Climb the walls in The Boulder Barn or on Green Spider’s 1500 square metres of awesome ascent. Take the Gruffalo Trail at Queenswood and burn off energy on the adventure playground. Pack a picnic for Bodenham Lake and watch the wildlife. Or walk the Brecon Beacons with new furry friends at Alpaca my Boots.
Meet owls, guinea pigs, quails, rabbits, sheep and goats at the Small Breeds Farm Park. Pop in to the Little Blue Elephant Play Café for lunch, brunch and lots of indoor-play fun. Walk the meadows, see the dairy cows and wolf the cakes and pastries at Rowlestone Court Dairy. Or make your own maze at the Amazing Hedge Puzzle.
Cruise past lions and leopards at the West Midlands Safari Park. Quad-bike at Oaker Wood. Steam through Evesham Vale on the light railway. Learn the story of drinking water at the Waterworks Museum. Enjoy ten-pin bowling, arcades and pizza at The Grove Golf and Bowl. Or bounce yourself bonkers at Flip Out.
Sharpen your contortion skills with Wye Circus. Ride the tractors and feed the lambs at Newbridge Farm Park. Hire bikes at Halo Leisure. Take the Worcestershire Treasure Trail along the Severn. Ice-skate or rollerskate at The Core. Or take your kid-kart around the 600-metre track at Herefordshire Raceway.
Start with the important stuff: take a trip to Penrhos Gin Distillery, creating the country’s finest craft gin and liqueurs, or Chase Distillery for award-winning gin and vodka. Beer? Herefordshire has the country’s best hops, so hop along to Wye Valley Brewery for a case of Fandango or Nightjar.
Stay in the Wye Valley to tackle the wobbly crossings of Go Ape! Pick from paintballing, quad trekking, escape room, rafting, clay pigeons, It’s a Knockout and more at Oaker Wood Leisure. Or lace up your boots to walk the Hergest Ridge, the Mortimer Trail, Bradnore Hill or the Brecon Beacons.
Play the highest 18-hole golf course in England at Kington with fabulous views over the surrounding mountain ranges. Pick from two courses at Grove Golf and Bowl, then stick around to score some strikes and spares on the ten-pin alleys. Race around a well at Border Karts Racing. Or try abseiling, caving or hovercrafting at Mountain Mayhem.
Head to Hereford Cathedral to see the Mappa Mundi, a bit like the Bayeux Tapestry, or to Hay-on-Wye for a bookfest. Come in April for the Kington Spring Walking Festival, in May for the Eastnor Chilli Festival or in late May for the Hay Festival Global, bringing together diverse voices from art, literature, science, politics, music and comedy.
If you’re not invading Prague or Paris, you’ll be the type of hen or stag looking for a quiet country house with walks from the door, pubs a sociable stagger away and easy access to a town for the odd Passionfruit Martini or Pina Colada. The Tellin ticks every box, awash with stylish space and close to the foodie fleshpots of Hereford.
You’ll appreciate the light touches here: the spa robes and slippers, the Nespresso pods on tap and the options to order bed-linen changes, and food and drinks from The Barn Fairies. The gas barbecue and in-house professional meals from Field to Fork and The Cider Barn should also help. Dine out on the terrace in the sunshine.
Looking for something memorable? Walk with furry friends at Alpaca my Boots, shoot arrows on site with Target Archery, or have a crack at traditional Nordic pastimes with Viking Games. Anyone for molkky or kubb? Or Go Ape in the high branches at Beechenhurst or Mallards Pike.
Try mountain-boarding in winter with Court Farm Leisure, wild swimming in the Wye with Angela from Run Wild, or Nordic walking with Ali Allen. Drive rally cars with Phil Price or karts at Herefordshire Raceway. Chill with gin at Penrhos Distillery, spa treatments with Caroline Clout, and cocktails at Floodgates in Hereford.
