school holidays October, February, March; closed November-January.
The verdict
9/10. A woodland delight.
• bewilderwood.co.uk
