Talbot Woods – A hidden gem in Poole!

Talbot Woods in Poole is the perfect place for a family nature adventure. And it’s FREE!

As a family, we love nature walks. And there’s no wonder since we have two absolutely feral children and a very energetic dog. A good walk somewhere we can let the little people and hound loose is always a good idea for us.

We recently found Talbot Woods, a hidden gem in Poole. Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it, we hadn’t either, and we’ve lived in the area for nearly 4 years! It seems to be one of those really well-kept local secrets… until now.

How to find it…

One of the reasons this area might be little known is that it can be tricky to find. The easiest way in our opinion is to head to Talbot Primary School and, having the school on your left, continue all the way down to the end of the road. It looks like a dead end but there’s a little unmarked walking path on the left. That’s one of the entrances. If you know a better way, drop us a message and we’ll update this blog with the information you give us.

 

What to expect… 

It’s a lovely woodland area. Our kids loved exploring the many path options and fighting over which turn we’d take next. So much fun! Dogs can walk off the lead and if you are lucky, you may spot horses in one of the fields on private land adjacent to the public path.

 

Activities ideas…

Here are a few ideas on how to keep the little ones entertained while you are there:

• Ask your kids to draw a treasure map before your visit. Once you are there, you can all try to find the treasure!
• Collect sticks and a few rocks of all sizes. You can then use them as tools to ‘dig’ pretend dino fossils. Some of the trees are very old and the branches protrude on the ground. Our kids loved to pretend these were dino fossils and needed careful attention by expert mini archaeologists
• Challenge your kiddies to spot the horses, insects, dogs, etc.
• Take some GoFindIt cards with you and challenge your children to find objects using the explorations cards https://www.amazon.co.uk/gofindit-outdoor-nature-treasure-families/dp/B00NB1ICMI/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=outside+games+toddlers&qid=1562006678&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

A heads up…

We have a hairy dog and we noticed a tick on his forehead. Luckily for Lenny (the pooch) we managed to get it off him before it attached itself, but you might want to wear clothes that cover your arms and legs. Don’t let it put you off though. It didn’t affect our experience at all.

We have lots more ideas for family-friendly destinations in the great outdoors in Poole and surrounding areas. Please take a look!

We hope you enjoy discovering this place as much as we did. If you pay it a visit, please tag us in your photos #poolemumbler on any social media platform you use. It would make our day! 💜