Researched and written 9 October 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
Coombe Abbey Park
Coombe Abbey Park, run by Coventry City Council, has 500 acres of parkland around a former Cistercian abbey. Children have two purpose-built play areas, one for under-12s by the Visitor Centre and Hermit's Hollow among the treetops, plus pond-dipping stations, a permanent orienteering course and duck and swan feeding at the main lake, with feed at £1 a bag from the Information Centre.
Go Ape runs a treetop course in the grounds and the Discovery Centre has interactive exhibits about the woodland and wetlands. The car park is pay on exit from £2 and opens from 5am to 8pm.
The War Memorial Park
In the south of the city, the War Memorial Park covers about 48 hectares and opened in 1921 in memory of the 2,587 Coventrians who died in the First World War. Alongside its open grass it has a splash and play area, an under-eights play area, an aviary for small birds and a skateboard area.
A Roman fort in Baginton
On the edge of the city, the Lunt Roman Fort was built around AD 60 during the campaign against Boudica and has been partly reconstructed in timber, including its gateway. It has the only known gyrus, a circular horse-training ring, in a Roman fort. It opens on selected school holiday dates and tickets must be booked ahead.
Cars, sleighs and ice
The Coventry Transport Museum runs engineering challenges and science activities as well as showing Thrust2 and ThrustSSC. It is also home to a vintage sleigh ride that local families have known for generations. For something faster, the Skydome has an ice rink operated by Planet Ice and is home to the Coventry Blaze ice hockey team.
A house that suits a family
Sullivan Heights has a private garden and a twin room for children. Humber Hub sleeps 10 for a bigger family gathering. Coombe Abbey Park is about 4 miles by road from the nearest of our homes, the Lunt Roman Fort about 3 miles from Humber Hub and the War Memorial Park about 3 miles from Humber Hub.
Sources: coventry.gov.uk/coombe-country-park/coombe-country-park-1/5; coventry.gov.uk/coombe-country-park/coombe-country-park-1/4; Wikipedia: War Memorial Park, Coventry; Wikipedia: Lunt Roman Fort; luntromanfort.org; Wikipedia: Coventry Transport Museum; Wikipedia: Coventry Skydome. Distances by road from each house, worked out on OpenStreetMap.
