We were given complimentary camping, wristbands, food and drink for our stay.
Last weekend we were invited to come and give camping at Wicksteed Park a try. As many of you know as a family we love camping. We also love Wicksteed Park, so combining the two was something we were really looking forward too.
Wicksteed Park is a mere 45 minute drive for us and is a really easy drive. Before we arrived Mark and I were constantly checking the weather as despite it being glorious sunshine, the weekend was due to rain. Lots of rain. I was getting slightly concerned that rides would be shut, and the campsite a washout. Nether the less we set off and arrived around 10.30am and our weekend wasn’t a wash out! In fact, I don’t think it rained at all.
Our first stop was to check-in at Reception. We were then given our wristbands which would give us unlimited rides for the entire day, as well as our camping label to attach to the tent and meal vouchers. I was a little surprised that we weren’t given any information in regards to our camping pitch such as when we have to vacate, cleaning times for the toilet block and any do’s and don’ts such as BBQ’s, campfires etc. I know that there are T&C’s on their website which does list everything you need to know, (which can be found here) but I do think a little handout to reference too would be handy.
Camping at Wicksteed Park
One thing I was surprised with most was the space that was available. For some reason, I had envisaged a field, with the basic of basic amenities and tents crammed in. It wasn’t. The camping field was huge and separated from the rest of the park by hedges. The field was also separated into a few smaller sections by hedgerows too. Wicksteed Park accepts Tents, Caravans and Motorhomes, although it is non electric site. At the top end of the field was the toilet block which was really modern and clean. There were 3 family rooms, 2 of which were also disabled shower rooms too.
The family rooms were rather small and in all honesty, could do with some little things being added. Such as hooks to hang clothes/bags, an extractor fan to help cool down the room after shower use. A table to pop belongings onto aswell. I also feel that a mop or something could be added too, just to help dry the floor after use. The room was rather tight for all 5 of us to be in there and had we all had showers I think we would have struggled. Just outside of the toilet block was also dishwashing facilities which was under shelter too.
Clip n Climb
One of the activities that the boys were able to take part in was the new Clip’nClimb. The boys recently did this a couple of months back and they really enjoyed it. So I knew this would be a hit.
When we arrived we were greeted by a really energetic instructor who sat with the boys for their briefing. The boys were told what they can and can not do, such as they were not able to clip themselves or unclip themselves. Instead, they were encouraged to do a little dance, or wave to grab the attention of the instructors within the climbing walls.
The boys loved climbing and I think an hour was the perfect amount of time. Each of the boys had fun climbing to the top of the wall, even Arthur managed to hit the button 6 times! Some of the walls reach a staggering 10meters high! The walls vary in difficulty with some of them being far too difficult for the boys.
Food and Drink
Along with complimentary camping, we were also given meal vouchers so we could try out the range of refreshments that are on offer at Wicksteed Park. We were rather excited to be able to eat at the different eateries and we thoroughly made the most of it!
Oak Tree
One of our first meals was at the Oak Tree. Mark and I had Fish and Chips (£6.95) and the boys each had a children’s meal of Sausage, chips and a drink (£5.95)
Wicky’s Play Factory
In the evening we then decided to grab a pizza. We headed to Wickys Play Factory where for £9.95 we bought a few 12inch Pepperoni pizzas. I was impressed with just how great they tasted! We decided to take them back to the tent to eat.
The Hex
On Sunday, we headed to The Hex, where for lunch we had cheeseburger and Chips. We were rather surprised that here they do not have children’s meals, it is all one size. The photo looks a little deceiving on size, however, for £6.95, Mark and I were pretty full. The burger wasn’t what we had expected to receive either. It was a thick, beef burger the kind you would expect at a restaurant, not a cafe in the middle of a park.
The Parlour
We then spent the last of our meal vouchers on a trip to The Parlour. Out of all our visits, this was rather a letdown. The ice-cream was great, we had no problems with that at all, however, the service was really slow and often wrong. It didn’t help that when we arrived there was a large order by a couple of families. However, we were there in the queue for a good 15 minutes before we were even served.
The staff didn’t really seem to know who had ordered what, and I was given the wrong order which I then later had to pass onto another family, despite having held onto it for a good 5 minutes. I wouldn’t have been entirely happy if I was that family and I wouldn’t have accepted ice-cream another customer had been given. Thankfully I didn’t start eating it.
Wicksteed Park
Our last visit to Wicksteed Park we saw a lot of renovation works, so it was lovely to see it all complete. In our review which I wrote last year, we covered a lot of the rides and attractions, So I thought I would share some new ones.
Wicky’s Mini Rangers
The boys were really excited to come across a new attraction, Wicky’s mini Rangers which had only been open a couple of weeks. With 6 Land Rover Discovery Jeeps, the boys were able to drive them around the track. It isn’t a race, and each child sets off one at a time.
Aeroslide
This time the boys wanted to give the Aeroslide a go! I think afterwards they questioned why they had waited so long because they loved it!
Thanks to the wristbands the boys were able to fully make the most of the slide. Mark and I spent a good 20 minutes watching the boys slide down, in the spectator’s area.
Children’s Lake
Another attraction the boys tried for the first time was the Children’s Lake. Last year they each went onto the single boats for younger children, however, Jack and Oliver were both able to have a go in a Canoe. I couldn’t help but worry in case they fell in, however, I needn’t have. They loved being able to explore the water in a boat and watching them work as a team was really lovely too.
Our thoughts,
We absolutely loved camping at Wicksteed Park, it gave us the freedom to be able to take our time and explore everywhere we wanted to go. Without having to worry about travelling home. For us, it wasn’t far to come so we were able to fully make the most out of our stay. Although there were a few little niggles in particular to the set out in the family rooms, it wasn’t overall too bad, I mean we could certainly make do. I love everything Wicksteed Park has to offer families, it really does make it a lovely place to camp.
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