点评:Review of Newbridge Farm Park, Ledbury, Herefordshire
What a gorgeous place to share with the kids – safe, secure, friendly and with all those kid-focus activities that attract (both kids and parents alike). There was a galaxy of choices available – dedicated play spaces of all kinds – climbing/sliding, sandpits, chasing/hiding, pedal-powered car track, animal-feeding and, a highlight of the day, the farm tractor ride.
The park is easy to find – alongside the A4172 close to Little Marcle and about 5 km by road from Ledbury. The farm occupies a large rectangular block of land with the car park to one end – turn left and park as you enter. The entranceway into the farm park is through the office/reception building to the right with the majority social/play activities in-line behind it in separate modern-looking buildings with comfortable sun/rain proof rooves. There’s a line of livestock pens – containing horses & donkeys during out visit – in parallel to the play areas.
When we arrived late morning, there were probably >100 people – adults & kids – milling around and, when leaving three hours later, probably less than a dozen (including us). It emphasized the popularity of morning visits perhaps followed by a picnic lunch. That said, local school summer holidays had begun a week ago and this will presumably distorts the flow of family groups.
Adjacent to the play areas/activities there was a spacious picnic area together with a large number of seat/table combos – in the sun and in the shade – alongside of which there was a challenging flying fox – ‘challenging’ that is for the little ones – the first timers and those with less confidence about the speed reached before hitting the stop point two-thirds of the way along – which swung the rider sharply to a halt. The short queue of regulars quickly confirmed the confidence with which most of the kids learned the routines.
We followed our two – five and eight years - around watching them chase through the tunnels and across the gaps of the climbing structure built from large bales (two bales high) and, with help, swing from one side to the other on knotted ropes – two available – watching their confidence build the longer they played. Loose hay knee-deep helped capture those falling over.
The racetrack at the far end of the line of activities proved a particular favourite for our eight-year-old who, give her credit for perseverance, sort of held her own with the older racing kids – all boys – who clearly follow F1/Ferrari’s championship driver Lewis Hamilton. The faster cars could easily lap the slower cars as long as they (the latter) kept to one side of the track. The challenge came when the other 4-5 cars were bunched trying to pass. One of the adults watching took a car out for a ride and was shouted at by the older boy riders that it was only for kids … sheepishly - he did just the one circuit – slowly.
It was the racetrack that eventually dominated – such that we missed out on the tractor ride around the farm. Can you imagine? We completely forgot about the 14.30 h departure! Fortunately, the kids were not that concerned … they had, after all, been able to ‘drive’ the ‘little Grey Fergie’/Ferguson TEA20 tractor (the one that helped mechanize British farms from the mid-1940s-on). Moreover, this one was had the less familiar petrol-powered engine (or it could have been kerosine-powered). The kids, it should be said, enjoyed the drive, but were not interested in the engine.
What an attractive few hours! We paid GBS36 entry (4xadults & 2xkids). Complimenti – management and field staff of the day with the venue provided – 32 years informing/entertaining kids. This includes the high quality of the venues/equipment provided including hand-washing facilities and their focus approach to safety/security/cleanliness/etc. We particularly enjoyed our picnic followed by ice cream dolci next to the Ludstock Brook (which also helped the kids solve the simple quiz presented to them as they entered the park – and for which they received a token reward when leaving. Nice touch).
Peter Steele
30July26
翻译:纽布里奇农场公园体验记,赫里福德郡莱德伯里
这是个非常适合带孩子一同游玩的绝佳去处——环境安全、氛围友善,还有众多专为孩子们设计的活动,深得孩子们和家长们的喜爱。这里的选择五花八门:各类专门的游乐区——攀爬区、滑梯区、沙坑、捉迷藏区,还有脚踏车赛道;孩子们还能亲手喂喂动物。而当天的重头戏,便是乘坐农场拖拉机游览啦。这个公园很容易找到——它位于A4172公路旁,靠近小马克尔镇,距离莱德伯里约5公里。农场占地一片宽阔的矩形区域,停车场设在其一端;进入时向左转即可停车。进入农场公园的入口在右侧的办公室/接待楼处,大多数社交及娱乐活动则在其后方的几栋外观现代、配有舒适且能遮阳挡雨的屋顶的建筑物中举行。在游乐区旁边有一排牲畜围栏——我们参观时里面关着马和驴。
上午晚些时候我们抵达时,周围大概有100多人,有大人也有小孩;三个小时后离开时,人数则不到十几人(包括我们)。这一情况充分说明了人们喜欢在上午来此游玩,之后再进行野餐。不过,当地的学校暑期假期一周前刚刚开始,这很可能影响了家庭游客的数量。在游乐区/活动区旁边有一个宽敞的野餐区,那里有大量配套的桌椅——有的在阳光下,有的在阴凉处。与此同时,还有一个颇具挑战性的滑索——不过对于小朋友们来说才算有挑战性啦——对于那些初次体验或对滑索速度缺乏信心的孩子而言,滑索会在行进到三分之二处时突然将他们猛地停下。排着短队的常客们很快便印证了大多数孩子在学习这些游戏动作时的自信程度。
我们跟着自己5岁和8岁的孩子,看着他们在由大草捆搭建而成的攀爬架上穿梭——这些草捆有两捆高;在他人的帮助下,他们还沿着系好的绳索从一侧荡到另一侧。随着玩耍时间的延长,他们的自信心也日益增强。地上齐膝深的松散干草则有效防止了孩子们摔倒。在一系列活动项目的尽头有个赛车场,那里成了我们八岁女儿的最爱。不得不佩服她的毅力——她居然能够与那些年龄更大、也更有经验的男孩子们相抗衡。这些男孩显然都是F1赛事以及法拉利车队冠军车手刘易斯·汉密尔顿的粉丝。只要速度较慢的赛车乖乖待在赛道一侧,速度较快的赛车就能轻松超越它们。真正的挑战则出现在另外4到5辆赛车挤作一团、试图互相超越的时候。在场观看的成年人中,有个人开车出去兜了一圈。那些年纪稍大的男孩骑手们冲他大喊:“这车是给小孩子玩的……”他有些不好意思,只慢慢地绕赛道开了一圈。
最终,赛道成了焦点——以至于我们错过了乘坐拖拉机环游农场的活动。能想象吗?我们完全忘了14点半的出发时间!幸运的是,孩子们倒没太在意……毕竟,他们已经……能够驾驶那台“小灰色弗格森”TEA20拖拉机真是太棒了(正是这台拖拉机从20世纪40年代中期开始帮助英国农场实现机械化)。不过,这台拖拉机搭载的是不太常见的汽油发动机(也可能是煤油发动机)。值得一提的是,孩子们很喜欢驾驶体验,但对发动机本身却没什么兴趣。
真是令人愉悦的几个小时啊!我们支付了36英镑作为门票费用(4名成人及2名儿童)。值得称赞的是:当天的管理人员及现场工作人员,以及主办方提供的场地——32年来一直致力于为孩子们提供信息与娱乐服务。主办方提供的场地与设备质量上乘,包括洗手设施,且在安全、安保及卫生等方面也格外用心。我们特别享受在卢德斯托克溪边野餐,之后还吃了冰淇淋。这一活动还帮助孩子们完成了入园时收到的简单小测验——完成测验后他们还能在离开时获得小奖品。这个安排真是贴心又有趣。
彼得·斯蒂尔
2026年7月30日