Dorset Adventure Park and Corfe Castle in Dorset

[caption id="attachment_4483" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Sarah in front of Corfe Castle[/caption]

We recently went on holiday to Dorset (a long blog post is on its way!). Here is one of the days which my son, Robert, who's 14, enjoyed the most and which he would highly recommend. It begins with Corfe Castle.

As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a history buff and love castles. Corfe Castle (a National Trust Property), which is located on the Isle of Purbeck, between Wareham and Swanage, is spectacular! It was built by William the Conquerer and has a long, magnificent history, not least the story of how the Royalists in the castle tried to hold out against the Roundheads during the English Civil War of the 17th century.

Corfe Castle is also the name of the very pretty village in which the castle is located and it's gorgeous to walk around - and to have an ice-cream or cream tea (or both!).

Let Robert tell you more:

Corfe Castle

Corfe Castle, or the ruins of Corfe castle, is a great place to go. Not only is it visually stunning, with great views of the architecture from the bottom of the hill and great views of the surrounding area on top – it is also a historic landmark with lots of boards to read and find out about what happened at the castle.

There are also lots of activities for kids of all ages.

[caption id="attachment_4484" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert helps to hold up the ruins![/caption]

Dorset Adventure Park

After our visit to Corfe Castle, we moved onto Dorset Adventure Park, which is only about 5 minutes away. Our hour in the water there 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!

Once kitted in our wetsuits and life jackets we walked to the first lake, called Castle Lake, because you can see Corfe Castle from the water, where we spent half an hour running, jumping and falling off obstacles. There were narrow poles to climb over, large hills to climb, and trampolines and other singular obstacles floating in the water. Everything is inflatable and if you fall off you have to swim to nearest entry point or attempt to climb back on where someone pulls you up by the life jacket. After Mum and Dad fell off multiple times before clearing the first obstacle I ended my fits of laughter and ran off on my own.

The next lake, the Woodland Lake, was even better – it had air bags, monkey bars and bigger slides, to name a few. There was also a tightrope with ropes to cling onto hovering above the water which I attempted many times but could not clear the third. At least I attempted it though, unlike my Mum and Dad!

[caption id="attachment_4485" align="alignnone" width="1200"] You can just see the Castle Lake and inflatables in this picture - in front of Corfe Castle[/caption]

There were about 10-15 obstacles or so in each lake and it never got boring.

If going with someone other than your parents you could race around the track or if you are really courageous you could hold battles where you try to push off your opponents.

The Adventure park was great to visit although it only takes up about two hours of your day. Corfe Castle was just a few minutes away so you could create a nice day out visiting the two.

We don't have any great pics of the water park because we had to put away our clothes and phone/camera!

[caption id="attachment_4486" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The castle ruins are really spectacular[/caption]

Need to know:

Corfe Castle is a National Trust property, and so free for National Trust members. Otherwise it has different costs for peak and off-peak times. The summer is peak time and it costs £10 for adults, £5 for children or £25 for a family ticket.

There are loads of activities over the summer for families, so do check out their website.

Dorset Adventure Park is open every day in the school holiday and costs £15 a person. You can also hire wetsuits and shoes, or bring your own.

Disclosure: We received free entry into Dorset Adventure Park in order to write about it. However, all the opinions in this blog post are our own and no one else had any input into them.

For more about Dorset, see the Visit Dorset website

Don't miss our post on what to do in Dorset - also written by Robert!

Read more:

A great day out at Thorpe Park (by Robert)

Cakes, a castle and cathedral, what to do in Lincoln

A visit to majestic Casa Loma, in Toronto

Magnificent Pembroke Castle - a must see in Wales

[caption id="attachment_3949" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At the top of the keep[/caption]

I love a good castle and am delighted to tell you that Pembroke Castle in Wales is a very good castle indeed! In fact, it’s one of the best we’ve ever visited, and probably the only one which you come upon simply by walking along a High Street. Here’s why you should visit too.

Pembroke is a magnificently preserved medieval building. The first castle at the site was built way back in 1093, during the Norman invasion of Wales. A century later it was given to William Marshal, later to become one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, as a faithful supporter of Henry II, Richard I and John and adviser on the Magna Carta. If you haven’t heard of him before, you really should have!

We were told about Marshal by our wonderful guide, Gareth, a retired history teacher, who really brought history alive. He was absolutely fabulous and I would definitely recommend taking a guided tour if you visit the castle. We learnt so much – and everyone, of all ages, was enthralled.

Gareth told us all about the brilliant positioning of the castle, with water on three sides. This means it is much easier to defend than many other similar buildings. In addition, the gatehouse is a marvel, and invaders would find it almost impossible to get through – they’d have to survive the murder and spear holes first! The outer wall is also five metres thick.

It was William Marshal who turned the castle into such an impressive Norman stone building. The Earl Marshal was also responsible for the magnificent keep with its innovative stone roof (wooden roofs risked being set on fire). The keep is nearly 80 feet high and the walls are six metres thick at its base.

[caption id="attachment_3951" align="alignnone" width="900"] The keep[/caption]

Gareth told us so much about the castle’s history, about the dungeons and the cave, called Wogan's Cavern, which could be used for provisions, and which we visited, going down the 55 step spiral staircase.

[caption id="attachment_3952" align="alignnone" width="1200"] By the steps down to the cave[/caption]

The castle is lovely to walk around – you can amble along the ramparts or climb to the top of the keep and other parts of it too, enjoying some terrific views. It doesn’t look that big from the outside, but inside there is so much space

In one of the towers there is also a display recreating the birth of Henry Tudor, later to become Henry VII, in 1457. This was the man who founded one of the most famous of all dynasties. Gareth had a fascinating tale about all this, including his views on Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, who he thinks may well have been responsible for the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower.

We would highly recommend a visit here, and especially a tour, but do be aware that, if you want to go up to the top of the keep, or down to the cave, you will encounter a lot of steep steps.

Pembroke Castle has so much to offer and we felt we could have spent longer there. We would have liked to have looked in detail at some of the exhibits on show and explored more, but there was so much to do on our trip to Pembrokeshire, that we just didn’t have time.....

Pembroke Castle is open daily. Tours take place three times a day during June, July and August, at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. During September and October, they are twice a day, at 11.30 and 1.45pm and during November, December, January and February once a day from noon.

Tours are included in the price of admission, which is £6.60 per adult, £5.50 per child (with under threes going free).

There is so much to do in the beautiful area of Pembrokeshire - take a look at Visit Pembrokeshire for more information and read our posts on:

Folly Farm and overview of our trip

More castles:

Lincoln Castle - Magna Carta, gorgeous views and the most unusual chapel

An awesome time at Hever Castle

Why Playa Blanca, Lanzarote is perfect for families

Jess, aged 14, writes: Some of my earliest memories come from our family's trips to Playa Blanca, a seaside resort on the south of Lanzarote. Our family generally visited every other year along with my Grandma and Grandpa, and having not been for four years, I was ridiculously excited to go back last month. Our family stayed for a week and had a relaxing, enjoyable, and exciting time. It really is a great place for a family holiday.

[caption id="attachment_3599" align="alignnone" width="1200"] In between the villas at Las Casitas[/caption]

Our family stayed in a bungalow at Las Casitas resort, where we had stayed every time we've been to Lanzarote. There's something so special about going back to a place with so many memories attached to it, and it was just as good as I remembered it. The villas are spacious and full of everything we needed, and I preferred the beds to my one at home! The complex includes a tennis court, a pool, and a bar, and everyone we met was lovely. The atmosphere at the quiz night was astonishingly friendly and we talked to lots of people we didn't know afterwards. The WiFi was also pleasingly reliable, although we didn't have to use it much. Las Casitas is in such a perfect and accessible location that we spent most of our time away from the villa.

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignnone" width="1200"] At Papagayo. The waves were massive![/caption]

We visited two different beaches in Playa Blanca, and both were lovely. The main Playa Blanca beach is situated directly in front of the promenade, but it's quite small, so we walked past this to Playa Papagayo, which is large and full of deck chairs. The view of nearby Fuerteventura was also beautiful to see. Mum and dad soaked up the sun and lounged on deck chairs, while Robert and I went to the sea. The wind meant that the beach was quiet and the waves were large, but I enjoyed swimming and jumping through them. Playa Flamingo is much busier than Papagayo, but the water was clear and perfect for swimming in. Dad and I also saw fish swimming around our feet!

Robert says: Dad and I went to AquaLava, an awesome waterpark near our resort. It had 5 great waterslides, a heated lazy river and a big area for little kids full of small slides and fountains. There was also a wave pool that started up every hour.

[caption id="attachment_3602" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We had lots of fun on our walks, discovering castles, lighthouses, old buildings, geocaches, carousels, and more.[/caption]

 

Jess writes: Playa Blanca is perfect for walks, as much of it is along a promenade so it is very accessible, and the weather is usually lovely too. One day, our whole family walked about 4km when visiting the Castillo de los Colorados - an old fortress. Another day, mum and I took a 9km walk to the Pechiguera Lighthouse. These walks were lovely as the sea and the views are gorgeous, there were lots of geocaches to find, and more than enough restaurants to try out if we got hungry...

[caption id="attachment_3604" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Enjoying home made ice cream from Gelateria Italiana Verderosa.[/caption]

We were spoiled for choice for food, as Playa Blanca is full of places to eat. We particularly enjoyed the home-made ice cream at Gelateria Italiana Verderosa, and the ridiculously sugary slushies and milkshakes at Good Times. The Canarian potatoes (salty potatoes with two sauces) at La Bahia were the best we had all holiday and I particularly liked eating at Caribe by the marina, where my tuna crêpe was delicious.

Playa Blanca is very convenient for shopping - among the numerous restaurants, there are three supermarkets, clothes shops, and a few very touristy shops, which we avoided.

[caption id="attachment_3605" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We delighted in finding a playground we remember visiting when we were younger.[/caption]

There are lots of other things to do in Playa Blanca. I was very excited when we found a playground that I remember visiting when I was much younger. There are also lots of other things to do on the island with children, such as going to the cactus garden, looking at volcanoes, the animal park Ranco Texas, and visiting César Manrique (an influential architect)'s house. Mum has written a proper guide to the island, so please read it here.

I had so much fun in Playa Blanca when I was small, and it's lovely to know that it's as great as I remembered. There's a lot to do for children and adults alike, and while it's more touristy than I thought it was, I had such a great time. It's such a wonderful place for families to visit and I would love to go again.

You can find out more about holiday rentals at Las Casitas via their website - prices vary throughout the year. We flew with Thomas Cook from Gatwick to Arrecife, which is about 40 minutes away from the resort by taxi.

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 »

Going back in time at Thornbury Castle

Thornbury Castle is absolutely beautiful

I don't know who was more excited, me, or the children. After all, it's not everyday that you spend the night in a castle, and certainly not one which has hosted one of the famous monarchs of all, Henry VIII.

Then again, Thornbury Castle is not your everyday kind of place. Instead, it is utterly gorgeous and perfect for a real taste of luxury. It is also situated right next to a beautiful church and just a few minutes from the delightful village of Thornbury in Gloucestershire. Thornbury has a very impressive array of shops, tearooms and restaurants and the most fabulous park which boasts the biggest paddling pool I've ever seen.

But back to the castle, which was built by Edward Stafford, the third Duke of Buckingham between 1510 and 1521. He was beheaded (unfortunately a common experience in Tudor times) in 1521 but the castle continued to go from strength to strength. Mary I stayed here often and Henry and Anne Boleyn (another who lost her head) stayed for 10 days in the Tower suite (yes, it's still there, although with some mod cons) in 1535.


The castle became a hotel in the 1960s and has recently been renovated and refurbished. It is part of the Luxury Family Hotels group, though more for families with older children (like ours) who don't need creches or looking after by other people during the day. However, it does offer activities for kids during the summer, early suppers, babysitting, and of course, a really special location.

Our suite was up its own stone staircase

I am a real sucker for history and castles (see my piece on Gorey Castle here), but Thornbury is special. The Tudor architecture is a joy and the bedchambers (all different - we made sure we visited some other than our own) are fantastic.

We stayed in Portlethen, up its own stone staircase and with its own impressively heavy key (to open a heavy oak door). The suite was magnificent, with more than enough space for the four of us, and with the children in separate single beds (they aren't too happy to share a double now they're getting older). There was even a small kitchen, as well as a very authentic looking tapestry on the wall.

This tapestry was in our suite

We loved the "royal" touches, such as long red ropes which you pulled to put the lights on and off, and crested toilet paper. My husband and I had a proper four poster bed and it was incredibly comfortable. In fact, we had such a good night's sleep and were so impressed by how unusual that is, we asked about the mattress the next day.

Upmarket toilet roll!

Aaah, we loved this comfortable bed!

The grounds are also atmospheric and charming. We enjoyed walking around the beautifully manicured gardens and although we didn't have afternoon tea outside, I can imagine that it would be a lovely place to do so.

Enjoying the gorgeous lawns

Portlethen was in one of the wings of the castle, so obviously we explored the main part of the castle too. We said hello to the coat of armour and visited the library and dining room. We also learnt that the long, deep windows in that room were originally built like that so that the men could, ahem, do their business in there, and not have to leave and miss any conversation (or plotting).

Our only criticism of our stay was that the service in the restaurant was extremely slow. We had booked an early supper, from 6.45, but were still there at near to 9pm and weren't given any explanation for the delay. In addition (and it hurts me to say this as we did have such a wonderful time), we weren't hugely impressed by the food, except for the desserts. We chose the vegetarian menu (we were impressed to know that there was a vegetarian menu) and it was a bit bland for all of us, although the menu descriptions sounded delicious. The food simply needed more seasoning.

However, it didn't detract too much from such a marvellous stay. We all agreed that Thornbury is simply not the kind of place you come across very often and that makes it truly special. We would recommend it for visitors from all over the UK (it's not far from Bath or Bristol, so you could combine it with a day trip to either) and around the world.

Visit Thornbury Castle's website for more.

We stayed as guests at Thornbury Castle, near Bristol, which is part of the Luxury Family Hotels collection (telephone 0844 482 2152 or www.luxuryfamilyhotels.co.uk).

Classic Rooms start at £170 per night based on two adults sharing on a room and breakfast basis. A room accommodating two adults and two children is available from £270 per room per night on a room and breakfast basis.

Going back in time at Thornbury Castle

Thornbury Castle is absolutely beautiful

I don't know who was more excited, me, or the children. After all, it's not everyday that you spend the night in a castle, and certainly not one which has hosted one of the famous monarchs of all, Henry VIII.

Then again, Thornbury Castle is not your everyday kind of place. Instead, it is utterly gorgeous and perfect for a real taste of luxury. It is also situated right next to a beautiful church and just a few minutes from the delightful village of Thornbury in Gloucestershire. Thornbury has a very impressive array of shops, tearooms and restaurants and the most fabulous park which boasts the biggest paddling pool I've ever seen.

But back to the castle, which was built by Edward Stafford, the third Duke of Buckingham between 1510 and 1521. He was beheaded (unfortunately a common experience in Tudor times) in 1521 but the castle continued to go from strength to strength. Mary I stayed here often and Henry and Anne Boleyn (another who lost her head) stayed for 10 days in the Tower suite (yes, it's still there, although with some mod cons) in 1535.

Read more »