Free Family Activity Exploring and Flying Kites at Sawley Abbey with our new Berghaus Coats
We love to get outdoors as a family but living in the North we seem to have one weather type, ‘cold and wet’, so finding warm and waterproof coats for our little adventurers is an absolute must. When we were contacted to review the Berghaus Kids clothing range the answer was an emphatic yes. Berghaus is renowned for their great quality outdoor clothing and I knew the coats would be perfect not only for our adventures but also for our scouting activities. Close to our home in Lancashire, we have a fabulous English Heritage site at Sawley Abbey, which is stunning and we have been eager to take the little adventurers there. So this weekend, we decided regardless of the weather, we would take our little adventurers to Sawley Abbey for a morning of fresh air, a little insight to history and try out the Berghaus coats.
Our day at Sawley Abbey
We arrived at Sawley Abbey on Sunday and surprisingly it was empty except for one other family, which meant we could really enjoy the whole grounds and had the place pretty much by ourselves. I love that the site is opened all week and is free for families and is perfect for a cheap day out. Outside the site is free street parking so its ideal even if you have little children as there is no paths near the site so it means you can park quite close to the entrance.
The Sawley site has the remains of Sawley Abbey and though most of the site is now ruins there are several walls which are still intact showcasing how amazing the building would have looked when it was first constructed. For me personally, the cracked walls and ruins makes the site look even more magical and have a really eerie feel of a time gone by. I loved walking through all the different nooks and entrances, watching my little adventurers explore and run around really warmed my heart as I really want to instil a love of the outdoors in them. The little adventurers were on a mission to find dragons and treasure and the site does look like it could be home to either.
We had flown kites with the children but in the last year despite many attempts we haven’t managed to get outdoors and give this activity a try. We took a kite with us to Sawley in case we found some space and in the centre of the abbey site there is a great grass area which is perfect for flying a kite. The little adventurers spent ages with Doc, mastering the skills needed to fly a kite and I couldn’t have been prouder then when my youngest little adventurer, learnt to fly a kite!
Tips for visiting Sawley
- The site is very basic, there is only one bench and part from the remains of the abbey not much else. There are no toilets / nappy changing facilities on site, so make sure toilet stops are taken before you visit.
- The site is pushchair friendly as the majority of it is flat, but be aware most of the area is grass so if you have a pushchair which sinks in the mud, a baby carrier maybe preferable.
- There is a great playground next door to the Abbey. It cannot be accessed via the abbey but its great for young children to even those who are older as there is a obstacle course for them to try.
- There is the Spread Eagle opposite the Abbey if you wanted to make a longer day out but we prefer picnics and on a dry day, with a picnic blanket, it would be great for a quick sit down and to grab a bite to eat.
What did we think of the Berghaus coats?
Our little adventurers love to match but its so hard to find matching coats which are perfect for both our boy and girl adventurers. We were really excited that the Berghaus range we chose had the same coats in both the girls and boys ranges. The coats arrived and I loved that Berghaus have lots of colour choices for girl coats outside of the usual pinks and purples (which Maya doesn’t like) and the coats we had received were a lovely deep blue. The coats are really thick and breathable and have a thick lining inside the coat, with a warm super soft lining inside the hood and my little adventurers favourite, a fur lined hooded rim! One thing I usually dislike about waterproof coats are they don’t look as good as the winter coats (and winter coast do not tend to be waterproof) however, the parka coats we received were the best of both worlds, the kids looked super stylish whilst I had the peace of mind that they were warm and dry.
The coats were great and ideal for outdoor dun. We arrived at Sawley Abbey when it was very cold and overcast but the little adventurers found the coats to be really warm and were requesting to take them off as they were so hot. I was looking for a coat for the kids which would be perfect for winter here and also ideal to take on our new found love of winter adventures. We wanted a good coat to wear for quick walks and travelling to and from the airports and I think these coats would be perfect, they are warm, yet lightweight. My little adventurers are notorious for getting muddy, they literally don’t bat an eyelid when they get covered in muck and mud and just carry on. At the weekend, this doesn’t faze me but with a coat which the kids wear to school, I needed one which is easily cleaned and not one which despite being clean in the morning returns home with a look of never been washed and nothing apart from the washing machine is the only answer. Even though the conditions in Sawley were muddy and the little adventurers were clambering everywhere, a quick wipe and the coats looked clean again, perfect for outdoor adventures and school!
We had a wonderful day at Sawley Abbey and would highly recommend it to families. Its a great way to let children explore a historical site. We have a made a short video of our day, our little adventurers had a ball! We love our new Berghaus coats and the little adventurers cannot wait to wear them on all our future adventures.
This post was written in collaboration with Blacks online but the thoughts and views are all my own 🙂
Oh Nisbah, I love how warm those coats look – especially the fur collar. I could fancy them myself! They look cute all matching too x