Rides and more Dreamland: Margate (by Robert)

[caption id="attachment_2206" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We couldn't go to Dreamland and not buy any candy floss![/caption]

Robert, who's 10, writes about our trip to Dreamland, a vintage theme park in Margate, Kent. We went in December 2015 (you can watch our video below) and we all really enjoyed it.

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHvTLeZ9R54" width=200 height=100 ]

"Dreamland was fantastic, I loved going through this 1950 retro theme park with fake snow drifting over my head and I had a great time on all the superb rides in the Frosted Fairground. There were amusements, things to eat, an arcade and even a roller-skate rink making it a unique, fun experience with so much to do.

The park was split into two sections, all the arcade games and pinball machines were inside, while all the rides were outside.

We started off in the frosted fairground and the first thing we went on was a proper carousel called The Gallopers. This was great fun as it went quite fast although I thought it got a bit boring at the end.

We also tried out Montopia where you were seated in a spaceship high above the ground and had to pedal your way through the course. I loved this although it might be a bit tiring for smaller kids.

Then we went on a big colourful slide named Born Slippy, but unfortunately when Jess and I tried it we kept stopping during our trip down as we were so big. Anyway, it was still fun.

The attraction Mum and Dad really liked was the Dodgems, they were easy to control, went really fast and it was such fun to bump into other people. Mum and Dad said they were the best dodgems they’d ever been on.

One of our favourite rides was the wooden rollercoaster called Scenic Railway which is actually the oldest rollercoaster in the UK. This was great as it had some large drops and was very exciting but there was a long queue for it, so be warned.

There were plenty of quick classics like the Helter Skelter, Mirror Maze and Ghost Train plus some small calm rides for the youngsters for example The Teacups or the two floor merry go round Double Decker. I especially loved all the quick rides where you spin around and go backwards like The Kiss Me Quick ride (a “ride of love”) and the fast paced Cyclone Twist.

[caption id="attachment_2209" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Jess riding on the Hurricane jets![/caption]

On the Hurricane Jets you were in charge of your rocket and could move it up and down, this was so cool as you could go so high then drop down to the bottom. I had never been on something like this before.

You could also go on the Big Wheel, a relaxing ride that gives you a great view of the whole park, or the smaller rollercoaster that we didn’t go on called the Counter Culture Caterpillar Coaster.

[caption id="attachment_2210" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The view from the big wheel[/caption]

Finally I must let you know about the Jumping Tower which I went on five times! At this attraction you go up then drop down a number of times which I have always loved the feeling of.

There are a few that I haven’t mentioned which we didn’t have time for but I’m sure they’re amazing just like all the ones we did go on.

[caption id="attachment_2211" align="alignnone" width="900"] This was Robert's favourite ride![/caption]

Inside was just as good as it had loads of cheap arcade games to play (mostly using 2p or 10p pieces), more places to eat, the roller rink and other extras as well. There’s not much to say about the arcade apart from there are lots of games and they’re really good. My personal favourite was one where you had to hit monsters with balls and win tickets. On many games you collect tickets at the end depending on how well you’ve done then swap them for a prize. I came away with a Minion Pencil case for 300 tickets. Yay.

Overall it was fantastic; I went on brilliant rides, played fantastic games and stuffed my face with delicious blue candyfloss! We also had pancakes and toasties for lunch."

Dreamland is considered to be the oldest-surviving amusement park in Great Britain, dating back to the 1860s. It closed in 2003, but opened again after a full refurbishment last June. The whole family thought it was great for a trip, although it is now closed for the winter. However, it's open for various events (including a Valentine's Disco) and on 19th-20th March and 25th March to 11th April. From then onwards, it's open  weekends and bank holidays until the end of May. After that it's open every day for the summer.

Find out about the upcoming events here.

It costs: £14.95 for adults and £12.95 for children (this includes the rides), although it was slightly different when we went at Christmas, when it was free entry, but you paid per ride (between £1 and £5 depending what it was).

Read about what else we got up to in Margate here, and also read about our trip to beautiful Broadstairs in Kent too.

Disclosure: We were given free entry and free rides in order to write about our experience for this blog. However, all our thoughts are our own.

We've teamed up with Country Kids this week - pop over to the Coombe Mill website and be inspired by some more country adventures!

A day in beautiful Broadstairs, Kent

[caption id="attachment_2160" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We thought the chalk stacks were amazing![/caption]

I had heard great things about Broadstairs in Kent, but wasn't sure what to expect when we had a day to spend there over Christmas. Our eventual destination was Margate (and you can read about that in this post), but we decided to spend our first night in Broadstairs, a place we had never been.

For those who don't know the area at all, Kent (often described as The Garden of England) is on the southeast corner of England and full of beautiful scenery, castles and of course, gardens. It's also easy to get to, by train or rail, and it took us less than two hours to get there from our part of London.

[caption id="attachment_2161" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We couldn't resist some ice-creams from Morelli's[/caption]

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and parked our car in the middle of the town (not something you can do quite so easily in our home town of London!). We decided an ice-cream was a must (how could we not, when were right next to Morelli's, a 1950s styled ice cream parlour?) and then we dropped into the Old Curiosity Shop Cafe where we all enjoyed a hot drink too.

We loved this small cafe with its own well - said to be used by smugglers in the past to store their wares, and which has a real skeleton at the bottom of it (fortunately it's no longer used to pull up water). Broadstairs was known to be a haven for smugglers in the 18th century and there are said to be a maze of tunnels and caves still in existence which were once used regularly. There are also a number of Titanic themed items on show at the cafe.

Once we had some energy, we decided to go for a walk. We were right next to the horse-shoe shaped Viking Bay which was really lovely and right next to the harbour, and had a wonderful, brisk walk along the shore, picking up seashells, and just enjoying the tranquility of it all (along with the fresh air of course).  The whole Thanet area (Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate) boasts a grand total of 15 spectacular sandy beaches, and also has more Blue Flag beaches than any other district in England.

[caption id="attachment_2163" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert at Viking Bay[/caption]

Viking Bay was huge - we couldn't believe the size of the beach - and it must be perfect for families in the summer, when I think there are lots of things going on such as rides and surfing. It was even lovely in winter - and Robert just had to dip his feet in to try the (very) cold sea!

After our seaside wander, we decided to have a look around the town which was really charming with its narrow streets and lovely array of shops, restaurants and pubs. There was also a fabulous looking tiny cinema (we were really sorry this was closed).

[caption id="attachment_2164" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The scenery along Viking Bay was incredible[/caption]

We then got back in our car and drove to the Botany Bay hotel, which was a real find and in the most glorious location, right on top of the bay (the views from our room were lovely). We stayed in a lovely family suite which was huge and which we thought was pretty good value (£135 including a great breakfast). The kids had single beds and there was a huge TV too, plus more than enough space to play some games.

As we only had a day in Broadstairs, we did not have time to visit the Bleak House museum (Charles Dickens used to live and work in the area, as you might have been able to tell from the Dickens references in the piece), or the Crampton Tower Museum (we'll just have to come back). But the next morning we did have the most glorious walk along Botany Bay which was so beautiful that we'd recommend you go there as soon as you can!

What was really fantastic was the chalk. I know that sounds odd, but this whole area (like Dover, which is not far away) is edged by remarkable chalk cliffs and you can see the most wonderful chalk stones on the shores (see the picture from Viking Bay above for an example). At Botany Bay, we were also amazed by see towering chalk stacks. They were absolutely beautiful, and looked like something quite otherworldly.

[caption id="attachment_2165" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Us at Botany Bay, Broadstairs, Kent[/caption]

We walked for a long time, enjoying the unseasonably good weather, the views, and at one point a flock of birds flying together over the water. It was a joy.

I can quite understand why Broadstairs was a popular Victorian seaside resort - and also why it would still appeal today. It's all very walkable, with gorgeous scenery, clean beaches and enough to do to keep all members of the family interested (including mini golf). If you walk along to Kingsgate Bay, you can seven see Kingsgate Castle, which we came on quite by chance. It's that kind of a place.

Find out more about this area from the Visit Kent website, and don't miss our post on our trip to Margate (and watch our video!)

 

 

What to do in Margate, Kent

Jess, aged 13, says: Over the holidays, our family visited two places on the Kent coast - Margate and Broadstairs. We had a lovely time visiting the beaches, exploring shops, and visiting local attractions, and we would have loved to stay for longer and visit Ramsgate and Whitstable nearby. Please watch the video below of our favourite things to do in Margate...

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHvTLeZ9R54" width=200 height=100 ]

 

Robert, aged 10, writes: The Walpole Bay Hotel was a quirky old fashioned establishment where we stayed our last two nights of our holiday to Kent. This brilliant hotel, built in 1914, was bought by the Bishop Family who have kept nearly everything the same from when they purchased it, even the exceptionally old 1927 lift (which we all loved to go in). On top of being a hotel, the second floor was a museum displaying an assortment of old objects from typewriters to vacuum cleaners plus the walls of the first and third floors were covered in paintings like a gallery.

[caption id="attachment_2127" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Our favourite parts of the hotel: the quirky museum, artwork by Tracey Emin, and the amazing 1927 lift[/caption]

The rooms were extremely comfortable and spacious and the food that we tried was really nice. The WIFI didn’t really work in our room but apart from that it was a fantastic place to stay.

Jess writes: The reason we visited Margate in the first place was to go to Dreamland, an old-fashioned amusement park full of rides and retro arcade games. We spent over half a day there, and loved all of the activities. As it was Christmas time, the park was called the "Frosted Fairground", and was full of lovely little additions. We loved it when some fake carollers came up to Robert and started singing songs, and the member of staff leading them told him to shut the door in their faces!

[caption id="attachment_2119" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was funny when fake carol singers came up to Robert, and he was told to shut the door in their faces![/caption]

I enjoyed the fact that not all of the rides were for thrill seekers, which meant that the whole family could go on them together (although mum decided to sit out for the wooden roller coaster!). I loved the ferris wheel, the large slides, and the bumper cars, which mum says were the best she's been on. However, my favourite rides were (obviously) the really fast ones, such as the UK's oldest roller coaster and "Kiss Me Quick" (although I felt uncomfortable to be sitting next to my brother on that one)...

[caption id="attachment_2129" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Some of our favourite parts of Dreamland - we loved the retro rides, arcade games, and food[/caption]

There is also a roller skating rink and lots of arcade games, which ended in Robert winning quite a good prize with his 300 tickets - a minions pencil case! There was a lot of choice for food, which was all pretty good value, and I especially enjoyed my Nutella crepe for lunch. As there is too much to talk about here, Robert has written a separate post all about it.

[caption id="attachment_2131" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We watched a video about balloons and washing hands at the Turner Contemporary![/caption]

We all absolutely loved the Turner Contemporary, which is full of contemporary and historic art. Our family doesn't often visit art museums as we sometimes find it boring to look at pictures and paintings, but this was different. Lots of the art on display was either interactive or political, which really interested me and mum. The theme of the main exhibition was called "Risk", and we saw everything from videos of people jumping into tornadoes, to performance art starring Yoko Ono. We tried to find our way out of a maze, watched a video about a prison social experiment, saw a see-through trampoline, and watched a soporific video about balloons and washing hands while sitting in an inflatable dinghy! The exhibition is on until January 17.

[caption id="attachment_2132" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We loved going round and round on the spinny chairs![/caption]

It really was an insightful, fascinating and exciting afternoon, and I definitely recommend a visit. It is also great for children, as there is an interactive area where you are inspired to make crazy pieces of art (Robert and mum had a go), and really cool chairs which spun round (I probably stayed on these for far too long)...These were created by Thomas Heatherwick who was the man behind the Olympic cauldron.

It is also free!

Sarah says: The old town in Margate was full of quirky shops (many of them vintage or retro), tearooms and narrow streets which were full of history.

[caption id="attachment_2125" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We stumbled upon a house from Tudor times while having a walk![/caption]

We really enjoyed walking around, though we were sorry that the gorgeous looking Tudor House was closed (it was funny to see this historic building randomly situated on a street!). We may have to come back another time for more sweets, scones or just a mooch about.

Jess writes: We loved all the beautiful beaches near Margate. The Kent Coast is full of gorgeous bays and shores, and we adored Botany Bay in Broadstairs and the Margate Main Sands (we also had a lovely walk near our hotel, which was right on the beach in Cliftonville).

The sea was absolutely stunning, and Robert and I collected lots of fascinating shells. The chalk cliffs are exquisite and imposing, and we discovered that Turner remarked that“…the skies over Thanet are the loveliest in all Europe”. The unique quality of light in this part of Kent drew Turner back time and again.

[caption id="attachment_2123" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Margate Main Sands was beautiful, and the light was stunning[/caption]

In the summer, the beaches are full of swings and deck chairs, but it was lovely to run around the beaches without any disturbance as it was so picturesque and tranquil.

Robert says: The pantomime adaptation of Aladdin we saw at the Theatre Royal was great (oh yes it was!). It had everything from funny jokes, crazy versions of well known songs and a man dressed as a woman. I loved watching the show as it had a great story to it and all the actors were great. Some of the puns they used were hilarious and the cast interacted with the audience a lot which I liked. It was great fun - and the theatre puts on shows throughout the year, so do check what's coming up. 

Jess writes: Overall, we had a wonderful time visiting Margate - the beaches were lovely, the atmosphere was charming, and it felt as if we had been whisked back in time. We loved visiting the sweet shops and seeing crazy tea rooms, and thought that Dreamland and the Turner Contemporary were brilliant. It is perfect for families, and we had a really enjoyable and relaxing time.

Disclaimer: Visit Kent helped to organise our trip and made suggestions for where to go. We stayed two nights at the Walpole Bay hotel in interconnecting rooms (a family suite) on a discounted media rate. The room rate for the suite is £115 a night including breakfast, and you can find out about the prices here.

READ ROBERT'S POST ON DREAMLAND - RIDES AND MORE!

More by us:

Travelling Times: Our Top Places to visit in 2015

A Day Out at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire

Wonderful Whitstable, by Ella

[caption id="attachment_823" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Sunset in Whitstable[/caption]

Some months ago my gorgeous niece Ella, who is nearly 15, wrote a post about visiting Barcelona. Now she's back with a terrific blog about Whitstable in Kent, her new favourite place....

Over to Ella:

"Holidays in England can often be the best kind. The travelling is easy, the language and customs are familiar, and there are so many cute and quirky little villages to explore. Recently, I’ve been lucky enough to discover one of these; a beautiful fishing town in Kent: Whitstable.

Whitstable is the perfect, picturesque, idyllic small town. It has everything you could possibly want, in terms of location, shops, restaurants and accommodation. Situated in Northern Kent, Whitstable is only a 20 minute drive away from Canterbury, a town rich in history, sites of interest and brilliant shopping opportunities!

When visiting Whitstable, you are certainly not short of shops to choose from. As well as the practical Boots, Budgens, various high street clothes shops and brand new Morrisons, there are some very interesting, unique ‘boutique’ shops, as well as numerous antique shops and a variety of charity shops. Not forgetting my personal favourite – the unbelievably delicious homemade cupcake shop, What’s up Cupcake. If there was one place I wish I could pick up and transport home, it would, without a doubt, be this perfect little shop! There’s no fault to be found in it – the food is incredible, the staff are friendly and welcoming – and even remember who you are and what you’ve previously bought!

The weekend is definitely the best time to be in Whitstable. Saturdays and Sundays are when the town really comes to life – not least due to the opening of the Harbour Village. Open every weekend (until Christmas) Whitstable Harbour Village offers a quirky, cute, alternative variety of stalls – selling everything ranging from oysters, to handmade cushions, to delicious waffles. This really is a brilliant experience – a seaside shopping experience in a beautiful working harbour, with a beautiful view. Whether you’re looking for art, food, gifts, toys, food, furniture or stained glass windows – there’s no doubt you’ll find something you love.

There is a wide variety of accommodation available. Although there aren’t as many B&Bs as one may think, the ones that are found here are certainly no disappointment. In particular, Copeland House is situated right on the beachfront; a perfect location with a perfect view. Many people own second homes in Whitstable, and those that are rented out for short visits make for extremely cosy, comfortable and relaxing places to be. I stayed in Coastguards Cottage, a stylish, well-looked after, comfortable cottage – with a gorgeous sea view.

As well as being a picturesque beach holiday destination, Whitstable is rich in history. Whitstable is famous for its oysters, which have been gathered there since Roman times. In 1830, Whitstable and Canterbury were home to the opening of one of the first railway lines in Europe. The Canterbury and Whitstable Railway was a public railway, and in 1834 the world's first season ticket was issued for use on the line, to take Canterbury passengers to the Whitstable beaches in the summer! There is a museum located in Whitstable town centre, packed with interesting exhibitions and things to do for all the family, including a regular programme of drop-in activities.

The atmosphere found in Whitstable is simply unlike anywhere else I’ve been. It’s a lively and extremely welcoming town; I’ve only encountered a small number of people who HAVEN’T said hello when I’ve passed them! The high street is quirky and vibrant, yet the entire town still has a unique and traditional feel to it; it’s just all-round a brilliant place to be. I can’t recommend it enough."

Read Ella's post about Barcelona and our post on Seven Super Reasons to stay in a B&B

Our blog is nominated for the travel category of the UK Blog Awards. Please vote for us here – it takes less than a minute and we would really appreciate it. Thanks very much.

This week we've linked up with the lovely Coombe Mill at Country kids and also with the Sunday Traveller (just can't write it with one l!).

Seven Super Reasons to stay in a Bed and Breakfast

Outside Becketts B&B

Travelling with children can be expensive and tricky. And depending on the ages of the kids, certain issues - babysitting, cots, large rooms, breakfast times which start early - can become surprisingly important.

But if you are looking for something a little different, and possibly, even a little bit cheaper than a hotel, we would recommend a Bed and Breakfast (or B&B).

We have always been fans of B&Bs even before we had children. When we holidayed regularly in America, we used our travel books (this was pre-internet) to search out recommended B&Bs, and hoped for friendly, informed hosts and delicious breakfast treats. We always got these and for far cheaper than a hotel. In fact, I still remember staying in a wonderful B&B in Newport Rhode Island which also served fresh cookies and sherry for tea every afternoon (all included in the price of course).

B&Bs faded away slightly once we had young children, not least because you become extremely conscious of noise when you are staying in someone's house! However, it was also because of course it meant that you had to go out to eat for supper, which was not always suitable with youngsters. Now the children are 12 and 9 (today - happy birthday Robert!) we love them again. In fact we have loved them again for quite some years. Let me tell you why.

1) The personal touch
Most B&B owners aren't part of a bigger corporation or chain - they do it to earn money and because they enjoy it. This means they really care about their guests' experience, from the breakfast (more on that below) to ensuring that that any information given is up to date and helpful. They rely on good reviews and word of mouth to survive.

2) A delicious breakfast
Hotel breakfasts can be delicious, but are often extremely expensive. At a B&B they are, of course, included, and cooked to order. You will often find all kinds of tempting goodies on offer, including homemade granola or bread, home-grown fruit salad, or delicious freshly poached eggs and sausages. You will rarely go away hungry and the service, because it's not for hundreds of guests, is good.



3) Value
Bed and Breakfasts are nearly always good value - though that doesn't mean they are cheap. Always ring up to find out about the latest offers, and note that not only is breakfast included, with parking often is too.

4) Charm and originality
A Bed and Breakfast is not usually a purpose-built building. Instead you may be staying in anything from a converted barn to an historic manor house(even a castle) or semi-detached home!

5) The opportunity to live like a local
Wherever you go, if you stay in a B&B, you are staying in somebody's home. What better way to find out what it's really like to be in that city - to discover local customs and the best local places to eat.

6) An intimate experience
You won't be sharing your stopover with hundreds of others, which can make it particularly special (and, if you leave the kids at home, even romantic).

7) Options
You might be surprised to find that unlike many hotels, lots of B&Bs have interconnecting rooms for families (read more to find out why I love these types of room). If they don't offer this, then they may have huge family rooms, which are often far more appealing or better suited to the kids than a hotel.

We search for B&Bs whenever we are travelling in the UK and have been extremely lucky with rooms and food (we always warn that we don't eat meat and often arrive to find delicious veggie sausages on offer). We do check tripadvisor for reviews (although that's a dangerous road to travel as someone will always find something negative to say!) and are very rarely disappointed. I can only remember one time in Banbury when the family room was so tiny we were nearly on top of each other as we slept.

That's not to say that B&Bs are for everyone, especially if you are not one for chatting (the flipside of the personal touch) and don't want to share your breakfast table with other guests. In other words, if you are a tad anti-social...

The children's room

Always ring up to find out about prices, rooms and offers. When we went to Kent a few weeks ago, we stayed in a lovely B&B called Becketts in Edenbridge, near Hever Castle. It was particularly exciting for us as the children stayed in a (gorgeous) room which was entirely separate from ours. We felt properly grown-up (and so did they).

Becketts was particularly lovely because, as a converted 300 year old barn, it was genuinely full of character. Our room even had a four poster bed! We also all enjoyed a truly delicious breakfast (toast, poached egg, tomatoes and veggie sausages for us, juice, cereal, toast, mushrooms and more for the kids).

Our four poster bed!

Jess and Rob on the couch in their room

The children's room (which is called the garden twin) is also able to have an an extra temporary bed or cot and prices vary between £85 - £100 for two people depending on midweek/weekend and length of stay.

Read our posts:

In praise of interconnecting rooms

A visit to Hever Castle (just 5 minutes from our B&B!)

You can find out more about Kent from the Visit Kent website.

Seven Super Reasons to stay in a Bed and Breakfast

Outside Becketts B&B

 Travelling with children can be expensive and tricky. And depending on the ages of the kids, certain issues - babysitting, cots, large rooms, breakfast times which start early - can become surprisingly important.

But if you are looking for something a little different, and possibly, even a little bit cheaper than a hotel, we would recommend a Bed and Breakfast (or B&B).

We have always been fans of B&Bs even before we had children. When we holidayed regularly in America, we used our travel books (this was pre-internet) to search out recommended B&Bs, and hoped for friendly, informed hosts and delicious breakfast treats. We always got these and for far cheaper than a hotel. In fact, I still remember staying in a wonderful B&B in Newport Rhode Island which also served fresh cookies and sherry for tea every afternoon (all included in the price of course).

B&Bs faded away slightly once we had young children, not least because you become extremely conscious of noise when you are staying in someone's house! However, it was also because of course it meant that you had to go out to eat for supper, which was not always suitable with youngsters. Now the children are 12 and 9 (today - happy birthday Robert!) we love them again. In fact we have loved them again for quite some years. Let me tell you why.

1) The personal touch
Most B&B owners aren't part of a bigger corporation or chain - they do it to earn money and because they enjoy it. This means they really care about their guests' experience, from the breakfast (more on that below) to ensuring that that any information given is up to date and helpful. They rely on good reviews and word of mouth to survive.

2) A delicious breakfast
Hotel breakfasts can be delicious, but are often extremely expensive. At a B&B they are, of course, included, and cooked to order. You will often find all kinds of tempting goodies on offer, including homemade granola or bread, home-grown fruit salad, or delicious freshly poached eggs and sausages. You will rarely go away hungry and the service, because it's not for hundreds of guests, is good.

Read more »

An Awesome Time At Hever Castle By Jessica!

Although the weather was poor, our family had a fabulous time at Hever Castle. Here is what we did...

 

As we got to the castle early, we decided to go outside and have a look around first - something that is essential for every visit. There is loads for adults and children alike, ranging from incredible gardens to kids' playgrounds.

The Castle

You can see most of what we did from the video, but some of it has to be described in a bit more detail.

We spent ages walking around the spectacular gardens, which were laid out from 1904-8. They are immaculate, with absolutely beautiful flowers and colours. The gardens are award-winning and there is loads to see and do, including hiring boats on the huge lake.

I particularly recommend the stunning Italian gardens, but my favourites had to be the bushes which were trimmed to look like animals. We saw birds, lions and Rob even swears that he saw an elephant!

Me in the water maze

There are three mazes in the gardens; the Yew maze, the water maze and the children's maze. The yew maze is a normal (yet surprisingly difficult) maze that Rob and I really enjoyed. We split up from mum and dad and managed to beat them to the centre. The water maze is very different. It's not at all hard, and the objective is to get around the planks without stepping on one which sprays water. The last one is the children's maze which is a wooden maze, complete with slides, bridges and steps. Although I was too old, Rob really seemed to enjoy it!

We were not allowed to take photos, videos or record audio in the castle itself which was a shame, but we did have an amazing time.

The castle is surrounded by a moat and is the kind of place that I would love to own - grand, but still liveable. The oldest part of it was built in the 1200s and it was owned by the Boleyn (originally Bullen) family from 1462 to 1539.

Me and Rob with "Anne Boleyn"

The museum inside the castle has three floors and is jam packed with interesting information about Anne Boleyn, the castle and general Tudor facts. I was particularly interested to find the prayer room built into a bedroom and a book owned by Anne as a girl. There were also the prayer books which she took with her to the Tower of London.

There are loads of beautiful rooms, antique furniture, prayer books, interactive displays and paintings to look at, making it fun for the entire family. In fact, Hever Castle is said to have the best collection of Tudor portraits in the UK after the National Portrait Gallery!

I do recommend taking an audio guide or getting a guidebook to go from room to room inside the castle (especially on the ground floor), as there is not much information to read, only lots to see. Rob and mum both took audio guides and dad had a guidebook, and I felt that I did not learnt as much as them.Overall, Hever Castle is perfect for the whole family, and I learnt loads, enjoyed looking at cool pictures and had a very entertaining time. If you ever go to Kent, you should definitely visit!

Hever Castle costs £15.50 per adult for the castle and gardens, and £8.70 per child. A family ticket for castle and gardens is £39.70, although it's slightly cheaper if you just go for the gardens. The audio tour is available in English, Dutch, French, German, Chinese and Russian and costs £3.75. There is a special audio tour for children.

For more on great things to do in Kent, go to the Visit Kent website and take a look at Robert's blog post on Groombridge Place.

Here are some more posts by us:

Brighton In The Winter By Jessica

An Amazing Time At clueQuest By All Of Us!

Disclosure: we were given free entry to Hever Castle in order to write about it. All views, photos, opinions and videos are our own.

An Awesome Time At Hever Castle By Jessica!

Although the weather was poor, our family had a fabulous time at Hever Castle. Here is what we did...

As we got to the castle early, we decided to go outside and have a look around first - something that is essential for every visit. There is loads for adults and children alike, ranging from incredible gardens to kids' playgrounds.

The Castle

You can see most of what we did from the video, but some of it has to be described in a bit more detail.

Read more »

Groombridge Place by Robert

We went to Kent at the weekend and visited Groombridge Place. It was fun, exciting and interesting. The main activities were in the Enchanted Forest and, the ones I liked best were when we:

* Found out that there is such thing as a zedonk, (half zebra and half donkey.) The one we saw was called Adam.

* Walked across a half mile boardwalk that included zip wires, tyres to climb through, tunnels, wobbly bridges and lots more.

Jess and me on the boardwalk

* Saw a giant spider web and two giant oak doors that led you to a standing stone from the other side of the world.

* Walked around the mystic pool

* Swung on giant swings that swung us so high into the air we could see nearly all of Groombridge Place. This was my joint favourite bit.

Altogether in the Enchanted Forest there were 23 activities including a labyrinth, the double spiral, the serpent's layer, Dinosaur Valley, Groms village, Indian tepees and more. There was so much to do, even though the weather was only okay (it rained a bit, but it wasn't too bad).

Outside the Enchanted forest there were gardens (including a secret garden), inflatables, including a bouncy castle and a gladiator arena which I really liked. There was also an Easter egg hunt, (which is only there for the next few weeks.) And lastly my joint favourite bit, the fete games.

There was knock down the cans, (I got 16 cans down out of 18.) There was also throwing balls into a bucket, which you may think is easy but is not because the balls keep bouncing out. The last fete game was "whack a rat". A member of staff put a (toy) rat down a tunnel and you had to try and hit it with a bat. The only problem was that you did not know when the member of staff was going to drop the rat. It was so hard!

Groombridge Place had lots of wildlife, facts and activities. All the family liked it and over all it was a great day out.

Peak Prices (school and bank holidays) at Groombridge (which is located near Tunbridge Wells) are: Adults £9.95, Senior Citizens £8.45, Children (3-12 years) £8.45. A family Tickets (2 Adults and 2 Children) is £33.95.

For more on great things to do in Kent, take a look at the Visit Kent website.

Please also take a look at our blogpost on Hever Castle, which we visited the same weekend as Groombridge. We also made our own video there...

More from me:

Dr Johnson's house in London

Cadburyworld in Birmingham

Groombridge Place by Robert

We went to Kent at the weekend and visited Groombridge Place. It was fun, exciting and interesting. The main activities were in the Enchanted Forest and, the ones I liked best were when we:

* Found out that there is such thing as a zedonk, (half zebra and half donkey.) The one we saw was called Adam.

* Walked across a half mile boardwalk that included zip wires, tyres to climb through, tunnels, wobbly bridges and lots more.
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