Nets Adventure at Black Park, Bucks

If your kids like climbing, running, and bouncing, then they’ll love Nets Adventure at Black Park.  We went with friends last weekend and the kids all had an awesome time.  Plus, we got to explore Slough’s fantastic Black Park Country Park.

Black Park is a fantastic outdoor space in Buckinghamshire.  It’s perfect for walking, jogging, cycling and playing and also home to a Go Ape Centre.

In our post, we’ll share details of our visit to Nets Adventure, including practical information and the best things to do at Black Park.

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Black Park isn’t our nearest country park but is one of only three locations where you can try Go Ape’s Nets Adventure.  Other locations are at Sherwood Pines in Nottingham and Moors Valley Country Park in Dorset.  Despite this, it was extremely easy to get to, as it’s close to the M25 and M4.

The Black Park Nets Adventure is part of the Go Ape Centre just inside the park entrance.  We had pre-booked, but arrived early so we could explore Black Park Country Park first.

So, you might be wondering, what exactly is Nets Adventure?  Basically, it’s an adventure playground high up in the forest canopy.

A network of bounce nets and climbing towers connect the trees.  Kids just run and bounce to their heart’s delight.  Additional walkways link small treehouses and the only way down is by slide!  It really is a kids’ paradise.

To add to the fun, there are also giant inflatable balls in the nets, so the kids can roll around and play catch in the trees.

Anyone from the age of one can go on a Nets Adventure.  However, I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone too young, as they could get knocked by older children.

Adults must go up with children under six years, but for older children you can supervise from the ground. There’s plenty of picnic tables and benches, and it’s easy to watch the kids from below.  Take a drink and picnic and you can sit and chat whilst the kids get on and play.  They are certain to come back at regular intervals for drinks and snack!

Plus, it’s a great place to host a kids’ party.  We took some party food and a birthday cake and the children had a fantastic treat.

Each session at Nets Adventure lasts 2 hours.  This is plenty of time, as it’s very physical, so the kids get to burn off a lot of energy in this time.

Before the children went in, we attended a short safety briefing. This outlined the basic safety measures and several one-way systems in place.

Once the kids are in the Nets, supervisors patrol underneath.  They have a whistle to curb any over excitement or rough play..  However, whilst we were there the kids were all respectful and they didn’t need to intervene.

The whole area is enclosed by netting, so is completely safe.  Obviously, like any other playground, you may expect some bumps and bruises.  It’s best if the children wear trousers and long sleeves.

Once we’d had our session in Nets Adventure, we went to explore the rest of the Black Park.

With over 500-acres of stunning woodland and open heathland, Black Park Country Park is perfect for family walking.  They have miles of way-marked walking trails which lead around the country park.

The 5-km orange trail is the route for the weekly Park Run and the 4-km habitat trail is a nature path in the woods.  If you’re visiting with younger kids, you’ll find several shorter routes too.

The tracks at Black Park are wide and flat, so also ideal for bikes and scooters.  If needed, you can hire mountain bikes from the Go Ape centre.

You could also go on a Forest Segway Adventure through the trees.  You need one adult to supervise up to three children under 16.

With names like Bluebell Ride and Rhododendron Drive I guessed the paths would be pretty and I wasn’t wrong.  Even on a grey day, the landscape at Black Park Country park is stunning.

At the end of the trail, we came to a large lake, with a variety of waterfowl, including Egyptian geese, ducks, and swans.

The boys were excited to see a duck with a “Mohican”, which in fact was an attractive mandarin duck.  Apparently, they lay their eggs in the trees at Black Park, which can be a challenge for the chicks when they are born and need to get to the lake!

Black Park is adjacent to the famous Pinewood Studios and is one of their key filming locations.  We saw a film crew by the lake, but didn’t spot any movie stars whilst we were there.

Harry Potter fans will probably recognise the Forbidden Forest from the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone film.  Other famous films shot here include Stardust and James Bond’s Casino Royale.

On the final leg of our walk, we stumbled across the Emma Sallis adventure playground.  There are swings, slides, and several play houses.  Most of the equipment is wooden, which blends with the natural environment of the woods.

Our boys were a bit too old, but it is a great play area if you have younger children.  The Alice Treehouse playground is for older kids.

Black Park is home to the country’s biggest Nets Adventure and according to the boys, the best.  However, they’ve not yet tried Sherwood Pines!  Overall, they loved it and thought the experience was totally awesome.  It was a fun family day out and we’ll be sure to return.

 

You’ll find a café near to the playground and a take-away refreshment kiosk near the Go Ape centre.  Or, you could stop for a picnic in the woods.

Admission to Black Park Country Park, lakes and playgrounds is free.  You have to pay if you do additional activities, such as Nets Adventure, Go Ape or Forest Segway.

Click here for tickets to Black Park Nets, Go Ape and Segway.

There are two large pay and display car parks at Black Park.

Black Park Country Park is in Wexham, Buckinghamshire, England.  It is to the west of London, between Slough and Uxbridge.

The postcode for Black Park is SL3 6DS.  The park is to the north of the A412 road and you can get there easily from the M4 and M25.

Have you tried the Nets Adventure at Black Park?  We’d love to hear your comments below.

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