Twin Cottage is as a very special little cottage for adults and children alike. Little ones will head straight for the conservatory play room, whilst adults will adore the romantic fireplace and log burner (especially on crisp winter days and evenings) or the indulgent slipper bath (also a big hit with toddlers!). The New Forest setting will have little visitors playing spot the pony, cow, or deer from the garden gate in no time but despite its rural location, Twin Cottage is less than 20 minutes drive from the coast and a 10-minute stroll from the cosy pubs, galleries, tea rooms and useful shops of Burley. The beautiful setting of the cottage is matched by an equally attractive interior. An elegant colour scheme, solid oak and slate flooring, luxurious antique double bed and aforementioned cosy fireplaces, slipper bath and special toddler zone, just off the well-equipped kitchen, make it the perfect blend of luxury with family practicality.

Top suggestions for things to do include wildlife, elf and fairy spotting, as well as picnics in the forest; Nearby Longdown Farm for its friendly farmyard animals, new indoor ball pool and BIRO wooden play equipment zone; Paultons Park for its big range of toddler rides. Cycle hire with trailer buggies is available in Burley. Of the many seaside towns within a 20 mile radius of the cottage, Highcliffe is recommended for its picturesque castle leading to a scenic sandy beach; Hythe for the train ride along its Victorian pier; and yachting haven Lymington for its great selection of restaurants, boutiques and bistros, which includes the very child-friendly Vanilla Bean Café – great for Sunday brunch and babychinos!

Twin Cottage has two bedrooms both with room for a cot. One is a twin/queen (zip’n'link) and the second has a French antique-style double bed. The bathroom has both a slipper bath and a separate power shower. Downstairs, the lounge has a lovely open fire (guard provided), Flatscreen TV, DVD and Freeview. The dining room has another pretty fireplace, but with a log burner (logs provided). The well-equipped kitchen has all the standard equipment plus dishwasher, breadmaker and Nespresso coffee maker, plus an honesty bar/cupboard. Adjacent to the kitchen is a conservatory with lovely views of the large garden and surrounding countryside, along with a filled toy chest and toddler’s table and chairs. Off the dining room is a small home-office room with free wireless broadband, a PC and a printer. The cottage sleeps four (plus a cot). It can be rented per week or for weekend and mid-week short breaks, year round. Prices are from £595 - £1,575 depending on the time of stay.

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Former fashion designer, Lynne Johnson and her lighting consultant husband, John, have lavished both their skills on this cluster of five homely but stylish converted barns near the glorious beaches and sophisticated market towns of the North Norfolk coast. The Johnson’s parenting experience is evident in the balance they’ve achieved between style and family-friendly comfort with simple contemporary furnishings that easily ensure stress-free living- even with toddlers in tow! These cottages are ideal for families who enjoy independence and privacy but will appreciate the strikingly beautiful indoor heated pool, toddlers play house and pre-bookable service that aid relaxation when it comes to holidays with toddlers.

Kids love the local steam railways, wildlife centers, dinosaur park, aquarium and seal spotting boat trips. Lynne can arrange cycle hire with tag-alongs and baby seats. A number of nearby National Trust houses have family friendly restaurants, play areas and playgrounds. Other family-friendly dining options include lunches at The Victoria, Holkham and The White Horse at Brancaster, or excellent fish and chips on Wells Quay. Nearby Walsingham Farm Barns sell a fantastic range of speciality foods direct from small suppliers, along with some excellent fresh-made ready meals. Alternatively, use pre-bookable baby-sitting and try the excellent Galton Blackiston’s Michelin starred Morston Hall.

Owl, Tern & Wagtail Cottages each sleep four in two bedrooms (double and twin) with space for both a cot and z-bed. They are all set on one level, which makes them ideal for toddlers and crawlers, and accessible for wheelchair users. They benefit from spacious open-plan living areas with large windows flooding them with light and offering rural views. The kitchens are modern, stylish and fully equipped with microwaves, dishwashers, ovens, hobs and hand blenders (washing and drying facilities are available in the shared laundry room). Rentals range from £380- £850 per cottage, per week depending upon size of cottage and time of year. Short breaks are available out of peak season from £228-£520.

Features

-Babysitting by a police-checked and approved local sitter can be arranged
-Baby equipment provided includes cots, high chairs, baby baths, night lights, baby monitors and children’s utensils. There are microwaves and hand blenders provided in the cottage kitchens.
-A selection of DVDs, toys and bedtime story books suitable for all ages are available
-The pool at Cranmer is beautiful with huge windows offering lovely rural views. The water temperature and that of the changing rooms is kept comfortable for babies and toddlers.
-There’s a new timber outdoor play area at Cranmer and a wendy house for younger children.
-Cranmer is primarily self-catering but meal deliveries and private chef services can be arranged
-Treatments via a visiting local beauty therapist can be pre-booked
-Delicious freshly prepared ready meals and hampers of local produce can be arranged. Alternatively, buy them direct from the Walsingham Farm shop nearby

For more information or to make a reservation enquiry please visit Baby Friendly Boltholes

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Tags: baby friendly boltholes, child friendly holidays, holidaycottages

Family-Friendly Style on Sea’ might best describe The Cove, a grand old building recently converted into stunning contemporary apartments with an acclaimed restaurant and a truly beautiful coastal location. The stylish interiors, original artworks, huge four-poster-beds, sweeping views and sophisticated bar and restaurant (within baby monitor range of the bedrooms) will have most parents wanting to move in for good! Thanks to the timber outdoor play area, heated outdoor swimming pool, and pet rabbits and regular arts and craft sessions, mini guests are likely to feel the same.

Lamorna’s natural beauty has inspired many a celebrated artist. Highly recommended is a walk (with back packs or slings recommended rather than pushchairs) along the stunning 2-mile coastal path to Mousehole – try to get a copy of the children’s book ‘The Mousehole Cat’, which is set there to use as a bedtime story before going. The fact that bedrooms are within baby monitor range of the Cove’s acclaimed restaurant allows parents the rare opportunity to ‘dine out’ alone each evening, but its well worth the expense of a babysitter to sample Michelin star dining at The Abbey Penzance. Head chef Ben Tunnicliffe is a Michelin star winner and offers a compelling menu focusing on fresh local ingredients. restaurant. The Cove offer a brilliant range of pre-bookable services including: beauty and massage therapy, tickets to the Minack Theatre (children’s shows often take place in school holiday periods), helicopter flights (including day trips to the Scilly isles), flightseeing tours, chauffeur service, flying lessons, golf, diving, fishing, surfing lessons, bike hire) and picnic hampers.

The Cove has 13 apartments sleeping from two to six and ranging from large studios to one and two bedrooms, all of which can accommodate at least one child bed or cot. With the exception of numbers 6, 8 and 9, all apartments at The Cove feature one large double-bedroom with four-poster bed (apt. 10 has no four-poster)  and spacious living areas with very comfortable sofa beds. All have an open-plan living areas and room for a cot/additional bed in the bedrooms. The kitchens are complete with microwaves, washing machines (not apt. 3) and dishwashers. The lounges have a plasma TV, DVD and CD player plus direct dial telephone and broadband. Rental prices vary widely according to the size of the apartment and the quality of its view. Prices range between £98.50-£164 per night (4nts min. off peak) or £165-£275 per night (1-3nights peak+ season) and  £690- £1150 per week, off peak, or £1200-£1950 per week in peak+ season. Small dogs are accepted (one per apartment) at a cost of £20.

Features:

- Child-minder and babysitting services are available if booked in advance from £8.50 per hour.
- Highchairs, cots/additional beds for toddlers (£20) and baby monitors on request (please book them).
- Little ones are welcome in the heated outdoor pool with parental supervision.
- The Cove has three acres of gardens with a timber outdoor play area (two swings, a climb up cubbie house and small slide), a pets corner with rabbits and, in December, an outdoor ice rink.
- Kids High Tea is served daily and combines fresh local produce with kiddie favourites. Once the little ones are asleep, adults can use baby monitors provided to enjoy the stylish bar and restaurant downstairs. Alternatively, parents can dine closer to ‘home’ with room service or self-catered drinks and dinner on their private terraces.
- Massages and beauty treatments are availble. Yoga sessions can be pre-booked. There is a gym and sauna on site.
- Freshly prepared gourmet ready meals can be delievered to the apartments. Picnic hampers are also available.
- The Cove’s pets corner is home to two fluffy rabbits.
- Beach!
- All one-bedroom apartments are double with space for a cot or additional bed and a sofabed in the lounge.

For more information or to make a reservation enquiry, please visit Baby Friendly Boltholes.

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We’ve just spent a fabulous weekend at Woolley Grange which is a luxury, family hotel in Bradford-on-Avon near Bath. It’s a beautiful Jacobean Manor House standing in 14 acres of stunning grounds and was a family home for 400 years before becoming the first Luxury Family Hotel in 1989.

Children’s Facilities
The Woolley Bears Den is an on-site, Ofsted registered nursery, staffed by a dedicated team of nannies. It has a wide variety of games, toys, books and music for every age group. Activities are organised around seasonal themes and there is always an opportunity to paint, stick and make.

Experience tells us that however sophisticated children’s toys become, the age old joy of dressing up and building with boxes still captivates our little ones. With this in mind, children can be as busy and involved or as quiet and relaxed as they choose to be during their time in the Den.

Nannies are on duty every day from 10am - 4.45pm and parents are very welcome to spend time in here with their children and often find that it is a great opportunity to have some quality play time!

Older children need space and at Woolley, they have this in abundance - space to kick a ball, bounce on a trampoline, play hide and seek, discover a great spot for a den, chill in their own play space called  the Hen House (home to pool table, table football, air hockey, wii and Playstations) and enjoy the outdoor pool all year round.

For rainy days and lazy afternoons there is a fantastic choice of board games, DVDs and lots of books for everyone and some yummy snacks are never too far away!

For a location map, click here.

Woolley Green
Bradford-on-Avon
Wiltshire, BA15 1TX
http://www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk/

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The time is almost upon us when the music festival season begins. The enevitable questions start to be asked - which festival should we go to? Who is playing? Will it rain? Shall we take the kids?

Whilst some festivals are a great place to let your hair down and enjoy a bit of hedonistic adult time, some festivals cater brilliantly for families who want to enjoy the music and fun with the children.

Depending on your music vibe we have put together a list of summer music festivals that really do have the family in mind.

Womad - A genuinely global gathering for world music luminaries!

Line up: Ethiopiques, Fat Freddy’s Drop and Soloman Burke.
When and where: July 24-26, Malmesbury, Wiltshire.
Cost: £122.00 per adult. Teenage ticket £60.00 (age 14-17) and kids under 13 are FREE.
Kid Friendly: The World of Kids will have the usual comprehensive programme of workshops, entertainment and activities being held throughout the weekend and the magnificent Children’s Parade through the arena will be one of the festival highlights
www.womad.org

Big Chill - Pastoral vibes, lakeside views and stonking bill!

Line up: Bassment Jaxx, David Byrne, Orbital.
When and where: August 6-9, Eastnor Park, Herefordshire.
Cost: £145 per adult, Teenage ticket (13-17) Kids under 12 (including babies) £4.00.
Kid Friendly: Healthy food stands, clean toilets, easy atmosphere and family exclusive camping area.
www.bigchill.net

Camp Bestival - The ultimate child friendly festival that Yellow Lolly will be attending!

Line up: PJ Harvey, Roy Ayres, Mercury Rev
When and where: July, 24-26, Ludlow castle, Dorset
Cost: £130 per adult, Teenage ticket (13-17) £65.00 Kids under 12 FREE
Kid friendly: Amazing Kids Garden area with entertainment from the likes of Mr Tumble(!!!), the English National Ballet performing Angelina Ballerina, Big Top circus, Under 5’s area, bouncy castle, donkey rides and much more (all inclusive of price)
www.campbestival.co.uk/kidsgarden

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