Longleat
Center Parcs Longleat 2024
This Center Parcs Longleat is an interesting addition to my usual reviews of Center Parcs across Europe. Although I have visited Center Parcs in the Uk over the years it’s far more common for me to prefer those in Europe partly for the cost but also the feel of adventure holidaying abroad. Even once you’ve added the ferry or tunnel on to the cost of an abroad holiday, the Uk parks are still more expensive. What I do want to address here is if that maybe extra £350 is worth it for a park like Longleat. The Uk park definitely is more expensive but in some ways the quality and potential upkeep of the park might require it. For starters, the park is large with magnificent forestry and that sort of landscape can’t be cheap to maintain. And then there’s the quality of the lodges. We stayed in a new style exec lodge and I have to admit it was really up together. Clean fresh paint, modern decor and absolutely spotless. It even had two fridges. Two fridges!!! This lodge was on par with the VIP cottage I stayed in at Les Bois Aux Daims. I can only hope the other accommodation was up to this quality. I’ll get back to talking about the rest of the park but location of your lodge at this park is definitely something to think about. Not only is the park large, it’s also VERY hilly. Far from the flat Dutch parks I’m used to you’ll need to be mobile to get round this park! And that’s where location comes into play - unless you want a heart thumping walk you’ll want accommodation near your favourite attraction OR near a land train stop. That’s right, there’s a free land train service that does routes of the park with a new one coming along every 20 minutes. It’s a great service but I imagine it would be high in demand over peak periods. The other thing to note is that although it gets you near venues like the Plaza and pool, to get near the Sports Plaza and lake you still have a bit of a walk. Easy down hill, but on the way back it’s a bit tougher.
I’m getting a little ahead of myself though. Checking in is pretty smooth with a number of bays to check in guests. While you can’t get into your lodge until 4pm you can check in at 10am and enjoy the park and that’s something I’d encourage others to do. There’s two good reasons for this - firstly, despite the slick check in process if 200 cars are all doing it at the same time the queue won’t feel like a good start to your holiday. Second reason, if you’re there for a long weekend you might as well enjoy the bonus day. Just remember to pack an easily accessible day bag with swimming kit.
A question I see time and time again on forums is ‘can I take my car on and off site?’ Every park is different, some really discourage it and others let you treat the park like a personal car park. Longleat I felt gets a nice balance - change over days it’s expected for cars to be in the main park but after that the expectation is that cars remain in the car park. Can you bring them on for shopping etc? My experience if you ask then it's been ok with security - but it’s meant to be a safe place for kids to walk and cycle and the middle of the forest is the last place I want to see a car.
So let’s say you’re following my mega tips and you’re rocking up at 1000am you’ll need to put your car in the main car park until 4pm. If you’ve travelled far you’ll probably want as short a walk as possible from your car to the main plaza so my top tip is to park in or as near to area J as possible.
It’s now 1015am and you’ve had to unload the complete car to find that day bag I told you to make accessible; but let’s move on and head to the plaza. It’s about a 5 minute to the ironically discrete entrance next to the Bella Italia sign.
The first thing you’ll notice is Longleat is fairly brand happy, and you’ll first notice it as you enter the plaza; but maybe if you’ve had a long drive a Starbucks is just what you need. But, if the queue is a bit long the second option might be to head slightly further into the Plaza and settle into Cafe Rouge. Although they sell a fine array of coffee, within seconds I’d turned that latte into an Espresso Martini. That bought just enough time for the rest of the family to arrive and we headed to the pool. More about the pool later!
As mentioned earlier Longleat is fairly strong on brands, and maybe that’s not a bad thing. By outsourcing to known brands you at least know what you’re going to get and to what standard. So just to be sure we tried a few! Las iguana’s was terrific. A good menu with friendly staff. They don’t do normal brand offers and deals but the food was priced exactly as you’d expect.
Hucks
Hucks, although maybe not a brand is like an all American themed diner. Probably very similar to TGI Fridays. You can expect nice burgers, ribs, etc. What's nice is it also has a free kids play area with no way to escape but through the restaurant. If this is important to you book a table near the play area exit.
The Pancake House
I didn’t try Foresters which en route to the Sports Plaza but near by is also the Pancake House. This is a good experience with reasonably priced pancakes and omelettes. If you’ve never tasted a meat covered pancake now’s your chance. The food is reasonably price but the drinks are certainly at a premium - a bottle of Perponi totting up at £6.25.
There’s the usual Center Parcs classics like zip wires and high tree rope courses but of course all come at a price. Crazy golf has seen a bit of investment with a come outside course.
The Lake and Sports Plaza
If you’ve found your way this far down the hill you’ll find the lake which hosts activities such as canoes and the outdoor aqua park inflatable, but keep heading to the Sport Plaza which you might need on cooler days. This is a large sport hall styled venue with table tennis, badminton etc. there’s a lot going on here. The only thing a little disappointing here is the kids soft play area, compared to some parks in mainland Europe this one is very modest - but, it is free!
Exploring Center Parcs Longleat by Bicycle
There’s certainly enough to spend your money on but if you’re looking for free activities there are loads of good quality play parks. What’s more the park is full of cycle routes and it’s a lovely way to explore the park. If you’ve got the ability to bring your own bike I’d highly recommend this - you probably are going to need at least trail bike to make those hills.
The park is also alive with wildlife, and you won’t need binoculars either, if you’re quiet enough you might even get some visitors at your lodge. Although not very common you might even get a visitor from deers.
If you don’t fancy that cycle ride to explore the park then I urge you to jump on the free land train. As mentioned earlier it can be busy so top tip number two is don’t get on at a major stop.
Staying Connected
The park is very nature focussed, but let's be honest, sometimes we need tech. Mobile phone signal around the park is generally very poor. On vodafone I could get 1 bar of periodic signal.
Center Parcs Longleat has a free wifi that you'll need to easiliy book restaurants etc. It's ok to use the web but maybe not for a 4k movies. Another question I see time and time again is about how safe lodges are for toddlers. As with all parks there's no lock on the front door to stop people leaving. They do now have a security chain, but for extra peace of mind, bring a stair gate to block off the exit door.
If you have the budget then eating out is certainly a treat but if you prefer some home cooked food the the lodge is well equipped for this. If timing works out well it’s economical to bring your own ingredients but there is a shop located in the plaza. As can be expected some items are expensive but weirdly enough some are very reasonable. Eg a disposable BBQ is about £8.
Signature Feature
Personally I love the picturesque forestry of Longleat, but also coming a close second is the Typhoon water slide in the pool. It's. a bit of thrill when you go over the edge.
Aqua Mundo
The part you’ve all been waiting for, the Sub Tropical Swimming Paradise! Center Parcs are known for their ability to get you to spend money on activities but the pool is always free. As you enter via the main Plaza you go through the changing village through to the locker area. Lockers are activated using your wrist bands. If you forget your locker number just hold your band against a reader (one located by entrance to shower area).
The rules here are slightly different to mainland Europe parks, there’s no requirement for little ones to wear buoyancy aides but if they do it prohibits them from using some slides and rides.
The main pool is spacious, clean and visually appealing with typical tropical plants. There’s a wave machine that engages notifying you by the Tarzan call. Connected to the pool is a modest lazy river also connected to a slide exit area.
To the side of the pool there are two main attractions, a four person inflatable you go down a giant flume (spoiler alert coming) that drops you down a significant decline. You get to pick your theming which projects lights etc through the ride. You can ride any combination of 1,2,3 or 4 people on this one - but be warned there is a maximum combined weight allowance. An average sized family will be ok, but add two larger guys to that combo and you’ll be overweight and need to ride separately. There’s no walk of shame but you will need to split the group smaller.
There’s also a two person ring slide. Similar theming but smaller drops. Something you can do to add a little more thrill is when you’re in the ring move it a little closer to the mouth of the flume- the size of the ring will block the mouth and start building up water behind you. When you get the signal to go you’ll get an added woosh.
There’s also two green tube slides suitable for most of the family and two wide steep slides. The wide slides have a minimum height restriction (I can’t remember if it’s 120cm or 140cm) and you can’t wear buoyancy aides. Of course the rookie error is they have lifeguards at the bottom of the slides, not the top - use your own judgement!
So now it’s time to head to the outside pool. Pass through a door and water flappy things and you’ll get to the outside pool. It’s pleasant to swim with deck chairs to use on poolside if the weather’s good.
The bit every big kid has been waiting for is the rapids. From the outside pool pull yourself over the ledge and you’re into the rapids feature. The good news is it’s got some steep drops. It’s moderate length with connecting turns and drops of shallow fast moving water before eventually arriving at the landing pool. The final verdict though is compared to other parks the rapids at Longleat is a bit tame. If you’re after thrills, bumps and bruises some of the EU parks are far more aggressive. But if the mother in law wants a go I’d be fairly confident to give her a helping hand down Longleat rapids. It was certainly very pleasant using it the September sun, but it you want to experience it differently a night swim is quite impressive with the lit steam rising into the night air. On a previous visit it was also quite magical in the winter covered in snow. There are minimum height and capability restriction on the rapids. The signs say you should be a strong swimmer which implies no buoyant aides. However like the slides, lifeguards are at mid and exit points so it’s your judgement who enters and once you’re on there’s only one way off. Final verdict though, if you have younger ones who want to enjoy the thrill of the rapids safely, you might be better heading to a mainland Europe park where they are actively encouraged to use the rapids,but with a buoyancy aide.
Finally, if you have younger kids, this pool has two fairly impressive areas suitable for under 6, a pirate ship style area with flumes, slides, tipping buckets and water cannons. The other area has water features for toddlers to divert water and build courage and confidence.
If you’ve been going hard in the pool all morning you’ll probably be after a lunchtime snack. On the poolside is snack bar restaurant. A coke will set you back just shy of £4 and a beer or cider on tap is about £6.50. The food is varying quality, but I can recommend the pizza. It’s about £12, nice quality and could be a good snack for two.
If there’s spare floor space, there’s space to spend money! You can hire a cabana for a morning or afternoon on the poolside. For many this is completely unnecessary but if someone in your group has mobility problems or you just like to relax these cabanas could keep everyone happy. For about £80 they give you a private area with somewhere to relax, a base to collate your belongings and there’s even a tv inside.
When it’s time to leave the pool you can use the communal showers before picking up your belongings from the lockers. Did you forget which locker is yours? Scan your wristband on the kiosk by the shower entrance.
Aqua Mundo Overall
Slides
Rapid
Good for Little Kids
Good for Big Kidz
Cottage Reviews
Getting the right cottage is a big part of your holiday. Some people like to be near the action and accessibility is important, whereas other prefer to be more remote and enjoy a stroll. Wherever we can get first hand reviews of cottages we'll aim to list them below to help you make the right choices for your holiday.
Find that park!
Address
5QG6+F8, Warminster BA12 7JS, UK
FAQs
What coffee machines are in Longleat lodges?
Tassimo
How steep are the hills?
Pretty steep! But there are steps and winding paths to make it easier, but elevation is still elevation.
Can I leave a Christmas tree for the next occupants?
If it’s in the lodge area it will get cleared, but the forest is a good hiding place!
Why does Longleat have a land train ?
It’s bloody hilly that’s why
What’s the Longleat Center Parcs land train?
A free carriaged train that stops at train stops around the large and hilly site.
Can I leave the park during my stay?
Yes, but the real issue is getting to your car which might be parked far away
Can I leave my car outside my lodge or cottage?
Nope. Unless you ask for exception you’ll be politely asked to move it to the car park?
Will I see deer?
Deer are very common here. Likely!
Will I get wildlife at my lodge?
Probably - you’re in the middle of a forest. You can expect, birds, rabbits, cats, squirrels, deer!
What’s the best area to stay in an Longleat?
Most common answer is Pines. It’s a shorter walk to the pool and not hilly - consider other areas if you prefer the lake
Do they serve food in the pool at Longleat?
Yes, there’s a small poolside restaurant. Pizza there is probably the best value in the park!
What is there to do near by Center Parcs Longleat?
The obvious answer is Longleat safari park. Very near by.