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!)

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

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!

Beautiful bluebells at the Ashridge Estate

[caption id="attachment_3897" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Brian and myself walking beside the bluebells![/caption]

England can be beautiful – despite the weather. We have travelled across the country and marvelled at what it has to offer. But sometimes we don’t want to go very far to enjoy something special. That’s what took us to Ashridge, a National Trust property, which is gorgeous for walking and, at this time of year especially, worth a visit simply to see the bluebells.

Located in the Chiltern Hills (around an hour from London), the Ashridge Estate covers around 5,000 acres, and has wonderful woodlands, with many beech and oak trees, as well as chalk downlands. Because of its variety of landscapes, it supports diverse wildlife – from butterflies in the summer, deer in the autumn and beautiful bluebells each spring.

[caption id="attachment_3896" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Gorgeous Dockey Wood[/caption]

It’s the bluebells which particularly attract visitors as they are simply gorgeous, laid out like carpets on the ground. The best place to see them is at Dockey’s Wood, about a five minute drive from the visitors centre at Ashridge, although you can also walk there from the main part of the estate. Be warned that it can get very, very busy near the wood. We visited in the late afternoon when it was a bit quieter, and that was a wide idea. The car park opposite the entrance to the wood is small, so be aware of that. At the busiest times of year (Easter and May bank holiday) numbers are sometimes limited and a small charge applied – this didn’t affect us as we didn’t visit then.

Bluebells may not sound that special, but trust me, these are. They are just spectacular – a glory of nature. Did you know that almost half of the world's bluebells are found in the UK? Well, Ashridge is a great place to see them for yourself!

It’s easy to find Ashridge and there is a lot of parking on offer, which is very handy when you’re with the family. We parked in the carpark and spent over an hour just walking around. My son had his scooter, which was both positive and negative. It meant he was happy to whizz around (the positive), but not so happy when some of the paths were bumpy and uphill!

Ashridge is lovely to visit because there are so many paths – wide ones where you will find most of the walkers (and a number of cyclists) and little ones off the beaten track which we mainly explored. It also has a large Monument (the only thing you have to pay for when you visit – unless you want food in the onsite cafe).

The Monument (which costs £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children) is called the Bridgewater Monument  and you can’t really miss it when you drive (or walk in). It’s made of granite and was built in memory of the third Duke of Bridgewater  – who built canals during the Industrial Revolution and once lived in Ashridge House - in 1832.

The Monument is open at weekends only from April to October and has 172 steps. These are steep and wind-y so be careful as you go up (and down).  It gets very busy, so you need to look out for people going the other way from you!

We enjoyed our trip up, and especially the views from the top. We were given a map of icons we might be able to see, from Wembley to the Shard. We think we might have spotted one or two, but we weren’t entirely sure.

There is also a little “playground” made of trees near the monument, which Robert enjoyed trying out (it’s not for very little children) as it involves clambering over trees!

There are so many footpaths (over 80 miles in fact, of footpaths and bridle paths) within the estate that you won’t get bored. And if you drop into the visitor centre, they will be happy to recommend a walk for you. There are a number of recommended trails on the website as well as guided walks (although we didn’t try any of these out). and there are also many special trees within the area, including one with graffiti on from World War II (local American soldiers carved the States they came from into the bark).

All in all, we really enjoyed our day out here. But it was the bluebells that made it. They made it unforgettable.

The Ashridge Estate is at Moneybury Hill, Ringshall, Near Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 1LT

 

A Tour of Hamleys, London

Robert, aged 11, writes:  Mum and I went on a special guided tour of Hamleys. We were shown around by Leah, who was really nice, funny and informative. Hamleys is 155 years old and is considered to be one of the best, or the best, toy shop in Britain.

[kad_youtube url="https://youtu.be/sjMGTH1ppPY?list=PL21MnxVphOzI2A8wn1ejWBYSXpgwMIkGw" width=200 height=100 ]

There are seven floors, the first of which being entirely devoted to Star Wars which I’m sure many kids would love. There was loads of cool memorabilia and Star Wars themed objects but my favourite thing on this floor had to be the one thing that wasn’t Star-Wars related. I absolutely loved trying out the virtual reality rollercoaster. I love rides and although I wasn’t on a real one I honestly felt like I was falling or going down a loop the loop. At one point I had to take the cardboard headset out because I felt like I was going to fall over.

[caption id="attachment_3766" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Star Wars VR headset was very realistic![/caption]

The ground floor was very hands on with lots to do. First we saw a magic show that I’m sure would blow plenty of people’s minds (although it wasn’t that cool for me as I learnt the tricks when I was younger) There was also a powder that expanded and turned into fake snow when added to water. I really liked the sensation when the powder changed in my hands. On this floor there were also boomerang aeroplanes, which I had a go at throwing, as well as remote control cars, giant inflatable Frisbees and a board which you could draw on with anything.

[caption id="attachment_3767" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There was lots to try out, such as huge boomerangs![/caption]

There was a floor for babies and a floor which was all about dolls and princesses (it was very pink), which funnily enough I didn’t spend much time on. Further up there was more magic, car racing and a large selection of drones. I loved the hover kick, a flat ball that floats along the ground. It was one of my favourite things in the shop so I bought it. There was a section on Harry Potter, loads of games and a blaster that shot air at people when pulled back. I really enjoyed looking at a range of pens that all had unique abilities, changing colour or not being able to be drawn on.

[caption id="attachment_3765" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] There were lots of sweets, and we took a lot home![/caption]

Finally we came to the sweet section ( woooooooooooooooooooooooh ) There was a pick n mix, candy canes, milkshakes and bars of chocolate. Of course we had to try them!

We were then taken to a room that looked as though it was set up for a party with a table with juice and a giant cake. Leah then told us that everything was for us so I ended up getting a whole cake as well as a cute teddy to end off the tour, and a bar of Hamleys chocolate.

Personally it was one of the best things I have done in a long time and would recommend it for everyone! Although I have enjoyed going to Hamleys in the past, it was really special to go round with a guide, who picked out things that she thought I would enjoy and could help us to jump any queues!

Disclosure: We took part in the tour of Hamleys as part of a complimentary luxury family package stay at the Marylebone hotel (see here for our post). This includes a night at the hotel, breakfast and other special family-friendly extras. Neither Hamleys or the hotel had any input into this blog post.

Guided tours of Hamleys cost £40 per person for a minimum of four guests and last for an hour and a half. See more on their website

More posts about London:

A luxury family stay at the Marylebone hotel

5 cool places to eat in London

What to do in Plymouth (by Jessica)

Jess writes:

Mum and I really enjoyed exploring Plymouth. We had a great time and did lots of things, but these were our highlights…We were also lucky that the sun shone!

The Barbican

We spent most of our time in the Barbican, which is the name given to the western and northern sides of the old harbour area of Plymouth. It is home to a variety of things, especially LOADS of sweet and fudge shops! These shops consisted of pretty much every single flavour of fudge you could think of - from Crunchie bars to lemon meringue, rum and raisin to Bounty bars. Our favourite fudge was millionaire’s shortbread flavour! We also enjoyed a variety of ice creams, including nougat wafers, which were vanilla ice cream sandwiched between a thin wafer and nougat covered in chocolate. They were delicious.

If you're in Plymouth, do take a walk around here, and visit some of the lovely places to eat the sweet stuff! We'd recommend Valenti's and Pilgrims.

[caption id="attachment_441" align="aligncenter" width="940"] A delicious nougat wafer from Petres[/caption]

There is also lots of history in the Barbican, from The Mayflower to Elizabethan merchant house and the old, Elizabethan cobbled streets.

The Barbican is home to the National Marine Aquarium, which is supposed to be amazing. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to visit.

 

[caption id="attachment_444" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The pilgrims set sail from Plymouth in the 17th century[/caption]

The Mayflower Steps

The world famous Mayflower Steps are the spot closest to the site on the Barbican where the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for North America in 1620. It is a beautiful setting, and there are loads of plaques to read.

The Mayflower Museum

The Mayflower Museum is a really interesting museum telling you about Native America and the Pilgrim Fathers. It's not huge, but it's got lots of interactive things to do for kids and a top floor which gives you good views of the harbour. It would also be interesting for any American visitors as it will tell you all you need to know about the famous trip from one Plymouth to another!

It costs £2.50 for adults and just £1 for kids (aged 5-16)

Plymouth Hoe


Plymouth Hoe is a fantastic place with breathtaking views over Plymouth Sound, a picturesque natural harbour. There are statues, restaurants and of course, some absolutely beautiful walks to take. Mum and I had a great time walking across the seafront. On a sunny day, like the one we had, the views are sublime, with unpolluted water and green grass. Something we particularly liked looking at was the statue of Sir Francis Drake - who, of course, was supposed to play a game of bowls as he waited for the Armada to arrive.

Smeaton’s Tower Lighthouse

Smeaton’s Tower Lighthouse looks fabulous from the outside, and is definitely worth a visit, although it's only got 93 steps, they are steep (so not great for very little ones). However, it's definitely worth it as the views are incredible, and you can see the harbour, cliffs and beyond. It's also got a little museum which is really interesting and tells you about museums, engineering and more.

It's open every day from 10am till 5pm and costs £4 for adults and £2 for children.

 

[caption id="attachment_443" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Tinside Lido looked gorgeous![/caption]

The Tinside Lido

Mum and I hadn’t brought our swimming costumes, but the Tinside Lido is a glorious outdoor art deco swimming pool which had a £3.3 million restoration in 2003. The Lido reopened in 2012 and now has fountains, inflatable fun sessions, views across Plymouth Sound, a sunbathing terrace, lounger, deckchair and wetsuit hire and refreshments. It looked extremely tempting.

 Royal Citadel

The Royal Citadel is one of the most impressive 17th century fortresses in Britain and for many years was England’s most important defence against attack from the sea. The Citadel has been in constant military occupation since it was built and today it is home to the troops of 29 Commando Royal Artillery. There are tours of the Royal Citadel on Tuesday, Thursdays and Sundays, but only from May to the end of September and you have to book them in advance. This meant we couldn't visit - although we enjoyed walking round the outside.

 

Obviously, there are many more things to do in Plymouth, but these were definitely some of our favourites. Plymouth is a beautiful city, and we would definitely recommend a visit.

More by me:

No 1 Royal Crescent in Bath

An awesome time at Hever Castle

The End of the UK: Visiting Land's End

Jess, aged 14, says: On our week long trip to Cornwall, our family drove to Land's End: the western and southernmost point of England. I had expected there to be nothing there except for the famous sign, but I was shocked by how much there was to do! The whole family (especially Robert) had a great time, and it was really exciting to see the "end" of England.

[caption id="attachment_2717" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Outside the Land's End complex[/caption]

We had driven for about an hour from our cottage near Truro, and had driven through miles and miles of nothing to get there. We had passed England's "First and Last Inn" in Sennen, and found ourself in a large car park.

As soon as we walked into the centre, we were greeted with posters of the exhibitions that were there: a 4D film, the Shaun the Sheep Experience, Arthur's Quest, the End to End story, and Greeb Farm. I was quite surprised by how commercialised the area was although Robert didn't seem to mind. He quickly dragged me and dad to the 4D film, entitled "The Lost World".

The film was centred on a man named Bob, who meets a crazy Scottish woman named Professor Lizzie on an island. The island is inhabited by dinosaurs, and they have to run, drive, and fly away to escape. The film was especially special as our chairs moved, and we were blasted with air, water, and bubbles. Whilst I found the plot a bit predictable, Robert and dad loved it, and said that it was their favourite parts of the holiday. It certainly was very funny, and the 4D aspect was really cool.

[caption id="attachment_2718" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Inside Arthur's Quest[/caption]

Afterwards, the whole family headed to Arthur's Quest, where we explored the world of King Arthur. It was narrated by Brian Blessed, and the exhibition began with a narration of the tale. The tale was also stuck up around a small alley, but this was quite difficult to read. There was a big rope bridge to walk across, a large model of a dragon, and an interactive quiz, and I really enjoyed the exhibition. Robert was disappointed that it wasn't as exciting as the signs had made it out to be, but I thought that it was really well done and lots of fun.

[caption id="attachment_2649" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Inside the Shaun the Sheep exhibition[/caption]

The next exhibition we visited was the Shaun the Sheep Experience, which, in retrospect, we were too old for. This involved walking through a house, looking at models, and throwing "poo" at a bull. This wasn't too enjoyable, although the house was styled really well and I definitely would have enjoyed it had I been younger. The subsequent room was full of Aardman's history, and we learnt all about how the company animates its characters. There was also an opportunity to draw your own Shaun the Sheep characters, which I tried (and failed) at.

[caption id="attachment_2647" align="alignnone" width="1200"] It was amazing to visit the iconic Land's End sign![/caption]

After enjoying a slushie, it was time to visit the famous Land's End signpost, which was established in the 1950s. The signpost is run by a photography company, and you can pay to get your picture taken with it. What makes these pictures special is that you can customise the signpost to show the distance to your hometown, but we chose not to do that. We had to wait until people were changing the sign to get a picture outside it, but this was fine. It was really cool to see the famous sign, and this certainly made my day.

[caption id="attachment_2719" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The views around Land's End were gorgeous[/caption]

Subsequently, we enjoyed a walk across the cliffs of Land's End. The views were astonishing, and there was a lot to see. We walked for about forty minutes, and while it was steep at times, it was very manageable. Mum absolutely loved the views.

Next was time for lunch, which I thought had quite a few options and was reasonably priced. Mum had a jacket potato, Robert and I had pizza, and dad ate a pasty. The pizza was delicious, and the serving was very decent.



Finally, we walked through the End to End Story exhibition. This exhibition is dedicated to the people who have walked the entire length of Great Britain: Land’s End to John O’Groats. We found out which cities the tour takes you through (this was displayed on a 6000mph video), and learnt about people who completed the journey in all sorts of wacky ways. One man was mailed there in a giant envelope, and one man was frequently arrested on the way for making the journey while naked! This was probably my favourite exhibition, as everything was really interesting and I loved the graphics.

Overall, the whole family had a really great time visiting Land's End. It really was thrilling to go to the "end" of England, and there was a lot to do. Even though it was really commercialised for such a quiet area, it was nice that there was so much to do (it really would have been boring for kids without the exhibitions). The views were gorgeous, and we had a really fun and interesting day.

Please watch the video below to see more about our trip to Cornwall:

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oWmvduevzM" width=200 height=100 ]

 

Need to know: It is free to go to Land's End and see the beautiful views and walk around. If you want to visit the attractions, however, you do have to pay. They are usually open from 10am daily, although do check the website to confirm times. The attractions are open from March 12th to October 28th (perfect for half-term). You buy one ticket for all of them (including a farm which we didn't visit) and a family ticket  costs £30 for two adults and two children and £27 if booked online.

More in Cornwall:

Visiting the Eden Project, Cornwall

A Week in Cornwall (by all of us!)

Playing football golf

Visiting the Eden Project, Cornwall

When we went to Cornwall, one place was top of the list to visit - the Eden Project, even though we weren't even sure exactly what it was.....

Jess, aged 14, writes: For such a large and famous destination, the Eden Project is quite difficult to describe. It consists of two large biomes which replicate the climates of the Mediterranean and the rainforest, an exhibition on dinosaurs, large gardens, lots of places to eat and drink, and a centre full of rides, such as a zip wire, giant swing, and a free fall. Even though everything was quite varied, we enjoyed all of it and had a fascinating and exciting day.

[caption id="attachment_2597" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The view of the biomes[/caption]

The Eden Project is so large that you have to take a bus from the car park to the centre. We quickly made our way to Hangloose, the location of the adventure park.

Robert, aged 11, says: I love adventure activities, so it sounded great to try out the fastest and longest zipwire in Britain. We prebooked the zipwire for me as it sounded the most fun, but I was horrified to find I was more than five kilos too light to go on it safely. Instead they offered me all the other activities to do instead of the zipwire, which just that shows how good it must have been. I decided to go on the The Drop and Big Air.

[caption id="attachment_2596" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert jumped on a beanbag from eight metres in the air![/caption]

First I went on Big Air, which was basically jumping onto an airbag. Firstly I had three goes jumping from about a metre up, this wasn't very thrilling but still vaguely fun. Then I got two goes at jumping on the airbag from eight metres up, I was really nervous. The few seconds you were falling were quite exhilarating but when you hit the bag it hurt your bum. Overall it was a bit like something you would do at a kids party.

[caption id="attachment_2598" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert jumped down from the top of the building[/caption]

Next I went on The Drop which I had been told was going to be very scary. They made me put on a harness before making me walk of the edge of the tower before they dropped me down. This was really disappointing as I didn't feel like I was falling at all and didn't get any exhilaration from the experience. The giant swing  which I now wished I picked looked really fun, although compared to the no time queuing for my activities you might have had to wait a long time to do that.

[caption id="attachment_2601" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The view when you walk into the rainforest biome[/caption]

Jess writes: Next, we made our way to the rainforest biome, which is the world's largest indoor rainforest. The biome covers three point nine acres, and is full of plants from rainforests across the world. I am very interested in geography and the world's countries , so I was really looking forward to finding out about rainforests, their climates, and the adaptations plants make to live there. I was also interested in seeing how the biome was made, and how they regulate the climate.

While the information certainly was good (and presented in a way that younger children could understand) it certainly wasn't at the level I hoped it would be, and I didn't learn anything. However, I may be being too harsh - mum and dad didn't know a lot of the information, and they found it interesting.

[caption id="attachment_2602" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert held a coco de mer seed[/caption]

The biome was full of plants, and I loved finding out about them. I would have liked more information about their adaptations and where they were from, but there were a lot of facts on hand and I was fascinated by everything. I especially enjoyed seeing an epiphyte, but wished that there were more. We encountered one member of staff who was talking about a specific plant, but I had too many questions in my head and promptly forgot all of them!

[caption id="attachment_2603" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We saw lots of cool plants inside the biomes[/caption]

We learnt about the food in Malaysia and walked around a typical hut before walking up the biome to a waterfall. We found some information about what it is like to work in the rainforest (it sounds amazing, but too hot for me), and walked up to the top of the biome and looked down at the plants and people. We had to queue to do this and it got very hot, so be warned, especially if you are with younger children.

[caption id="attachment_2604" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Robert at the top of the biome[/caption]

After walking down, we learnt about tropical fruits, chocolate, and the production of rubber products. We bought really good baobab smoothies, and marvelled at the incredible plants. The family was especially surprised by seeing how pineapples grow! We rushed out as it was very hot, but I had a marvellous time.

Next was lunch. There are many options for lunch at the Eden Project, and we decided to visit the burrito bar. My vegetable burrito was delicious, and the salad that went with it was gorgeous. Robert found it a bit too spicy, but we washed them down with lemonade.

[caption id="attachment_2605" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We loved the amazing models of dinosaurs.[/caption]

Robert says: At the time we went to the Eden Project the exhibition in the land, air and water tent was on dinosaurs. We went in and saw the most amazing models of the creatures, they moved and made sounds. I didn't learn much (probably because I ignored the boards full of information) but it was really cool.

Jess writes: The Mediterranean biome was our last destination. I was surprised to see that California and South Africa have Mediterranean climates, and was pleased to see some familiar plants from our holidays. The biome seemed smaller than the rainforest one, but it was really nicely done and it seemed as though we had been transported to the Med.

[caption id="attachment_2606" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Inside the Mediterranean biome.[/caption]

 

The Greek and Roman myths hung up across the biome were a really nice touch, and there was someone telling myths to a cluster of children in the centre. I enjoyed learning about the benefits of different variations of tomatoes and other plants, and really enjoyed the visit.

[caption id="attachment_2607" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We enjoyed some ice-cream after seeing the biomes.[/caption]

After our quick trip to the (excellent, huge) shop and walk through the beautiful gardens, we left the Eden Project. We all really enjoyed the day, and I thought that the biomes were incredible. While I would have liked more information, I'm sure I'll be able to find what I want online. I definitely would recommend a visit for the whole family, as there was so much to do, and we had a really great day.

Disclosure: We were fortunate enough to be given free entry to the Eden Project and to try out the rides at Hangloose in order to write about it. All our opinions, however, are our own and not influenced by this.
A package to do the Drop and Big Air costs  £18. Other pricing can be found here. A family ticket for the Eden Project (for two adults and two children) costs £62 if you book in advance.

Be warned that if you have small children, there is a lot of walking!

Please watch the video below to see more about our trip to Cornwall:

[kad_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oWmvduevzM" width=200 height=100 ]

More by me and Robert:

Taking a Tour Up Big Ben!

A Fascinating Day at the Newseum in Washington DC