Muddy fun at Bourne Woods

Little Miss is going through a Peppa Pig phase at the moment. She is obsessed by muddy puddles and her footwear of choice anywhere we go now is welly boots. So when my friend Kate suggested a walk at Bourne Woods with her Little Miss, out came the wellies and Little Miss could hardly contain her excitement when I suggested that the rain may have left some muddy puddles for her to jump in.

What’s at Bourne Woods?

Bourne Woods is a Forestry Commission site on the outskirts of Bourne. There’s not much there in terms of facilities – it’s simply a nice place to go for a walk. There are many different paths around the woods, and local volunteers do a lot of work protecting and preserving the woodland. I’ve been to Bourne Woods on several different occasions mostly pre-Little Miss, when I’ve explored quite a lot of the woodland – especially the ponds which attract a lot of different wildlife and are a peaceful place just to relax and chill.

Little Miss looks over the fence where the playground use to be

However, with the Little Misses in tow, today’s walk was anything but relaxing and chilling! The first thing I noticed when I arrived was that the playground is no longer there. All the equipment has been taken away. It didn’t really matter though, because as promised, there were lots and lots of muddy puddles!

The Little Misses had an absolute blast running and jumping in all the puddles. They fell over, they got back up, they splashed each other, they splashed us. By the time we got back to the cars, I’d stripped my Little Miss to just her nappy and top as she was so wet and muddy – thank goodness it was a mild-October day.

The muddy puddles were the star of the day. If it had been dry, would’ve this been such a great day out? Probably. There’s always something for kids to see in woodlands. We saw grey squirrels, lots of birds and a muntjac deer. Then there’s collecting leaves, seeds, cones, stones and sticks.

However, my one big bugbear about Bourne Woods is the dog poo. Just watch your step which is easier said than done when chasing after Little Miss!

All the important bits

Car parking
Car parking is free, and there’s lots of it. Look out for any running events which happen occasionally at the Woods – it will be busy and you may not be able to access all areas. Check out the Frostbite Friendly League and Rotary Club of Bourne websites for future dates.

Eating and drinking
Bring your own lunch and have a picnic in the Woods. There are picnic tables in the car park and wooden benches dotted around the site.

Facilities
There are no toilets on site. There is a toilet block, but it is locked and the Forestry Commission website states this is now closed.

Lots of the paths are buggy-friendly. They are wide and even with a hard gravel surface.

Kids’ activities
The Friends of Bourne Woods organise a number of events throughout the year, including an Easter egg hunt, den building and Santa in the Wood. There is no playground at Bourne Woods anymore.

My ratings

• Value for money: 5/5 (it’s free!)
• Fun factor (kids): 4/5
• Fun factor (parents): 4/5

A great place to spend a couple of hours walking around spotting wildlife, collecting leaves or jumping in muddy puddles.