Easter family fun in and around Ludlow

Easter holidays are just around the corner.  I am so looking forward to lazy mornings in pyjamas and pootling endlessly around the house and garden, easter crafts in the kitchen, and wholesome easter egg hunts.

But then I remember that endless pootling and relaxation leads to endless bickering and sniping. Easter crafts take ages to shop for and set up, and yet take seconds to reduce to messy carnage. I will probably end up nicking most of their Easter eggs and munch them behind the kitchen door while feeding the kids fruit. I hurriedly look around for entertainment out and about.

Thankfully there are so many lovely things to do in and around the Ludlow area, there is the Great Easter Dragon Egg hunt at Ludlow Castle, Circus Skills for 6+ at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms and the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre has an Easter crafts drop in (genius that the infernal glitter and glue combination can be enjoyed without becoming a semi-permanent addition to my kitchen table). For the under 7s Moor Park School, just outside Ludlow, are putting on a fun Easter Egg hunt with arts and crafts, tea and cake, a raffle and a bouncy castle, open to all.

Further afield, the National Trust properties are all running Easter Egg hunts courtesy of the Cadbury Easter Bunny, the West Midlands Safari Park’s Easter Eggstravaganca looks utterly roarsome, and for any budding scientists, Easter at Enginuity at Ironbridge is sure to be a treat.

Other than phenomenal amounts of chocolate and spring weather, I love Easter for the opportunity to spend some time with extended family. We often do the stunning bike ride from Oakly Park as a family, albeit at different speeds — kids whizzing ahead, while the grandparents have a gentle walk, but we always end up at the Ludlow Farm Shop. The children make a beeline for the ice cream shack and playground and the grandparents always mysteriously disappear and can be found in either the garden centre or the food centre accumulating large baskets of foodie treats.

My usual dog yomps around Mortimer Forest change to one long hide and seek game through the trees with children in tow, or a brilliant fossil hunting ground with my eldest’s keen eyes to spot them in the mud. Have you found the fairy doors at High Vinnalls car park yet?

Acton Scott Historic Working Farm reopens it’s doors on the 8 April, and what could be more Eastery than fluffy chicks and feeding bottles of milk to small lambs. My children adore it, and it’s always fun to hear grandparents who have accompanied them regaling us about “their day”.  A fantastic café there too.

One of my favourite places in Ludlow is always the Millenium Green. Whether to visit the gorgeously tempting treats of CSONS at the Green Café, or a picnic on the grass beside the river, it really is a place for all the family to feed the ducks (oats, seeds or peas rather than bread is best), wander along the bread walk, or a short dash to the playground beneath the castle walls. Few places can be more picturesque particularly with the daffodils and early blossom blooming. A lucky few spot otters, kingfishers and salmon from the banks.

Whatever your holiday plans I hope you all have a very happy Easter and that the Easter bunny remembers all the family.  Diet starts after Easter Monday, right!

Our author, Octavia, is a local mum of two who also runs a gorgeous holiday let 5 miles outside Ludlow. To find out more, visit her website: http://www.thecoachhouseov.co.uk/home