Natasha OrmeMoors Valley is one of those places where you plan to visit for a couple of hours and end up staying all day. There was so much to see and do that we ended up being there all day! In the heart of the New Forest, there are play areas, a steam railway, forest trails, ice cream and an off-road driving experience for littles. Here’s what we did, what it cost and what I’d do differently next time.
Parking
Parking can be a little pricey depending on when you’re visiting and for how long you stay. Generally speaking, weekends cost more than weekdays. We paid £17 for 5+ hours (we stayed for 6.5 hours), so it’s worth planning a proper full day to get your money’s worth.
Mini Land Rovers off-road driving experience
This was a definite highlight. The electric mini Land Rovers are for ages 3 to 10 and run at weekends and during Dorset school holidays. Each driver needs one adult supervising, and there’s no need to pre-book. You just turn up on the day.
The course has some great obstacles like Rumble Road (the tunnel), Bumpy Lane (driveable bumps) and Seesaw Bridge (perhaps the most impressive obstacle there). It’s £9 for 2 laps, and we paid £15 for 4 laps. The designated adult is responsible for keeping your child on the track and driving sensibly, and I was given a kill switch remote. They also said I was welcome to sit on the back, swing my legs and help him with his steering if he needed it (he didn’t).
If your child is a driving enthusiast, four laps is definitely a great deal. We used the first one to get to grips with the car, the second for understanding the obstacles and then laps three and four were just for the hell of it. Although he still asked to do more when he got out…
Moors Valley Railway steam train
The Moors Valley Railway runs really regularly, so you’re never waiting long. The journey is just over a mile. It follows the edge of Moors Lake, goes through tunnels, up a forest incline and round a spiral loop past the play areas. Most of the engines were built in the railway’s own workshops on site, and it’s run by an extended family team with lots of volunteers.
Return tickets are £5.95 for an adult and £4.20 for a child. I’d say the return is worth it. If you fancy a walk, do a single trip from Lakeside to Kingsmere and wander back through the forest. Kingsmere station has a gift shop and a refreshments kiosk, which is handy if someone needs a snack.
Moors Valley play trail and play areas
The play trail is amazing and perfect for kids of all ages. It’s free and takes you through the forest to 9 different play structures, all of differing sizes and difficulties (so there’s something for kids of all ages). There have been a few newer additions to the trail which are amazing; in fact, all of the play structures were great – I think our 4yo only struggled on one of the structures; all the others were perfect for him.
If you have a walk-shy toddler (like us), I’d highly recommend taking a balance bike or something similar. Just make sure it’s okay for off-roading, as the path can be uneven and bumpy at times.
Food and treats
As we’re well into spooky season, there were lots of cute Halloween-themed treats to choose from, and the Barn Cafe had a lot more cake options too.
There’s also an ice cream kiosk next to the visitor centre which had so many flavours to choose from, and lots of added extras too. A little on the pricey side, an ice cream was £3.85 with sprinkles costing an extra 60p. However, the little one loved it so I’d say it was money well spent 😆
Other things to do (that we haven’t tried yet)
There was far more to do at Moors Valley than we fitted into one day. For families with little ones, these are on my list:
- Room on the Broom trail: an interactive forest trail with Witch and her friends
- Ranger Den and pond dipping: hands-on displays about the wildlife in the park, plus guided pond dipping with the rangers
- Adventure Valley mini golf: a round of adventure golf in the trees
- Go Ape: high ropes, a nets adventure and Segway safaris, for when the kids are older
Hiring bikes: what we’re planning next time
The park also has their own bike hire hut. Cycle hire is open every day from 9.30am, and bikes are first-come, first-served, so you can’t reserve in advance. Standard bikes are £9 for an hour or £27.30 for the day, and junior bikes are £7.40 for an hour or £23.20 for the day.
If you’re taking a little one, child seats are available from 9 months and trailers from 12 months. (They only fit the hire bikes and you pay for the bike separately). Our little one loved the look of the trailers so I think next time we’ll hire that and explore more of the forest.
Our verdict
We had the best day and can’t wait to go back. It ended up being a little costly, but I’d say it was well worth it. With so much more to see and do, I think it’s the kind of place we’ll be visiting pretty often.
If you’ve been to Moors Valley, tell me what I should add to the list for our next visit?
