A day out in the East Hertfordshire countryside
A country park is an ideal setting for a relaxing day out with your older relative or friend – and there are plenty to choose from in and around East Hertfordshire.
At Home Instead East Herts and Uttlesford, we enjoy treating our aging adults to the occasional trip out. And if it’s a nice day, where better to take them than one of the lovely country parks in the area? We’ve chosen three that we particularly like, ranging from one south of Hertford, then to Bishop’s Stortford and then even creeping over into the neighbouring county of Essex. Take a look and see if there’s one that you fancy trying.
Bishop's Stortford Southern Country Park
The Southern Country Park at Bishops’s Stortford was taken over by East Herts Council in 2001, and has won the Green Flag award (an international standard for public parks) every year since 2008. The park has several different areas, including a lake where fishing is allowed, a picnic site, and large areas of open grassland. There’s also woodland and streams, where local wildlife can be spotted.
Some of our Care Professionals enjoy going to the park with their families. It’s open all year round and is wheelchair-accessible. Dogs are welcome, as long as they are kept under control (there’s even a dog agility area in the park!) There’s a car park off Thorley Lane and also an entrance off Moor Lane.
Paradise Wildlife Park
The aptly-named Paradise Wildlife Park can be found halfway between Epping Green and Broxbourne. It’s somewhere where you can enjoy seeing all sorts of wildlife – from tigers, snow leopards, camels and tapirs through to owls, emus and penguins, or monkeys, crocodiles and armadillos – and many more. Ticket prices vary but there are concessions for disabled people with carers. There’s even a dinosaur park, with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs!
The Wildlife Park caters for a range of access needs. Access throughout the park is good, with level paths. There are also ramps to viewing areas for many of the animals. There are disabled access toilets and a range of wheelchairs, mobility scooters and strollers are available for hire. Most of the park’s Animal Experiences are suitable for guests with additional needs, while there is full wheelchair access to the lemur and meerkat enclosures.
Great Notley Country Park
Just across the border in Essex, you can find Great Notley Country Park. This is a great place for people of all ages, with easy access for wheelchairs. The main pathways are fairly flat, and there are also grassy pathways. The park is on the site of ancient Iron Age and Roman settlements and has lakes, a small woodland and wildflower meadows. Some of the wild animals and birds that can be seen include bats, foxes and weasels, and skylarks, owls and woodpeckers.
Dogs are welcome but must be kept on the lead in the play trail area. There are accessible public toilets at the park’s Visitor Centre. And if you and your older guest are feeling puckish, there is the Skylark Café. However, this is only open on Saturdays and Sundays during the winter. There’s a car park at the site, where charges apply for busy periods.
We hope you enjoy this little foray into a few of the beautiful places around East Hertfordshire and we hope you’re able to take your older loved one to see them. Even getting out into the open air can be a welcome break from being stuck indoors – so enjoy a little exploring!
And when you get back home, why not look us up at Home Instead East Herts and Uttlesford, and give us a buzz. We’d be delighted to tell you all about our wide range of home care services. We look forward to hearing from you!
