London and Scotland--Where the playgrounds are
Jul 28th, 2010, 05:29 AM
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London and Scotland--Where the playgrounds are
For those taking little ones, hear are a few playgrounds our little ones explored during our recent visit to London and Scotland:
LONDON
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens--
An amazing, huge space in the corner of Kensington Gardens, northeast of Kensington Palace. Gate is monitored so you can't get in unless you are with a child--they are very strict, even gave my 79yo mum a bit of a hard time since she was about 50 feet behind us getting there. Themed after Peter Pan, with a large pirate ship, Indian teepee village, a croc made of rocks, and much more. Sandy areas, climbing structures among the trees, music-making stuff and more. Benches (including some sheltered areas) for parents to sit on, and a cafe to get drinks on a hot day (as it was when we were there).
We came on the tube to Queensway and walked a short way into Kensington Gardens to the entrance (which is on the side toward the Palace), and continued on past the back of the Palace (lots of construction going on there right now so views largely blocked by walls), to the Albert Memorial, past Albert Hall to museum row (Science, V&A and Natural History), and then on to Harrod's.
London Eye:
At the foot of the Eye is a fairly sizeable playground with swings, monkey bars, spiderweb climbing thing, balance beams, etc. Great location if you are visiting the Eye or wandering this stretch along the Thames, with many buskers, and restaurants at nearby Festival Hall.
Tower Hill:
This must be a very new play area, as it doesn't even appear on Google Earth Streetview photos. We stumbled on it because we arrived at Tower Gateway by bus. If you arrive by Tube at Tower Hill, you won't see it because it is behind an ancient section of wall. Leaving the Tube station, turn left and go around the wall.
Not a huge area, but a nice place for the little ones to run wild for a few minutes.
Imperial War Museum:
We didn't make it to this one, but I had scoped it out as it was fairly close to our hotel. The play area is on the east side of the museum building, and looks pretty sizeable.
SCOTLAND
Uig, Isle of Skye:
This small community playground is near the water next to a football field. We stumbled across it at the end of a delightful short walk through the Uig Wood, which you pick up just past the Post Office if walking from the Village (or just before it if walking downhill from Uig Hotel), and follow it down toward the water. There is a stone wall along the waterfront. There is a gap in the wall at one point where vehicles can drive through, and you can walk out toward the water, but be careful it is very boggy there and you will get muddy. Keep walking and you come to the community center--there was a portable skateboard ramp (U-shaped) there which our kids ran around on for a while. Keep going across the pedestrian bridge and you come to the football field, the playground is at the other end of the fields.
Kings Park, Stirling:
A really cool recently-built Adventure Playground on the fields where soldiers used to be encamped during Stirling's many turmoils. A long zipline, big slide and climbing structures, a water play area where kids can pump the water into a big tank and then control the outflows in different ways. Lots of fun, with the castle looming over the background.
Leith Links, Edinburgh:
This park, touted as the home of modern golf (they were playing golf there 400 years ago!) was right across from our B&B (Sandaig Guest House). Nice playground with a large spiderweb climbing structure, a small zipline, etc.
Near Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh:
Across the street from the West Entrance to the Royal Botanic Garden is a large public park with fields, tennis courts, a basketball court, and a nice-sized playground.
One thing I wish we had done is packed a small soccer ball with a little hand pump, we would have had lots of opportunities to let the kids run wild with the ball for a while.
LONDON
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, Kensington Gardens--
An amazing, huge space in the corner of Kensington Gardens, northeast of Kensington Palace. Gate is monitored so you can't get in unless you are with a child--they are very strict, even gave my 79yo mum a bit of a hard time since she was about 50 feet behind us getting there. Themed after Peter Pan, with a large pirate ship, Indian teepee village, a croc made of rocks, and much more. Sandy areas, climbing structures among the trees, music-making stuff and more. Benches (including some sheltered areas) for parents to sit on, and a cafe to get drinks on a hot day (as it was when we were there).
We came on the tube to Queensway and walked a short way into Kensington Gardens to the entrance (which is on the side toward the Palace), and continued on past the back of the Palace (lots of construction going on there right now so views largely blocked by walls), to the Albert Memorial, past Albert Hall to museum row (Science, V&A and Natural History), and then on to Harrod's.
London Eye:
At the foot of the Eye is a fairly sizeable playground with swings, monkey bars, spiderweb climbing thing, balance beams, etc. Great location if you are visiting the Eye or wandering this stretch along the Thames, with many buskers, and restaurants at nearby Festival Hall.
Tower Hill:
This must be a very new play area, as it doesn't even appear on Google Earth Streetview photos. We stumbled on it because we arrived at Tower Gateway by bus. If you arrive by Tube at Tower Hill, you won't see it because it is behind an ancient section of wall. Leaving the Tube station, turn left and go around the wall.
Not a huge area, but a nice place for the little ones to run wild for a few minutes.
Imperial War Museum:
We didn't make it to this one, but I had scoped it out as it was fairly close to our hotel. The play area is on the east side of the museum building, and looks pretty sizeable.
SCOTLAND
Uig, Isle of Skye:
This small community playground is near the water next to a football field. We stumbled across it at the end of a delightful short walk through the Uig Wood, which you pick up just past the Post Office if walking from the Village (or just before it if walking downhill from Uig Hotel), and follow it down toward the water. There is a stone wall along the waterfront. There is a gap in the wall at one point where vehicles can drive through, and you can walk out toward the water, but be careful it is very boggy there and you will get muddy. Keep walking and you come to the community center--there was a portable skateboard ramp (U-shaped) there which our kids ran around on for a while. Keep going across the pedestrian bridge and you come to the football field, the playground is at the other end of the fields.
Kings Park, Stirling:
A really cool recently-built Adventure Playground on the fields where soldiers used to be encamped during Stirling's many turmoils. A long zipline, big slide and climbing structures, a water play area where kids can pump the water into a big tank and then control the outflows in different ways. Lots of fun, with the castle looming over the background.
Leith Links, Edinburgh:
This park, touted as the home of modern golf (they were playing golf there 400 years ago!) was right across from our B&B (Sandaig Guest House). Nice playground with a large spiderweb climbing structure, a small zipline, etc.
Near Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh:
Across the street from the West Entrance to the Royal Botanic Garden is a large public park with fields, tennis courts, a basketball court, and a nice-sized playground.
One thing I wish we had done is packed a small soccer ball with a little hand pump, we would have had lots of opportunities to let the kids run wild with the ball for a while.
Jul 28th, 2010, 07:38 AM
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Yes, the playground at East Meadow Park in Edinburgh appears to be quite a large one (based on Google Earth scouting), and there is another on Dumbiedykes Road/Queens Drive at the foot of Arthur's Seat, about 3 blocks southeast of Our Dynamic Earth.
Jul 28th, 2010, 10:18 AM
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Don't forget Coram's Fields:
http://www.coramsfields.org/
(or indeed the nearby Foundling Museum, though that needs careful handling with little ones around:
http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/)
http://www.coramsfields.org/
(or indeed the nearby Foundling Museum, though that needs careful handling with little ones around:
http://www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk/)
Aug 3rd, 2010, 11:22 AM
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Again looking at GoogleEarth, the Princes Street Gardens playground is near to St. Cuthbert's church, as hanl said on the west end of the Gardens.
A couple of the Panaramio photos show a carousel in the open area south of the playground, but this does not appear in the aerial view. Perhaps it is a seasonal installation--does anyone know?
A couple of the Panaramio photos show a carousel in the open area south of the playground, but this does not appear in the aerial view. Perhaps it is a seasonal installation--does anyone know?
