In a nutshell

Ever seen a six-year-old at the wheel of a three-tonne dumper truck? Kids and adults can drive dumper trucks, dig huge holes with diggers and be spun about and lifted high on specially adapted digger rides. There are 18 rides and over 100 diggers and dumpers at the original site in Kent. There are now four UK Diggerlands and one in the US.

Fun fact

Diggerland is the brainchild of Hugh Edeleanu, who runs a construction equipment hire company. He set up Diggerland after seeing how fascinated his kids were by diggers.

Best thing(s) about it

Amazingly, kids can do virtually all the rides. Those over 1.4 metres tall can drive and dig with an eight-tonne JCB digger, a £20,000 JCB dumper truck and a six-tonne excavator. Even kids over 90cm can do most things sitting on a parent’s lap. Joseph (five) loved Spindizzy, a huge bulldozer with seats in the bucket that lifts riders 15 metres into the air and spins them around.

What about lunch?

There’s an indoor picnic and soft play area but the Dig Inn cafe is good value with its freshly cooked food. It’s a transport cafe (of course), serving all-day breakfasts (£6.20), kids’ chicken nuggets and burgers (£3.50) and salads, too.

Exit through the gift shop?

Yes, where kiddie high-vis vests (£5), hard hats (£1.99) and every digger toy imaginable are on sale.

Getting there

The four UK Diggerlands are in Kent, Devon, Durham and West Yorkshire – with a fifth, in Worcestershire, coming soon. We visited the Kent one, near Rochester, 10 minutes off the M20.

Value for money?

At £16.99 for kids and adults (for online tickets, or £19.95 on the gate) it compares well with big-brand theme parks and there’s plenty to keep everyone digging all day.

Opening times

From 10am to 5pm on weekends, bank holidays and during school holidays. Closed November-January.

Verdict

8/10. It may look like a dad-and-son day out, but mum loved it, too.
• diggerland.com