RHS Rosemoor in Devon is a goldmine for Story Walkers and provides the backdrop for a second helping of ‘Following in the Footsteps of our Favourite Book Characters‘ here on Thinly Spread.
This time we weren’t sure who we were going to meet as we rounded each corner. We wondered if this might be The Magic Faraway Tree 
These chaps could only be Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men with Bill leaning jauntily on his hoe and Ben showing of his muscles
Next we stopped for a chat with the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz 
But as we rounded the corner and saw this, we were all grinning.
We had found Mr McGregor’s Garden! No one ever grows out of Beatrix Potter ! One or two of us may have hopped like Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny, one or two others may have tutted at such antics!
There were carrots and lettuces, kale, gourds and pumpkins galore; a feast fit for a rabbit. I reminded Bonus Bunny not to eat too many lettuces as they have a renowned soporific effect upon rabbits and a small cottontail might find himself captured and heading for the pot!
Story walks mean that children stay interested while I get to look at lovely gardens! I take lots of photographs which we then pore over together on long winter evenings making plans for Spring. I’m reducing the size of our veg patch this year, in order to have room for a flower cutting garden, and I am very tempted to make a little Mr McGregor garden just like this one so that Bonus Boy can tend to his own patch.
We visited Rosemoor in the autumn when we were on holiday at half term and the colours were glorious. We saw a double rainbow, rode on a giant see saw and had a lovely day. If you go at Easter there are craft workshops with a rainbow theme, an Easter trail and newly hatched chicks and ducklings.
Have you got any suggestions for other story walks we could do?
What a wonderful idea! I was such a fan of the Flowerpot Men: that’s showing my age…
The gruffalo trail in the Forest Of Dean is good for storytelling. They’ve also got a heritage centre with a Victorian schoolroom, great for Oliver (dressing up clothes too). Lacock for Harry potter and all sorts of old tales. Cirencester water park is great for a bear hunt (around the lakes in mud and tall grass). Endless opportunities……
Oooh, Forest of Dean? Good plan, that is easy from here. We’ve done Lacock (you can see it here http://thinlyspread.co.uk/2013/02/22/story-walks-harry-potter-at-lacock-abbey/) but we haven’t done Cirencester water park, will definitely check that out, thank you!
Oh, and how lovely! And was also going to suggest Lacock for Harry Potter, or of course plenty of other inspiration.
We’ve done Lacock a few times and love it (we went at half term http://thinlyspread.co.uk/2013/02/22/story-walks-harry-potter-at-lacock-abbey/), what is there in your neck of the woods?
What an amazing idea, I’d love to take my children. I’ve never heard of story walking before but they would love it!
A few years ago we enjoyed story book glen in maryculter, aberdeen – http://www.storybookglenaberdeen.co.uk/. But the Mr mcgregor’s garden you showed above looks fantastic, a definite must visit
Love Rosemoor, some family friends live right next door so we used to have a wander around when we visited. Love the idea of a story walk though, especially with Matilda starting to get to an age where she’d get it.