Ian Waller and his family enjoy lunch and an afternoon of fun in the gorgeous surrounds of Ashton Court Estate
It was a toss up between the disc golf and the football golf, with the frisbees getting the nod mainly because we’d enjoyed it before elsewhere and loved the experience. Mind you, the very fact that we were enjoying another day out at the Ashton Court Estate on the edge of Bristol (yes, we’ve been before – several times – and always enjoyed it) meant we were on to a winner.
Ashton Court Estate is great venue for a family day out. You can walk for miles around the 850 acres of woodlands, which are just ideal for letting dogs – and the kids for that matter – run off to explore, plus there’s a choice of cafés to enjoy meals and snacks and, most importantly for this visit, plenty of activities to choose from too.
Yes, OK, it was slightly too early in the season for the excellent miniature railway to be steaming (this starts on 27 March – you can find details of steaming days by clicking here). Still, with the three different types of golf to choose from – the usual type, disc golf and football golf – as well as a range of mountain bike trails, there’s still plenty of enjoy.
And, to make matters even better, the car park (which can get very busy at the weekend) is just £1.20 to stay all day. Please take note Bath Council!
We arrived just after midday (we have teenagers who don’t do mornings at the weekend), perfectly in time for lunch at The Courtyard Café Housed in the mansion’s former stables. This is a cracking (albeit chilly) venue to enjoy the largely organic menu, featuring basics such as bacon sandwiches (£4.50) and toasties (36.25-£7.50), alongside a choice of other delights including an excellent vegan chilli (£8.95) and the Ashton Court Venison Burger (£9.95), both of which were superb.
It’s probably about a ten minute walk to the frisbee golf – at least, it is if you don’t head off in the wrong direction first! Still, the scenic route allowed us a perfect pre-match walk, and the grounds of the estate are gorgeous.
Up at the golf centre, the friendly team passed out the colourful discs and pointed us in the right direction of the disc golf course, all set within its own woodland. In case you’ve never played before, disc golf is much like real golf but more fun for children and without the need for exaggeratedly checked trousers and Pringle jumpers.
Taking it in turns (or not, as our younger players preferred!), you aim your frisbees at the metal bucket thingy about 60m away through the trees, recording the number of throws it takes. The thrower with the fewest throws wins the hole, while the fewest holes for the whole game gets to choose the ice creams back at the cafe.
This was a cracking laugh. No, of course the frisbees didn’t go where we wanted them to, instead bouncing off trees, nestling into bushes and even on occasion ending up behind the thrower! As the course has just nine holes and is pretty enclosed, it’s ideal for younger players, while frequent scores far in excess of the estimations suggested at each hole’s starting point simply generated more good natured banter.
The overall result was a wonderful hour or so of silliness interrupted by a very occasional piece of sporting skill. Best of all, the children were loving being outside and in the fresh air with barely a phone to be seen. We’ve even arranged for a return to try out the football golf.
If you haven’t been along to the Ashton Court Estate, we recommend it as soon as possible. Keep an eye open for the deer, enjoy the open spaces and take your pick of the golf on offer.
Ashton Court Estate Disc Golf
Adults £7
Students/juniors/seniors £6
Open: 8am to 4pm, seven days a week.
Last equipment hire is 3pm.
The closing time depends on the weather and how busy the course is. The closing time is displayed at the course every day.
To find out the closing time before you arrive, call 0117 973 8508.
More details click here