What to do on a family holiday in Dorset

[caption id="attachment_4502" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Us at the beautiful Durdle Door[/caption]

Robert, who's 14, is back to tell you about our summer family holiday in Dorset - a place we would highly recommend.

Over to him:

"At the beginning of the summer holidays my parents and I drove to Dorset for a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable week-long visit. We stayed in a cottage around a ten-minute drive from Weymouth. It had two rooms, a bathroom with a shower, a kitchen area, living room and basically everything you would want in a living accommodation. It was a lovely place to relax in the evening; reading books, watching TV and playing games. 

Weymouth  

[caption id="attachment_4504" align="alignnone" width="1200"] On Weymouth Beach[/caption]

To say Weymouth is busy on a summer weekend is a huge understatement. Parking was hard to come by (although we did find a space every time) and the beaches and streets were bustling with locals and tourists alike. However, it never felt too crowded and there weren’t long queues for refreshments or long waits to get a meal. The beach was lovely – we rented deckchairs for £2 each – and spent a good few hours there on our first day. The sea was amazing to paddle, wade and swim in as there were basically no waves at all - due to the natural defences at Chesil beach.  

There are so many places to get an ice-cream or slushie in Weymouth and even more places to get yourself a quick lunch in the afternoon. Be warned though: a majority of the cafes and shops close relatively early and on our first night we found ourselves wandering the streets for a while before deciding on getting food to heat up at home. Weymouth and the surrounding area is not short of massive supermarkets and we had dinner in our cottage every night bar one, so the shops closing early is not a major problem. 

Chesil Beach 

[caption id="attachment_4505" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The stunning Chesil Beach[/caption]

After relaxing in the sand on Weymouth’s coastline we drove about twenty minutes to a completely different type of beach. Chesil beach is the largest tombolo in the UK and is 28 kilometres of pure pebbles which increase in size as you move across. The stretch is classified as a Heritage site so you are not allowed to take any rocks home with you although you can obviously pick them up. The sheer size of the beach was impressive and it was a beautiful to go and have a look at. There is a great exhibition about the beach inside the visitor centre with lots of things to touch and look at including fossils, animal bones and millions of years old rocks. For a free attraction I would definitely recommend going, if only to have a quick look. 

[caption id="attachment_4506" align="alignnone" width="900"] One of the exhibits at the Chesil Beach Visitor Centre[/caption]

Cycling 

The next day we set out on a cycling trip organised by Jurassic Trails. We got our bikes and helmets then proceeded to begin our journey down the many cycle lanes and general streets in the area. We got lost almost straight away, we’ll blame it on the lack of clear signs, and ended up following a route we made up using the map we were given. We then lost Dad and pulled over but ended up stumbling across a strange sculpture, so really Mum and I came out of the loss pretty well. It was fun and exhilarating cycling around Dorset, although my bottom and legs were aching by the end of it. Even after a lot of wrong turns and small pavements that we walked down with our bikes it was still a thoroughly enjoyable day and cycling up and down the seafront near Bowleaze was one of the highlights of the trip. Although this bears no relevance to this post you may be amused to read that we went cycling on the day of what I can only assume to be some sort of Dorset Marathon which brought the difficulty level up significantly when cycling down the lanes shared for both walking and biking. 

Hiring the bikes from Jurassic Trails cost £54 for the three of us and could be used for the whole day. We thought this was pretty good!

Windsurfing 

[caption id="attachment_4509" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert tries out windsurfing[/caption]

On our third day I went windsurfing at the Official Test Centre in Portland.  My only vaguely similar experience in my life was going Water-skiing in Greece three and a half years ago so I entered a complete beginner but came out, quoting the words of my instructor, “a natural”. I got the hang of it practically straight away; there was a secure position, a sailing position and the act of turning around. Once you learn those – which we did on the shore – the only difficulty is keeping your balance and not falling in. The two hour session went by quickly and I would definitely try it again – possibly in windier conditions than the test centre. The water is so shallow and the one time I fell, my feet touched the floor so there is no reason to be scared. The centre also teaches paddle boarding which is an easier water sport that you could attempt if you wanted. 

Robert's two-hour taster lesson was complimentary (lucky us!) but would have cost £49. The Official Test Centre is on Portland, just past Chesil Beach. Although they gifted us the session, they had no input into this blog post.

Castletown D-Day centre 

Earlier that day we visited the Castletown D-Day centre, an activity which my parents weren’t too scared to take part in. The museum was one of the best I’ve been to in a while, due to the fact that there were so many interactive things to do which seemed to be one of the things the owner had been really pushing for when building the centre.
There were tanks and army vehicles you could climb in and move, videos to watch, boards to read as well as proper army uniform and an array of guns that you could wear and pick up. Upstairs was a surprisingly creepy enemy bunker focusing on the Germans and their experience of D-Day, and a tea-room where we coincidentally saw the museum's owner who we had just been watching in the videos downstairs! The centre is only open between 10.30 – 3.30 but it was really fun and interesting, the staff really knew their stuff and it was a really nice place to go. We ended up spending a lot more time there than we had expected to.

The Castletown D Day Centre is situated in Portland, where thousands of American soldiers stayed before they left for France in 1944. It costs £7 for adults, £5 for 12-17 year olds and £4 for children. 

Natural Landscape 

[caption id="attachment_4511" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Lulworth Cove[/caption]

Throughout the holiday went to some beautiful places including Lulworth Cove – a stunning bay with about 100 places to get an ice-cream, Opa Church Cove, a small rocky area on Portland which was once used by smugglers, and the area around the Portland Bill Lighthouse – not to mention many other beautiful views and beaches that we visited. The most amazing place to see however was Durdle Door – a natural limestone arch in the sea.

[caption id="attachment_4512" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The stunning Durdle Door[/caption]

Although quite a long walk from the car park it was a beautiful sight and the rocky beach preceding it was a great place to swim, relax and stare in awe. There were so many places of natural beauty in Dorset and they made the holiday feel much more relaxed than constantly visiting museums and man-made attractions. 

Jurassic Coast 

[caption id="attachment_4513" align="alignnone" width="1200"] An ammonite (fossil) found on Charmouth Beach[/caption]

The most unique activity we participated in throughout the trip was definitely our fossil tour on the Jurassic Coast. Our tour guide Martin, from Jurassic Coast Guides, explained how different fossils are formed and helped us remember what they look like and how to spot them. After the talk, which lasted about an hour, and a toilet break which gladly lasted less than an hour, we set off down the coastline to find some fossils. Martin had explained the places with the best chance of finding a fossil but even before we got to them he had found a few which he let us “find” and keep after giving us the general area it was in. This stayed the case for the majority of the two hours we spent on the beach. Although grouped together, Mum, Dad and I found three, maybe four traces of fossilised creatures to Martin’s 20 or so more impressive ones. The whole experience was really interesting and fun and we came home with a bag full of 14 190 million year old rocks. If you are considering going fossil hunting, on the Jurassic Coast or elsewhere I would definitely recommend doing it as part of a tour or with someone experienced and we would have had no clue whatsoever if we had gone on our own. 

Private fossil hunting walk with Jurassic Coast Guides costs £100. We were fortunate enough to be given one for gree in order to write about. However, no one from the company has had any input into this piece, which is also our (particularly Robert's) opinions.

Dorset Adventure Park 

[caption id="attachment_4514" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Corfe Castle[/caption]

Our hour at Dorset Adventure Park felt much longer – it was one of the most fun activities of the holiday and Mum and Dad really enjoyed it as well even though they were in the water for most of it!  Everything is inflatable and if you only fall off you have to swim to nearest entry point or attempt to climb back on where someone pulls you up by the lifejacket.

Read more about our trip to this brilliant park and also nearby Corfe Castle in this post from Robert.

Sea life and adventure golf 

[caption id="attachment_4515" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Playing crazy golf![/caption]

We only spent an hour or so in Weymouth’s Sea Life as we saw all the different attractions and didn’t stick around at each for too long. However, for younger kids it looked like a great place to visit – there were at least five different schools visiting when we went. Our favourite bit was the “shipwreck” with lots of cool sea life to see inside: jellyfish, crabs and fish and we also liked seeing some otters being fed – one of the events that occur throughout the day. There were seals, sharks, turtles and penguins as well as lots more cool things to see for children to enjoy. We also visited the Pirate Adventure Golf just outside which was really fun. Beware though, we went in the morning around when it had just opened and it was extremely busy, meaning long waits to play the next hole. 

A Pirate Adventure Golf & Weymouth SEALIFE combi ticket (booked online) is Adult £24.95, Child (3-14) £20.95. We were lucky enough to be given these in order to write about them, but the organisation had no input into this blog post.

Overall I loved going to Dorset and is my favourite holiday in the UK in many years – if not my whole life. Coincidence that Jess didn’t come on this one! It was so nice not to go to a bustling city and just visit museums and theme parks – although I could’ve done with a few rides; instead there were beautiful coves and beaches and activities involving nature. On top of that there were so many delicious foods to sample, I’m pretty sure I had more ice-creams than days of the holiday! If you are thinking of going to a place in England I would wholeheartedly recommend Dorset as we spent a week there and there were still loads of things we didn’t do or visit. There are definitely enough things for adults, teenagers and children and I hope to go back again in the future." 

Disclosure: Visit Dorset helped us to plan our holiday, but had no input into this blog post. They have information for everything to do across the county.

Read more on family holidays in the UK: 

A family trip to Cornwall

What to do in beautiful Pembrokeshire

Why we loved Lincoln (and are sure you would too!)

Manchester United and Manchester City - a football trip to Manchester

Robert, who's 12 writes:

Our family loves football so I was super excited when I found out that mum and I were going on holiday all about it. We travelled by train to Manchester where we checked in to Hotel Football. The hotel was really cool as so many things were to do with footie, from the wallpaper to the pillows to the astro turf pitch on the top floor. It is also owned by ex Man Utd players. Our room was really nice. It had an incredible view of Old Trafford, really comfy beds and a complimentary mini-bar that got re-stocked every day. What more could you want?!

[caption id="attachment_4406" align="alignnone" width="1200"] View of Old Trafford from our room at Hotel Football[/caption]

On our first day in Manchester we went on a tour of Old Trafford, Manchester United’s stadium. Before the tour we spent some time in the Man Utd museum which was filled with information about the club and loads of cool objects to see. There were football boots, medals, kits and even the official Carabao Cup which United won last season.

[caption id="attachment_4407" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The pitch at Old Trafford[/caption]

The tour was brilliant! We started off by walking around the empty stadium and learning about its history. We then got to enter the Manchester United changing room where all the players would get ready. The shirts were on the wall next to where the player would sit and it was really cool to imagine that only a few days later footballing superstars like Pogba or De Gea would be sitting there. We also looked into the away dressing room which was nowhere near as fancy. This time the walls were lined with the shirts of the greatest footabllers who had players at Old Trafford including Messi, Ronaldo and David Beckham.

[caption id="attachment_4408" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The Home changing room at Old Trafford[/caption]

We then learnt more about what the players did before a game and re-enacted what players would do in the tunnel. I was the captain of my team so shook hands with my opponent before my teammates did the same. Music then started blaring and we walked down the astro onto the pitch that soon would be filled with 75,000 people. It was awesome! We then got to sit in the managers chairs before finishing the tour with a trip to the shop and some cool, free certificates.

[caption id="attachment_4409" align="alignnone" width="1200"] In the away changing room at Old Trafford[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4410" align="alignnone" width="1200"] This letter to George Best's father was on display in the Man Utd museum[/caption]

The next day we went to the Football Museum, which was one of the best, if not the best, museums I’ve ever been to. The first floor was full of history and talked about how the game has evolved to what it is today. There were sections on stadiums, fans, media and of course the great legends and record-breakers of football. Throughout all the information boards and things to look at there were also loads of interactive things to do. There were games, quizzes, a chance to be a commentator and loads more. I especially liked the board that showed where your club had come every season for the last 200 years. I loved the first floor, yet the second was somehow even better.

[caption id="attachment_4411" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert became a commentator at the National Football Museum[/caption]

The second floor focused on kits, managers and the rules of the game and it was a lot more hands on.There was a section where you could be a football referee and another where you had a penalty shootout against a projected keeper. There were times when you had to kick a ball at flashing lights on the floor or to try and hit targets worth different amounts of points on the wall. There was so much to do! There were also lots of old fashioned sports games on this floor as well, which you had insert old pennies for; they were really cool.

[caption id="attachment_4412" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Stanley Matthew memorabilia at the National Football Museum[/caption]

The third floor is an exhibition so it is always changing. The exhibition we saw was all about Brazilian legend Pele and I really enjoyed it. However a new exhibition about England’s 1966 world cup victory will be opening soon.

[caption id="attachment_4413" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Manchester City's home changing room (much, much bigger than the away one!)[/caption]

Finally, mum and I travelled to the Etihad, Manchester City's ground. The stadium was much fancier with heated seats for rich people and a restaurant where you could see the tunnel, for even richer people. This tour was more focused on Manchester City as a business instead of a club, although it was still really fun. Once again I enjoyed going into the incredible changing room and was surprised at how bad the away one was. Our tour guide told us about all the tricks Man City did to annoy the opposing team and we got to walk out the tunnel and sit on the manager seats like Old Trafford. Personally I found the Old Trafford tour much more interesting but maybe that is just because I did it first.

Overall I had a brilliant time in Manchester. I loved visiting the stadiums which I see on the TV and will remember the Football Museum for years to come.

Disclosure: We were helped in our trip by Visit Manchester and our stay at Hotel Football was free. However, neither Visit Manchester, nor any of the places we visited had any input into this piece.

Read about our trip to St George's Park, where England's footballers train!

Playing Board Games at Draughts Café

Jess, aged 14, writes: I'm always looking for new places to visit in London with my friends, and I was very excited when I found Draughts online. It's a regular café with a difference: people go there to play board games. There are shelves and shelves of the café filled with every board game I could imagine - family games such as Hungry Hungry Hippos to more adult games such as Cards Against Humanity, and simple card games to complex ones which take hours to play.

[caption id="attachment_3589" align="aligncenter" width="599"] The café from the outside[/caption]

Draughts is situated right in the middle of Hackney and is really close to an Overground stop: Haggerston. I had booked a table in advance, which was lucky as the shop was very busy (though luckily not too loud). It is £5 per person to play an unlimited amount of games and to stay for quite a long time (10-5 or 6-11 on weekdays, and up to four hours on weekends), which I thought was good value as we stayed for ages! My friend and I quickly rushed over to the game area and spent ages deciding on which game to try first. We decided on Escape: The Temple Curse - a complicated game where players work together to escape a temple.

The games are all categorised which I thought was a good idea. This stopped us from picking up games which take hours and hours to play!

[caption id="attachment_3587" align="aligncenter" width="1188"] Draughts was full of lots of different games, which we really enjoyed playing.[/caption]

Although we spent about twenty minutes setting the game up and understanding the rules, we played the game for about half an hour and it was really good fun. Despite the fact that we failed miserably, I loved it and could have played again and again.

Over the course of four hours, we played countless games of Bananagrams, Scattergories, Othello, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Hive, and Snatch (a particular favourite of mine where you quickly form words and steal them from your opponent). There was such a range and next time I visit, I'll be sure to play some longer, more complex games. I wanted to play the Ghostbusters game but my friend unfortunately decided it would be too difficult to understand... Luckily, there are staff to ask for help with complex games.

[caption id="attachment_3586" align="aligncenter" width="1178"] The café served delicious looking brownies among other things![/caption]

Draughts also serves a variety of food and drinks, and I ordered a mango and ginger drink, and some chocolate mini eggs. These were very nice and reasonably priced, although I was glad I didn't order food as the portions looked quite small.

Overall, Draughts in Hackney is a place I wish I discovered sooner. Everyone was really kind and friendly, the atmosphere was lovely, and the abundance of games were all in very good condition. I paid £8.50 total for four hours of board games, a drink, and snacks, which I thought was good value. I will definitely return!

All pictures on this post were found on Draughts' website or instagram.

More by Jess in London

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