h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Please - I need some help from the collective wisdom that is Hootoo.

My brother and his family are coming to visit us at Easter and need somewhere, roughly half way between Glasgow and Hampshire, to stop for a couple of hours and run the legs off an over-active 2 yr old.

Any ideas for places easily accessible from M6?

Well I would say Alton Towers (Stafforshire) but really that's an all day job and not the best place in the world to be taking UFOs.

How about somewhere like Weston Park near Shifnal in Shropshire (about 7 miles off junction 12 of the M6)? All that open space, adventure playgrounds and miniature railway stuff is probably perfect for hyperactive little dears, and when they're all tuckered out you can drag them round the stately home http://www.weston-park.com/

Why not make a stop of at Jodderel Bank - now renamed The Lovell Telescope. Five miles from M6 Junction 18.

It has lots of open space and a good picnic area. The visitor centre is child orientated but might be a bit much for a 2yo. It has an admission of £3.00 per car.

http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/viscen/

Donald

Ooh Jodrell Bank. Not been there in years

Hi Teuchter

A nice little stop off point for a run in the fresh air, or picknicky type thing might be Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. Just a stonesthrow from the M6 Toll Road that skirts Birmingham now, there are miles and miles of open space, trees, playareas, and the occaisional nice pub. Only problem is, you did say it was Easter Holiday, so that'll be rain then?

Still it's all explained at http://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/leisure/parks.htm

Someone (the lovely fords) suggested York as a nice place for me to stop off when I drive between Edinburgh and Essex. I don't think it's particularly close to the M6 though, but having looked around some websites, I'm really excited about visiting it later this year.

hi.

if you wanted a place that is more suited to 2 year olds, then why not try telford?.

there is a great big park, very close to the town centre with various park sized toys and lots of space to run 'wild'.
there is also an area called 'wonderland', which is like a model village with various nursery rhyme and childrens book characters.
there is also a boating lake and loads of ducks.

im sure there are more things there, but as my kids have grown and flown, i havent been there for ages.

its about 15 minutes from the M6 (J12ish), going along the M54 to either J4 or J5.

and there are plenty of shops for mommy and daddy to play in, too

Pull into J28, Charnock Richard Services. There's plenty of grass for running about, cafes etc and you can get through into the Camelot theme village where there is a great kids friendly hotel. we've stopped here on our way from Aberdeen to varrious South Coast ports.

Near Cannock Chase there's a big place called 'Conkers', which is basically a massive adventure playground in the middle of the woods.

Many thanks for all those suggestions and links - I'll forward them to my wee brother and let him decide.

Of course, he may decide that visiting all these attractions is vastly preferable to coming further south to see his sister .

Och, away with you now, i'm sure he'll be giving it Laldie down the M6 for a braw blether with you Teuchter .


Oh goodness, i've come over all provincial..........i'll go for a lie down now

2 Votes so far for Cannock though i notice

The big advantage of J28, Charnock Richard Services, is that you don't have to stray too far from the M6. You'd be pushed to get to Canoock and back onto the motorway in two hours.