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NICE PLACE WITH RIP OFF PARKING FEES!
We visited Fineshade Wood today, 02/03/2025, the first time in a few years, but have been many times before that. I didn't know how much the parking fees had gone up and my son had already payed, so it was too late to go somewhere else!
The cost of parking on a Sat & Sun is:
1 hour = £3.80 2 hours = £6.50 4 hours = £8.50 All day = £9.00
My son had payed for up to 4 hours, so £8.50! Had I found out the price before, I'd have simply got back in the car and gone somewhere else! I fully understand where the money goes, back in to the forest, the visitors centre etc. But that price for 4 hours and putting the prices up substantially at the weekend is an absolute disgrace!
The wood itself is a nice place to be with a variety of different walking routes, ranging from a couple of miles to about 5 miles (the pink route), there is also a tree house play area on the main walking route, but with only one small bench available to parents that will seat about 3 people, so more benches are needed. There is a small play park by the visitor centre, but again, minimal seating is available, more picnic tables needed.
It's just such a shame about the parking cost, we are being ripped off for most things these days, but being ripped off to go for a nice walk in a country park is despicable and whoever decided on those prices should be absolutely ashamed!
We will not...
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I grew up near here. Long ago. My father was an itinerant Belgian woodcutter, and... nah I am just joking, I am not going to waste your time. It is nice here and I reccomend a visit. There is cycle hire and wide well maintained paths through the woods, and caravan parking of some sort although I have never been in the caravan bit. The café is the jewel in the crown here. A little woodland café in an out-of-the-way location. With vegan and allergy-friendly options, artisnal offerings, Italian-style ice creams bespoke coffees and delightfully friendly and professional staff. There is a courtyard for civilised dining, inside space to sit and eat. And a children's adventure playground on the other side of the building where the noise won't be a bother to the child-free. You should visit. It is nice in the rain and glorious in the sunshine. There is no free parking for the cafe though, and it is expensive (£3 for an hour(maybe £4 I can't quite remember that one) £5 for 2 hours and £7 all day). That is the only reason for the four stars and not five. I know, I know. It is not the cafés fault, but I feel that I have to be firm, and it is a pet peeve. Oh. And I did grow up near here. My father is not an itinerant Belgian...
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A little disappointed at the labelling of the green cycle routes being "family friendly" and "suitable for beginners". The cycle routes are probably great to anyone beginning to mountain biking WHO ALREADY HAS EXPERIENCE IN RIDING A BIKE. The green trail has stoney sections, gravelly sections and also a couple of fairly long stoney downhill sections which tire small hands quickly. My 7 year old (who is used to cycling 25+ miles on the back of my tag-along) found some sections of this 5-mile trail impossible on her solo bike. Given a little more experience on her solo bike, this trail would have been great, but as she couldn't go downhill because her hands became tired from braking so much and didn't have the strength needed to go up the hills it became quite tiresome for me to cycle her bike as well as my own while she walked the sections she couldn't do. It needs making clearer to parents that this is NOT suitable for beginners. We were not alone, there were other parents here today that were finding they had to help their kids out more than they expected. Nene Valley is more suitable...
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