A PGL Family Multi-Activity Holiday at Boreatton Park, Shropshire

We didn’t know what to expect when we put four-year-old Zac on a kids’ quad-bike on his own, but we certainly didn’t expect him to tear off like a seasoned pro, pulling the instructor on a lead in his wake, the latter's legs barely touching the floor as he sprinted to keep up. It was only after Zac stopped, grudgingly, that staff told us a four-year-old had never quadded there before.

This was Zac’s second time on a PGL Family Adventure holiday with his older brothers, aged nine and seven, and it was even better than our first trip, when he hadn’t been able to join in with as many activities. This time he was able to do most things if he wanted to, but Boreatton Park being PGL’s flagship site, there was plenty to do when he didn’t fancy joining in.

"My husband and I will happily trade in gourmet dining for having a few days off from
shopping, cooking and washing up, especially when we’re starving hungry from running around
with our happy gang all day."

For my husband and me there was another reason to choose Boreatton Park this time around – we’d both stayed here on activity holidays as kids, so it was a bit of a blast from the past for us. Of course, the site has changed and expanded in the three decades since then – there are several zipwires, for instance, including one of Britain’s longest, over a lake, and a huge variety of a climbing structures all around the vast grounds. There’s also an indoor pool, although this was out of service when we were there.

We all enjoyed the majority of the activities that were on our program, with particular highlights for us as a family being river-canoeing, rafting on a lake (including building the thing!) and rifle-shooting. Especially memorable was the fact that we were paired, in our activity group, with a family with a disabled teenager – it was wonderful to see the lengths that PGL went to to ensure that Riana could join in with all activities, and also very instructive for our boys to see how being disabled need not limit your experiences. (See Riana’s feature on her Boreatton Park holiday).

Accommodation, in wooden cabins on the grounds, was basic but fine, although it would have made life easier had our four-bedded bunk-room interconnected with our twin room (had we known in advance, we could have bought monitors). You can also camp at certain times of year. The food, served in a big self-service canteen, was school-dinnerish and stodgy but acceptable – my husband and I will happily trade in gourmet dining for having a few days off from shopping, cooking and washing up, especially when we’re starving hungry from running around with our happy gang all day.

See also Rhonda’s feature on a PGL Family Adventure Holiday in Torbay, Devon.