(Gifted entry) BeWILDerwood in Norfolk is set in woodland about half an hour north of Norwich.  It's a mysterious place based on the books of Tom Blofeld, but don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with the stories it is still a lot of fun. BeWILDerwood is a day out for families full of climbing and adventure, but what do you need to know before visiting? Follow these tips to get the most out of your visit and to help you have the most amazing time.

There is lots to do at BeWILDerwood to keep children happy

What Actually Is BeWILDerwood?

I had heard of BeWILDerwood and knew people loved it, but I wasn’t sure what was actually there. I’m still not sure how to describe it, but it’s probably best described as a big playground. You can do crafts or watch a stage show (or two) and build dens, but most of it is essentially a playground. Think lots of wooden structures you can climb on and through, balance, slide, go round mazes and zip wires. Many of the activities are some distance off the ground so it's probably not ideal if petrified of heights. There is also a BeWILDerwood in Cheshire which is the same concept and newer, but it doesn't have the boats.

Will You Make It Through The Mudlde Maze?

Tips for Visiting BeWILDerwood Norfolk 

Book in Advance

BeWILDerwood recommended you buy your tickets in advance to ensure entry, but if they aren't sold out you can buy tickets at the gate. All activities are included in the price (other than the shop and food). If you prebook and someone gets ill let them know in advance and they can normally transfer the tickets to a new date (except for special events which sell out quickly).

The cost of tickets varies depending on height. Under 92cm are free and 92cm to 105cm are a slightly reduced cost as are those over 65 years old. There are also a few people who can get free tickets (with evidence) including those over 20 weeks pregnant, carers and wheelchair users.  The prices reflect the number of activities people will be able to do, but there is lots to enjoy for all ages. 

Dress Appropriately

Everything is outside in woodland so on hot days there is plenty of shade, but in wet weather you will get wet and muddy. Even on the hottest days it is recommended you have skin covered to protect against friction burns. I would recommend children wear trainers (in dry weather) and wellies when wet. There are foot sacks you have to use for all of the big slides, but they won’t protect your legs. If wearing a t-shirt keep arms in when going down the slides. 

You can take a short boat ride from the entrance to the scaaary lake

When To Get There

If your children enjoy playgrounds you can easily stay all day so it is worth getting there for opening at 10am. We were there shortly before 10am and there was a short queue. We got back to the car shortly before 5pm. I imagine on cold days you might not want to stay as long as there is no where inside to warm up.
On your first visit it is worth getting the boat from the entrance as it sets the scene and introduces the Boggles and the Twiggles. Each boat can only take 13 people though so if you arrive at a busy time there can be a long wait and you’ll need to decide if it is worth it. The walk through the woods isn’t very long if you decide to walk instead.

What's On

There is a chalk board as you go in with key information including the activities available and when the food places are open and I recommend taking a photo of this to use for reference. The Silly Giggly Twiggly Party is running from 23rd July to 4th September which includes a new story at the Storytelling Stage and themed crafts and facepaints. If it's someone's birthday let them know at the ticket office and they will put the name on the board.

Leaving

The advertised closing time is 5pm with the restaurants, craft area, face painting and story telling all finishing earlier. We planned to get the boat back as apparently they tell you more of the story, but we arrived 4 minutes after they shut the queue (at 4.30). I hadn’t realised they closed early and my middle daughter was really really upset (probably not helped by tiredness) and cried all the walk back which wasn’t the best way to end our visit which had otherwise been amazing. So a really important tip is that if you plan to get the boat back look for the sign at the dock to see when the boats stop on the day of your visit and make sure you are in the queue before that.

There are big story books around BeWILDerwood telling the story

Food and Drink

There are two places you can buy food and they have a reasonable selection of food and drink, including vegan and dairy free options, many of which are local Norfolk companies. If you are a large family this obviously adds up though so you might want to bring a packed lunch. There are plenty of picnic tables to eat at.

Toilets

The toilets are well located so you should never be too far away from them which is handy with small children. They even have some outside the entrance which was hugely appreciated by me as I was desperate by the time we arrived (coffee and long car journeys don’t mix well). They are all a bit posh portaloo style though and I didn't notice what the nappy changing facilities are like (but they do have them and a "nursing nook"). 

New Puzzling Park Trail

At the entrance you get given a trail sheet for children to draw the supersized funny flowers they spot around BeWILDerwood and you can exchange it for a small badge at the exit. I liked this because it didn’t require any literacy skills and even my 3 year old can give his best impression of a daisy, it looks like a squiggle, but who am I to judge artistic talent?

The Bizarre Bazaar Shop

There is a shop near the exit where you can buy BeWILDerwood related products. They are at a reasonable price for this sort of attraction, but if you want to avoid the shop completely you can easily walk past it (it’s the round building next to the entrance/ exit). You get your badge for completing the trail at the huts you walk past after the shop and you can always buy the special BeWILDerwood items in their online shop later. 

There are 6 big slides at BeWILDerwood are you brave enough to go on them all?

What Else You Need To Know Before Visiting BeWILDerwood?

Does Height Matter?

They measure children in the queue so you know which ticket they should have, but they aren’t checked inside so it’s up to you as a parent to decide which activities are suitable for your child, that will be a combination of their height, confidence and abilities. Wobbly Wires (the big zip wires) are for 105cm upwards and Slippery Slopes (big slides) are for 92cm and over so if your child looks too young to cope with them safely they may be stopped.

Why Are Adults The Same Price As Children?

As an adult you don’t need to just sit on the sidelines watching, you can get involved too. I went down the slides (and some of them are quite scary), on the zip wires (the attendant said they are suitable for up to about 100kg so ok for most adults) and on most of the activities. 

The Tricky Tunnels are tight in places, but fun for children and (narrow) adults to explore)

Supervision

You need to supervise your children appropriately, but there are a lot of staff around if you need help. This includes at the top of the slides and on the larger zip wires (they actually collect the bits you sit on and bring them to you so you can just queue up and whizz along).

What Age Is BeWILDerwood Suitable For?

They say the ideal age range is 2 to 12 and visiting with children aged 3, 6 and 10 they were definitely all well entertained. There is a good mix of activities in all areas so if you have children of different ages you can easily entertain them eg next to the longest zip wires there are some small zip wires and swings for younger children. These have seats like on a baby swing so they can sit on securely without you worrying about them falling off. Near the big slides (Slippery Slopes) there is a younger children's play area. The exception to this is the towering Treetop Tangles, but my 3 year old could manage that accompanied by an adult. As long as children can walk they will find things to entertain themselves and small babies will probably just appreciate looking at the trees and leaves. The ground is mostly suitable for a rough terrain pushchair, but you can't take them on everything so a baby carrier might be helpful too. 

Watching a stage show at BeWILDerwood with vegan ice cream tubs

Stage Show

There were two different shows when we visited and they alternated. One was A Boggle in BeWILDerwood (the first tale in the BeWILDerwood books) and the other was the Silly Giggly Twiggly Party. The shows were a combination of two people and puppets and they interacted with the audience to keep children engaged. 

Crafts in the Big Hat (plastic free)

Crafts

There were crafts in the Big Hat craft tent between 11am and 4pm (times may vary) and on our visit you could make a Crocklebog Crown or a Tip-Top Tiara.  You get pre-cut out pieces to put together and a collection of materials you can use to decorate it like yarn, crepe paper and cardboard. 

Face Painting

At the Face Paint Pavillion they had a number of stations where you could choose to get stars or flowers on your face. They used a base colour and a template to sponge the shape on so it was really quick and children could choose the colours. We were in the queue for less than 5 minutes.

Wifi and Phone Reception

There is no wifi and phone reception isn’t great so don't plan to sit around and scroll social media. 

Parking

There is plenty of free parking available.

Den Building area at BeWILDerwood Norfolk

What Happens If It Rains?

While a dry sunny day is pretty perfect for a visit they don’t close just because it is raining. They may have to close in the case of exceptionally strong winds, and with very heavy rain or thunderstorms they may briefly close some areas, but if it’s wet or cold dress appropriately (and maybe bring a change of clothes for the drive home).

How To Get To BeWILDerwood

You can find BeWILDerwood off the A1062 between Wroxham and Hoveton in Norfolk. Sat Nav postcode is NR12 8JW, but you will see the signs when you are close. The website has info on how to get there by bus, train, boat, foot and magic carpet. I'm dubious the magic carpet instructions work.

Other than missing the boat back and being hassled by wasps (which seem particularly annoying everywhere this year) we had an amazing visit and will definitely be going back. The Sky Maze was closed on our visit so I would like to go on that, but we spent plenty of time exploring everything else.