Last Saturday the sun was shining, the sky was blue and the air was September crisp.  On a day like this one just has to get outside.  The husband was away so the girls and I decided on an ‘explore’ trip. This is where we visit somewhere we haven’t been before and have a good explore!

The destination – Box.  A village just outside Bath on the way to Chippenham, I had heard rumours of a nice park and a good cafe.  Good enough for me.

We parked in the car park next to the Village Hall, to find this:  coming from Bath on the A4, take the left fork into Box at the traffic lights, then turn second left down past the tennis courts and the library.  It is right next to the park.

Box park held some lovely surprises including a rather wild ‘water garden’ which could do with a little maintenance but we rather enjoyed a wilder space in a park. Municipal parks can sometimes be a little clinical.  There is also a small river running through the bottom of the park with a little stream running down to it. An ideal spot for the kids to mess around in the water.  Shame we forgot our wellies!

Back up in the main park is a small BMX dirt track, great if your kids are proficient on their bikes. Not much good for learners.  There is a pretty good playground with a separate area for smaller kids.

After all the exploring and playing we felt the need for a cafe trip. Fortunately, there is a gorgeous little cafe called Toast. To find it you need to go back up to the main road and walk through the village until you see the sign.  If you are feeling too pooped from all that playing there is another car park closer to the cafe.

Box is a beautiful Bath stone built village, Toast itself is a real treat.  It is in a small wooden building, built basically in the owner’s garden.  The cafe is themed with American/Canadian signs and goods, the atmosphere is very cosy.  They serve excellent coffee, a fine range of homemade cakes, real milkshakes and cookies and lots of delicious lunch/brunch type meals.  There are some toys and games provided and the relaxed atmosphere meant we felt very comfortable enjoying our treats while playing a game of snakes and ladders. Lovely, we will be back!

Finally, the perfect end to the afternoon, we returned to the car park which was almost empty and the girls had a great time scooting and cycling around.  The youngest even mastered pushing herself off on her bike by herself. Yay! A good pace to practice cycling in and around Bath is a rare thing so they really enjoyed this opportunity.  Box is surrounded by hills and lovely countryside, the views from the park are beautiful.  I was ready to sell up and move there!