Delamere Forest
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Julia Donaldson Zog Trail at Delamere Forest

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New for 2023 at Delamere Forest is the Julia Donaldson Zog trail. The Zog trail is based on the popular Julia Donaldson children’s picture book Zog. We have done a few of the Julia Donaldson trails at Delamere over the years and they are very popular and lots of fun. 

zog trail board


What To Expect At The Zog Trail, Delamere Forest, CW8 2HZ
The first thing to point out is that the Zog trail is a completely different route to previous trails. If you have done the Gruffalo trail and the Superworm trail then you may be pleased to know this trail takes you in the opposite direction. Starting at the new and revamped Delamere Cafe and Visitor Centre the trail takes you on a path through the car park and up through the forest. 

There is a trail pack to purchase from the visitor centre for £4. You do not need to purchase the pack to enjoy the trail however it does contain a craft bag to colour in, dragon wings to decorate and wear, Zog glasses, stickers, trail leaflet, pencil and crayon.  

zog trail board


Once you are on the trail there are opportunities for you to interact with the activity boards. Here you have to do mini challenges such as flap your wings like a bird, or talk about what you smell. Here you can then use the golden star stickers every time you do the activity. You can also use your Zog glasses to find a hidden word on each board then rearrange the letters to spell out a word!

boy wearing glasses


Along the trail there are many opportunities for you to go off the beaten track and explore the woods. There are lots of open spaces with logs to walk across, bugs to find and dens to be made. 

The trail takes approximately 40 to 60 minutes however this will depend on how fast or slow you take it. If you head into the woods, enjoy a picnic and do the activities it could easily fill 2-3 hours. 

zog trail activity board

zog trail activity board


Whilst there is no cost for the Zog Trail, Delamere Forest is part of Forestry England and therefore there are car parking charges applicable. There are a few car parks around the forest however the purpose built car park next to the visitor centre and cafe is huge and I would recommend it.

The new visitor centre and cafe was built during 2020 and is a huge improvement on the old centre. There is a huge toilet block, cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and visitor centre. There is a wide range of hot and cold meals, snacks, cakes and ice cream. 

You can also access a range of walking trails close to the visitor centre. If you fancy heading up in to the trees you can also visit the Go Ape Tree top Challenge

zog trail activity board


We have visited Delamere Forest many times over the years and it was once home to the Gruffalo Trail and The Gruffalo Orienteering Trail. However the Gruffalo statue is now in need of repair and restoration due to weather damage and wear and tear. The Gruffalo statue has now been removed and I do hope it will return one day.

You can join in with the Zog trail at the following

Alice Holt
Bedgebury Pinetum
Beechenhurst
Cannock Chase
Cardinham Woods
Dalby Forest
Delamere Forest
Fineshade Wood
Gisburn Forest
Grizedale Forest
Guisborough Forest
Haldon Forest Park
Hamsterley Forest
Haughmond Hill
Hicks Lodge
High Lodge
Jeskyns
Kielder Forest
Moors Valley Country Park
Salcey Forest
Sherwood Pines
Thames Chase
Wendover Woods
Westonbirt Arboretum
Whinlatter Forset
Wyre

You can find out more information about the trails here.

zog trail activity board



Have you visited any of the Julia Donaldson trails? Let us know.

Michelle

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Julia Donaldson Superworm Trail at Delamere Forest

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New for 2022 at Delamere Forest is the Julia Donaldson Superworm trail. The Superworm trail is based on the popular Julia Donaldson children’s picture book Superworm. These trails are really popular and are a lovely way to take you on an adventure through the forest.

boy looking at superworm poster


What To Expect At The Superworm Trail, Delamere Forest, CW8 2HZ
The Superworm trail takes you on a path through the forest on the lookout for six Superworm activity boards. Each activity board represents an animal from the Superworm story. You will find out the animals super power, a variety of different facts and an activity for you to complete. 

Superworm activity board

wood rubbings


There is a trail pack to purchase from the visitor centre for £3.50. You do not need to purchase the pack to enjoy the trail however it does contain a mask, fact cards for the animals along the trail, an activity booklet and crayon. The activity booklet has an exclusive activity you can complete along the trail. 

boy with the gruffalo statues

boy with the gruffalo statues


There are lots of 'Gruffalo' statues still in place along the trail such as the mouse, owl and fox.

boy walking along a log


Along the trail there are many opportunities for you to go off the beaten track and explore the woods. There are lots of open spaces with logs to walk across, bugs to find and dens to be made. 

There are benches along the way to enjoy a picnic or just a rest. 

The trail takes approximately 40 to 60 minutes however this will depend on how fast or slow you take it. If you head into the woods, enjoy a picnic and do the activities it could easily fill 2-3 hours. 

visitor centre at Delamere Forest

visitor centre at Delamere Forest

visitor centre at Delamere Forest


Whilst there is no cost for the Superworm Trail, Delamere Forest is part of Forestry England and therefore there are car parking charges applicable. There are a few car parks around the forest however the purpose built car park next to the visitor centre and cafe is huge and I would recommend it.

The new visitor centre and cafe was built during 2020 and is a huge improvement on the old centre. There is a huge toilet block, cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and visitor centre. There is a wide range of hot and cold meals, snacks, cakes and ice cream. 

You can also access a range of walking trails close to the visitor centre. If you fancy heading up in to the trees you can also visit the Go Ape Tree top Challenge

We have visited Delamere Forest many times over the years and it was once home to the Gruffalo Trail and The Gruffalo Orienteering Trail. However the Gruffalo statue is now in need of repair and restoration due to weather damage and wear and tear. The Gruffalo statue has now been removed but it has made way for the Superworm trail which I know will be popular amongst fans of the book and short film.

Superworm trail at Delamere

Superworm trail at Delamere


You can join in with the Superworm trail at the following

Alice Holt
Bedgebury Pinetum
Beechenhurst
Cannock Chase
Cardinham Woods
Dalby Forest
Delamere Forest
Fineshade Wood
Gisburn Forest
Grizedale Forest
Guisborough Forest
Haldon Forest Park
Hamsterley Forest
Haughmond Hill
Hicks Lodge
High Lodge
Jeskyns
Kielder Forest
Moors Valley Country Park
Salcey Forest
Sherwood Pines
Thames Chase
Wendover Woods
Westonbirt Arboretum
Whinlatter Forset
Wyre

Have you visited any of the Julia Donaldson trails? Leave us a comment below and let us know.

 You can always keep up to date with us on our socials, give us a like on FacebookTwitter and Instagram or if this post has helped you you can Buy Us A Virtual Coffee to say thanks.

Michelle
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Go Ape At Delamere Forest

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Go Ape

Little J has been asking us for weeks if we could book to do Go Ape. Obviously with the situation at the moment we have been putting it off however over the past few weeks we have been out and about more so last week we booked to go on a Tree Top Adventure at Go Ape, Delamere Forest. 

We pre booked our tickets online which is advisable as it was almost full. The timed slot we chose was the only one that day that could accommodate us all. 

Go Ape

We arrived about 15 minutes before our time and were quickly checked in, given our wristbands and shown the way to the Tree Top Adventure Course. 

The Tree Top Adventure Course is suitable for both adults and children and lasts 1 hour. 

Staff lay out harnesses on the floor for your party and ask you to step in to them however they were on hand to help if needed. Once the boys were in their harnesses they were shown the demo area for a safety briefing. 

The demo area is a small platform which gives you an idea on how to walk with your harness attached at all times. The boys were told that there is no more than one adult and one child allowed on an obstacle at any one time and only 3 people on each podium in between the obstacles. 

There are two courses within the tree top adventure. Course 1 and Course 2, you can choose to do either or both depending on how much time you have left. 

Once the safety briefing was done they were free to head up in to the trees. They chose course 1 first. I stayed safe on the ground below watching them as they took on the obstacles. It is actually really high but they looked liked they were having lots of fun. 

You are advised to wear gloves. We brought our own. Its protection for your hands as you are attached to a metal wire which you glide your safety harness belt across as you move. 

Go Ape

The course took them approx 15 minutes and at the end there is a zip wire that brings them back to the ground. This was definitely a highlight. 

You can go around the courses as many times as you want within your 1 hour time slot. Course 1 is a little tricky at times but they loved it. Little J was unsure about course 2 as it has more wobbly obstacles so they stuck with course 1, maybe next time!

I wasn't worried about little J being up so high as I knew he had his brother and dad up there with him to help if he needed it. While they were up there a young boy with his brother started to cry, he wanted to get down however you can't once you are up there you have to keep going. 

A member of staff was soon up next to him and was really good with him encouraging him to keep going and finish the course with the staff member behind him. 

If you are spectating there are plenty of benches underneath the course for you to sit at. With regards to social distancing it was quite hard on the ground as people were walking around, watching and taking photographs of their children or family but as long as you try your best then you should be okay.

After the boys had finished their harnesses were popped over the fence and sprayed with anti bac.

Go Ape

The Tree Top Adventure course cost us £19 each for both adults and children. Time slots run every 15 minutes from 10am-4:15pm

It is worth noting that Go Ape, Delamere Forest has it's own car park and you pay at a machine. It only takes cash, there are no card payments. 

There is a toilet block in the car park however this was closed. The nearest toilets were in the Station cafe about 5 minutes walk away however to use the toilets you do have to be a paying customer. We bought some take out drinks after using the toilets.  

The boys had a great time and I would definitely recommend it.

Go Ape have a range of courses and sites throughout the UK. Have a read about the Go Ape Treetop Challenge at Bedgebury

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Michelle

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Exploring Cheshire This Summer

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The Summer Holidays is one of my favourite times of year. I get the whole school holidays off with the boys and together we love planning all the things we want to get up to. Days out is usually top of the list as we love being out and about and this Summer we are going to be #ExploringCheshire. We are so lucky to live close to Cheshire as we get to experience all the fantastic things to do and see.
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