Looking for somewhere to take the kids? With an entrance fee of just £7, it’s great for both kids and adults who love animals – there’s over 100 species.

Tilgate Nature Centre is a fairly large ‘zoo’ on a picturesque hillside setting. There’s a good quality cafe nearby in the walled garden, and toilets of course.

It’s probably around 40 minutes by car from Carshalton.

There was a surprising array of fascinating birds and animals to spot. Our favourites were the mongoose and meerkats.

There’s a large car park on site, though sometimes you can park on local roads for free.

If you don’t want to go and see animals there’s plenty of free walks around Tilgate Park, and you can wander through a pleasant Heather garden.

Have you been – what did you think?