A treat to leave kids squealing with joy

PEPPA Pig World continues to be the ace in the pack for family-owned Paultons Park, the theme park that sits pretty in 65 leafy acres just north of the New Forest. Visitor figures have soared since the pre-school favourite first oinked through Paultons’ gates in 2011.

This year, to further satisfy the appetite of Peppa’s ever-growing army of fans, two new rides have been added to the four-acre annexe that is essentially a park within a park.

My fears that my own two children – Belle, six, and Cleo, four – might have outgrown our heroine porker proved utterly unfounded in this setting.

They were quickly besotted all over again on rides, all splashed with primary colours, that are heaven-sent for youngsters.

Joining the seven rides that already exist – including Peppa’s Big Balloon Ride and Daddy Pig’s Car Ride – is the Queen’s Flying Coach Ride, a regal monorail where you cruise high above proceedings (looking down on everyone else, of course) in a purple carriage.

Beneath it run the azure waters of Grampy Rabbit’s Sailing Club, a newly installed gentle water attraction that takes you past the show’s familiar cast of characters.

It’s worth adding, too, that the rest of Paultons, from the pristine Victorian carousel to the stomachflipping Cobra coaster and the just-opened Little Africa wildlife park, is a real treat, and a great introduction to thrills and spills for smaller kids. The price tag is equally refreshing – there’s no extra charge for Peppa Pig World and toddlers under a metre in height totter in for free.

Now, who’s for jumping in muddy puddles?