Day Out with the Kids: Robin Hill Country Park Review, Isle of Wight

Updated February 2023

June 2022

We had a brilliant week in the Isle of Wight back in June – it’s a fantastic place to visit with the kids, with lots of days out in easy driving distance. The weather was boiling so we felt like we were abroad too, which is always a bonus!

We stayed at Lower Hyde Holiday Park – which we booked for the bargain price of £78 through the Sun Newspaper Holidays. (Be sure to read my review on the holiday park too! 😊) And one of the places we visited during our trip was Robin Hill Country Park.

What’s there for the kids to do?

Robin Hill Country Park is more outdoorsy than its sister park, Blackgang Chine, and the attractions are dotted around woodland and countryside, so it’s more of a natural place to visit. The gardens are very pretty and it’s a nice place to wander and enjoy a picnic. I would say this park is best suited to children 12 years and under. Here were some of our favourite bits…

Squirrel Tower

Slides

Tobogganing

Play Areas

There’s also a swinging boat ride, Colussus, but this wasn’t open when we visited, and a train ride for little ones that my two were too old for. There’s a 4D cinema as well, but our son Finn doesn’t have any 3D vision so we skipped that one.

In all honesty, my two were just obsessed with the tobogganing – which they went on for several hours continuously – so my husband and I took the opportunity to sit under a parasol outside the cafe and relax while they went on it again and again… and again! 😂

What facilities are there?

There are restaurants and food huts around the site, as well as toilets and a gift shop. We brought a picnic (as usual!) so I can’t comment on the quality of the food – we didn’t purchase anything other than ice-creams for the kids.

There’s lots of parking, which is free. Some rides (like the toboggan run) might be closed in the event of wet weather or high winds, so make sure you check the forecast before you book. Dogs are welcome if well behaved and on a short lead.

Robin Hill also run events throughout the year – so have a look on their website before you visit to see what’s on. There’s a lot happening this year, such as; a balloon festival, Easter activities, the Festival of the Dead and Christmas themed activities.

Current entrance prices for 2023:

Is it good value for money?

Even though we visited term-time during the week, the park was still busy as it’s a popular place for school trips – I even visited myself when I was in year 6! But, we just avoided busier areas and did other things as the school groups rotated, so it wasn’t a problem.

Robin Hill is owned by the same company as another Isle of Wight attraction, Blackgang Chine. Therefore, if you’re visiting both, it’s cheaper to buy a joint ticket. However, whether you decide to visit one or both parks, tickets gain you seven days of entry so you can visit as many times as you like during that period and really get your money’s worth! (This is also really handy in the event of bad weather!)

We visited on non-peak dates, paying £40pp for joint tickets to both parks. It felt like a lot of money to part with, but given that we had two places to visit and could go as many times as we wanted during our week away it wasn’t bad value. Although, we did feel that Blackgang Chine was better value for money than Robin Hill.

Finn and Lola thought that the toboggan run was the best thing ever but, other than that, Robin Hill was a bit lacking. On top of this, the tobogganing isn’t included in the entry price which (considering there aren’t many attractions!) is a bit insane; especially after paying £80 in entrance costs for the four of us.

The toboggan is £1.50 per go, or £10pp for a gold band that allows you ride as many times as you like. We went for the gold bands, as our two loved it so much, and they definitely got their money’s worth – they spent about 3 hours on it throughout the day!

It’s worth noting that ‘on the gate’ prices are more expensive so make sure you pre-book tickets online. Children under four enter for free – which is great news for families with little ones – we made the most of this during previous visits when our children were small.

Overall, we did have a nice relaxing day and the kids still talk about the tobogganing now – I just think that if it had been included in the cost then this day out would have been much better value for money.

Check out my review of Blackgang Chine!

Useful information for your visit…

Website: https://robin-hill.com/

Pets:  Dogs welcome on a lead in outdoor areas

Parking:  Yes, free

Facilities:  Restaurants, food huts, parking, toilets, picnic areas

Address:  Downend, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 2NU

For up-to-date opening times and prices, please check their website.