Last summer we returned to Mountain View Ranch for a lovely day out and a walk around The Gruffalo Trail. It is the first and only official Gruffalo Trail in Wales. There’s so much more to do there too, including nature walks, a fairy forest, archery, adventure play areas, farm animals and a huge swing. I’ll write a full post about our most recent day there soon. For now, take a look at our adventure through The Gruffalo Trail at Mountain View Ranch:
- The Gruffalo Trail at Mountain View Ranch
- A Mouse Took a Stroll Through the Deep Dark Woods
- Mouse Sculpture at Mountain View Ranch
- Fox on the Gruffalo Trail
- Owl on the Gruffalo Trail
- Willow Tunnel
- Snake on the Gruffalo Trail
- Gruffalo Activity Wheel
- There's No Such Thing as a Gruffalo
- Gruffalo Sculpture at The Gruffalo Trail, Mountain View Ranch
- The Gruffalo Trail Stickers
- A Day Out at Mountain View Ranch
- Visit Mountain View Ranch
- Read more:
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The Gruffalo Trail at Mountain View Ranch
Like many people we are big fans of The Gruffalo, the now classic children’s book, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It means a lot to me both as a parent and a teacher. Nowadays, my own children are reading novels over picture books but The Gruffalo Trail is an interesting walk for young and old.
Would you like to go on a Gruffalo Trail? Off we go…
A Mouse Took a Stroll Through the Deep Dark Woods
A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
When you arrive at Mountain View Ranch there’s lots for you to do and a walk before you get to the actual trail- it’s all part of the fun of the day. Keep a look out for signs of the characters in the book, such as our hero, Mouse.
Mouse Sculpture at Mountain View Ranch
Then find each character sculpture. I’d recommend you bring the book, or a print out of the Gruffalo story to read as you walk. Of course, if your kids are young enough, you’ll probably still know it off by heart too!
Fox on the Gruffalo Trail
A fox saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
“Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come and have lunch in my underground house.”
Next we came to the fox sculpture. Years ago, these sculptures were willow versions. Then Mountain View Ranch made it an Official Gruffalo Trail with the Axel Scheffler drawn characters we know and love brought to full size. They’re adorable!
Owl on the Gruffalo Trail
On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.
An owl saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
Kids love the sculptures, such as Owl.
Willow Tunnel
Even if you’re not a fan of The Gruffalo (Oh no!), it’s an interesting woodland walk, with a mountain view. There are especially lovely parts, such as this pretty willow tunnel.
Snake on the Gruffalo Trail
On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.
A snake saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.
“Where are you going to, little brown mouse?
Come for a feast in my logpile house.”
“It’s terribly kind of you, Snake, but no –
I’m having a feast with a gruffalo.”
“A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?”
“A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?
His eyes are orange, his tongue is black,
He has purple prickles all over his back.”
“Where are you meeting him?”
“Here, by this lake,
And his favourite food is scrambled snake.”
“Scrambled snake! It’s time I hid!”
“Goodbye, little mouse,” and away Snake slid.
Gruffalo Activity Wheel
We also came across The Gruffalo Activity Wheel, the girls took it in turns spinning the wheel and doing different challenges related to the book. These included actions, such as, squeak like a mouse and slither like a snake.
There’s No Such Thing as a Gruffalo
We were now headed into the deepest, darkest wood. No need to worry though as the sign says, “There’s no such thing as a Gruffalo!” We’re fine, perfectly safe. There’s nothing to see here.
Gruffalo Sculpture at The Gruffalo Trail, Mountain View Ranch
…OH!”
But who is this creature with terrible claws
And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws?
He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,
And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.
His eyes are orange, his tongue is black,
He has purple prickles all over his back.
“Oh help! Oh no!
It’s a Gruffalo!”
We found him! The Gruffalo Sculpture at the end of The Gruffalo Trail at Mountain View Ranch. No need to worry, as we all know clever Mouse tricks the Gruffalo. In a way, it would be nice to repass the characters to really re-tell the story. Instead, take a spot under one of the trees surrounding the Gruffalo, finish the story and return to the “one way” walk.
Our walk continued onto the goats and a few more things we had to see before we went home.
All was quiet in the deep dark wood.
The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.
The Gruffalo Trail Stickers
At the end of the day, we could take stickers at the exit to add to our certificate. This is a nice touch, especially for younger kids.
A Day Out at Mountain View Ranch
Once again, we had a lovely day out at Mountain View Ranch. We’ll share the whole experience with you soon, but hope you enjoyed coming on The Gruffalo Trail with us. It’s the first and so far only Official Gruffalo Trail in Wales.
Visit Mountain View Ranch
Mountain View Ranch (Sat Nav Postcode: CF83 1NG) is located just off the M4 J32, about 20 minutes drive from Cardiff.
Opening times: Open most Fridays, Weekends and every day during the School Holidays, 9am – 5pm
Time slots must be pre-booked. Book here: https://mountainviewranch.co.uk/book
Time slots are for 3 hours, you’re welcome to stay longer as long as you leave the park by 5pm (if you want a longer day out, book an earlier slot in advance).
Tickets: Adults: £6, Children (age 2-16): £6, Carers/Disabled: £5
Food & Drink: Bring a picnic to enjoy or feast on delicious stone-baked pizzas from the Pizza & Bean Café.
Visit https://mountainviewranch.co.uk/ for more information.
Read more:
Travel posts: https://www.evans-crittens.com/category/travel
Days out posts: https://www.evans-crittens.com/category/travel/days_out
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What a lovely day out. It looks like great fun I will have to make sure my great grandson pays a visit