Kelly

Hamsterley Forest - Superworm Trail - What you need to know

*Please note this post contains lots of photos of the trail so, if you are gong, don't show the kids.*

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Superworm Trail At Hamsterley Forest

We love visiting any forest and getting back in touch with nature. Hamsterley forest is one of my favourites and I love to walk alongside the river.

Hamsterley is a great place to do this and we are regular visitors.. We like to visit throughout the seasons and enjoy what it has to offer.

Elliot is a huge Julia Donaldson fan and we have done the Gruffalo Trail a gazillion times now so when Hamsterley announced that they had a brand new trail, we couldn't wait to try it. The new trail sees SUPERWORM arrive in the forest.

We found the trail fairly easy however there is an slight incline and a steep path to come back down near the end, it is also muddy in places and the end path is quite bumpy with stones so this could prove difficult for wheelchair users I think once the weather dries up it will be a bit easier. This stretch is access to the last 2 boards so, if you are usnure, you can always finish at number 4.

We arrived and parked in the main car park, once we had changed into our walking boots we headed over to the visitor centre which is located behind the café. You can purchase a Superworm trail pack from either the visitor centre or the café for £3.50. In the pack you get a cardboard mask, trail sheet with activities to complete on the way around, activity sheet, pencil, crayon, 7 fact cards and it is all in a paper bag that you can colour in at home.

The trail takes you past some of the Gruffalo Characters and you will find your first Superworm Character 'Toad' just before you get to the Gruffalo, so from the carpark you need to walk across the big bridge and through the woods past the Viking play area.

We are regular walkers so we are used to most terrain, however it is quite muddy in places, so we would advise you wear sturdy footwear.

The trail took us around an hour and a half, we took our time taking lots of photos so you could easily do it quicker or take slower if you want to. After the trail we had a picnic and then we played in the play areas, played pooh sticks and headed along to the other end of the forest drive for a gorgeous walk along the river.

All in all the trail was great and it is a great way to kill some time. I think it could have been made even better if they had Superworm Sculptures like they did for the Gruffalo trail, even if there was just Superworm at the end of the trail.

Need To Know

🐸 Marked as Grade EASY

🐸 1.5 miles

🐸 Aimed at families aged up to 10 but anyone can enjoy it.

🐸 Large illustrated boards with each character, full of info and you will find the answers to your questions in your trail leaflet. There are 6 to find.

🐸 Opportunities to collect rubbings of the Superworm characters

🐸 Trail takes around an hour and a half

🐸 Mainly flat and accessible however, wheelchair users might struggle with the last 2 boards, as it gets quite steep and muddy.

🐸 Contactless payments please (no cash, card payments are fine)

🐸 Masks essential in indoor areas

🐸 Dogs allowed but please pick up after them and keep them on a lead.

🐸 Parking fees apply, you pay when you leave. £2 for 1 hour or £6 for the full day

🐸 Café and toilets are open

🐸 Sturdy footwear advisable

🐸 Play parks all open

🐸 Lots of Picnic tables, which made use of today and had lunch

🐸 Plenty of pooh stick opportunities