DESTINATIONS — ACTIVE & ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS
TRIED & TESTED CHEDDAR WOODS
“Oh, I could live here!” exclaimed my mother-in-law as soon as she set foot in our Cheddar Lodge Premier when she visited during our stay. With its modern, spacious interiors and tasteful decor, well-kitted-
out kitchen, two bathrooms (one en suite), walk-in wardrobes, flatscreen TV, decking area and hot tub, it wasn’t hard to see why.
Without question, this lodge lived up to its ‘premier’ name. There was plenty of
growl, soon had his team of young swashbucklers marching through the corridors dressed in pirate garb, faces painted and yelling “alright me hearties” at the top of their voices while playing games and drawing treasure maps. Day two, and another, more challenging, activity for my two bundles of energy. “But I can ride a bike already!” said Joe indignantly, when I told him. This was followed by a conversation about riding a bike without stabilisers – and a look of astonishment from Joe and Nina as if to say: “you never told us these are going to come off our bikes?” The instructor did warn us this
was a tough session for children. Concentration was key. Given our four-year-olds’ ability to concentrate only when watching TV, this could be tricky. I prepared myself for the worst.
Nina took to the balance bike
like a duck to water, confidently pushing it along with her feet
round the tennis court. Joe, on the other hand, struggled. Wheels and feet swished in an uncoordinated fashion and it wasn’t long before the tears and screams started. Some foot-stamping later – fortunately, no one was phased, and even the bike got off lightly – Joe was back on the bike as if nothing had happened. Swimming was a happier affair and with one teacher to four children, the kids enjoyed some great one-on-one attention from the instructor, learning to swim on their backs across the pool. We timed the activities for early morning or late afternoon so we could fit in trips to Cheddar’s famous caves and a day on the beach at Weston-super-Mare, and at £4-£5 a child for an hour-and- a-half session they were both affordable and worthwhile. During their final activity,
Robin Hood Juniors, the kids were outlaws, part of Robin Hood’s merry gang, riding play horses
space for us and two four-year-olds – even with their toys spread out across the floor. Refurbished a year ago, the park boasts a farm shop, bar and
restaurant, including an à la carte area. Particularly of note for families, there is an outdoor seating area overlooking a compact playground. Our kids loved spending time there, meeting other children, while we watched on, a beer in hand. Other facilities include a spa, sauna, health centre, swimming pool,
soft play, indoor play area for the under sevens, bowling alley and climbing wall. The restaurant offered a takeaway service so we could enjoy a meal at the lodge while the kids were asleep. And then, we could sneak out to sit in the hot tub and look up the sky – the ultimate relaxation. Book it: A seven-night break in a Mendip Premier 2 lodge at Cheddar Woods park leads in at £795 with Hoseasons on April 6. Go Active activities can be booked and paid for at the park on arrival. Costs vary between £4 and £12 for activities including archery, fencing, Xplorer and disc golf; and from £4-£5 for Go Juniors activities such as Wizard Workshop, Circus Skills and Balanceability.
hoseasons.co.uk
Joe and Nina at Pirates Paradise
68 •
travelweekly.co.uk — 16 October 2014
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