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New English woodland playground that is now FREE to visit after entry fee is axed

Wooden climbing area in a country park.

TUCKED away in 500 acres of woodland is an enormous climbing frame, that now doesn’t cost a penny to enter.

Called Hermit’s Hollow, it’s a play haven for kids with wooden bridges, walkways, treetop canopies and spiral slides.

Within Abbey Coombe Park is this huge adventure climbing frameCredit: http://www.coombeabbey.com
Hermit’s Hollow has scrapped its £3.95 entry feeCredit: http://www.coombeabbey.com

Hermit’s Hollow is found at Coombe Abbey Park in Coventry and was built just two years ago in 2023.

Since its opening, families had been charged a £3.95 entry fee with visitors having to book tickets for a two hour slot online.

But the great news is that these fees have been scrapped from November 3, 2025 and entry is now completely free.

Hermit’s Hollow is an exciting place for kids to run about along the wooden walkways, tree towers, a tube slide and an accessible companion slide.

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There is also a small area for toddlers to explore.

The only bad news is that Hermit’s Cafe and on-site toilets which is located within the woodland playground will close.

It’s a popular spot for families, especially during the warmer weather with one mum writing on Tripadvisor that it’s the best place for a “perfect day out with the kids“.

Another said: “The walk is lovely not huge but the kids loved it, log walking, making dens, and they loved the woodland climbing.”

The climbing area is open between 10am until 4pm each day.

Aside from the climbing frame, there’s plenty to do in Coombe Abbey Park as it has plenty of woodland and lakeside walks as well as other activities, and even Go Ape.

There’s plenty to do on the 500 acres of Coombe Abbey ParkCredit: http://www.coombeabbey.com
There’s a hotel there too with pretty gardens and a pondCredit: Alamy

The adventure chain is found within the grounds and there’s plenty to do from Treetop challenges, to axe throwing, archery, driving mini land rovers.

Or head closer to the huge Coombe Abbey Hotel where you can stroll around the pruned gardens and mazes.

Visitors can pop into Café in the Park at Coombe Abbey where they serve up breakfast offerings from the ‘Full Park Breakfast’.

There are as well as toasties, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, or main meals like fish and chips, chilli and there’s a dedicated kid’s menu.

Coventry itself has been labelled as an ‘underrated’ city in the UK, and it’s seeing an increase in the number of tourists.

Some of the biggest attractions there include The Wave in Coventry which is an enormous indoor waterpark with one of the biggest wave pools in the country.

It has six water slides, one being The Crestar, which has two giant spheres with lighting effects.

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The Cascade is another ride at the waterpark, as is The Torrent, which is a ride where the floor drops from beneath – and is arguably one of the scariest rides.

The Rapids, which has been described as the “Big Dipper on water”, is the park’s water coaster, where powerful jets hurl riders uphill before dropping them down through tight corners and tunnels.

One writer reveals what his stay at the Coombe Abbey Hotel was like…

Read on to hear what one writer made of this historic hotel

Where is the Coombe Abbey Hotel?

On 500 acres of renowned beauty, this historic hotel is in Coventry situated in Coombe Abbey’s Country Park, just off the M6.

What is it like?

Next time somebody wants to send you to Coventry, stay at this complex, which dates back to 1150 and has links to royalty, the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII and the Gunpowder plot. Enjoy a view of the moat, the lake and the courtyard to the Capability Brown designed gardens, depending on where you are in the hotel.

What is there to do at the hotel?

The corridors and communal rooms are packed with artefacts, art, history and heritage, that are well worth exploring as you wander from bar to room to

restaurant, while the scenic lake, gardens and grounds are perfect for a stroll. 

Enjoy one of the many choices of afternoon tea, from Abbot’s Afternoon Tea to Sparkling Afternoon Tea as a post-walk treat. For kids, you can discover Go Ape in the woodlands.

What is there to eat and drink?

Unless you want to drive, you’d better eat here as it’s about a ten-minute walk to the edge of the grounds and some way beyond that to any restaurants. That being said, you really do want to eat here. The ambience is classy, the food is great, and the breakfast really sets you up for the day.

The dinner menu features meaty dishes of beef shin with fondant potato and confit duck leg with spiced braised cabbage, as well as vegan, vegetarian and fish options.

What are the rooms like?

The minimum standard in basic rooms is real quality and comfort, while the decor and design in the feature heritage rooms are charming and characterful. Rooms start from £149 a night based on two sharing.

Hermit’s Hollow has scrapped its entry fee for familiesCredit: http://www.coombeabbey.com

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Foreign Office guidance ahead of new EU EES entry rules from Sunday

The new rules are coming in gradually

People planning a trip abroad have been warned about major changes coming to travel rules. The European Union is bringing in its Entry/Exit System (EES) as it begins to roll out. You may need to register some details when going on a short trip or holiday to any Schengen area countries, such as France, Italy and Spain.

The Government has published guidance about what this will mean for travellers. This has been shared on the travel advice pages for the 29 countries affected by the changes.

The guidance states: “From 12 October 2025, the European Union’s (EU) new Entry/Exit System (EES) will begin roll out. This means that when you travel into the Schengen area for short stays, you may need to register your biometric details, such as fingerprints and a photo.

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“You do not need to take any action before you arrive at the border, and there is no cost for EES registration.” When you go on a trip to a Schengen country, you may need to register your details at a special booth before moving on the immigration desk.

The advice states: “Follow directions from your travel operator or the staff at your port of entry. You may also need to provide either your fingerprint or photo when you leave the Schengen area.

“Children aged 11 or younger will not have their fingerprints scanned but may need their photo taken.” The process will take a few extra minutes for each passenger, so there may be a longer wait than usual to get through the border checks.

The scheme is being rolled out gradually, and the number of passengers being registered at each port of entry will vary. At some destinations, it may take up to six months to fully roll out.

The guidance states: “Until EES is fully rolled out your passport will continue to be stamped, even if you’ve already been registered for EES. Once EES is fully rolled out, it will replace the current system of manually stamping passports when visitors arrive in the Schengen area for short stays and you will input biometric details every time you enter or exit.”

If you are going to a Schengen area through the Port of Dover, by the Eurotunnel at Folkestone or via the Eurostar at St Pancras International and you are asked to register, the information will be taken at the border before you leave the UK.

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