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

Indulging in an Afternoon Tea at The Arch Hotel

Jess, aged 15, writes: Being British, our family loves a good afternoon tea. This is why I was so excited to try an afternoon tea in the Arch Hotel, Marble Arch, in celebration of dad's birthday. It's not do often we get to eat unlimited food in a gorgeous setting, so we all had an amazing time.

[caption id="attachment_4048" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The Arch Hotel[/caption]

After entering the hotel, we were directed to the Salon de Champagne, where we were given our own private booth. This was very exciting, as there was a curtain which we could draw. This meant that the four of us were effectively sitting in private - something that felt extremely luxurious. On top of this, our plush seats were extremely comfortable, there was a beautiful chandelier above us, and our floral crockery looked amazing.

[caption id="attachment_4049" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Our booth was really luxurious![/caption]

Our main server was named Rebeca and she was really kind and friendly, but also extremely helpful. Our family is not able to eat certain foods, but she was really good at making adjustments and making sure we knew what we were eating. We were presented with a menu of different types of tea, which I loved. I adore tea, and it took me a long time to decide on what to drink. I eventually decided on a silver needle white tea, and afterwards a green tea with jasmine pearls. The variety was so wide, and it was all delicious.

[caption id="attachment_4040" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The tea menu was long and extensive[/caption]

Soon, the food arrived. Our stand was simply magnificent - piled high with sandwiches, biscuits, cakes, and scones. We had not eaten a big lunch in preparation for the occasion, and soon got to work stuffing our faces. The sandwiches were divine, and much more impressive than I was expecting. These were English cheddar with apple chutney, mozzarella and avocado with sun blushed tomato on sourdough toast, smoked salmon and cream cheese on a blini, egg and cress, and cucumber and cream cheese. Particular favourites of mine were the sourdough with mozzarella, and the apple chutney. We devoured these quickly, and were allowed replacements soon after.

[caption id="attachment_4042" align="aligncenter" width="900"] The food was all so delicious, especially the sandwiches![/caption]

Next was the second tier, filled with all sorts on cakes. There was coffee cake, millionaire's shortbread, teacakes, Battenberg cake, and a strawberry tart. Had we not had dietary requirements (no gelatine), there would have been trifle and cheesecake, but we were more than happy with our selection. It was fantastic, particularly the tart and the Battenberg cake, and nothing was too rich or overpowering.

[caption id="attachment_4047" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Robert piled his scone high with cream[/caption]

Our final tier was the scones, but by this point I was so full that I could only manage one! Piled high with jam and clotted cream, it was a perfect end to the tea.

Overall, we had such an amazing time at the tea. We stayed there for over two hours, and by the time we time we left we were unbelievably full. It was such an incredible experience which I would love to relive.

A Royal Afternoon Tea at The Arch hotel, near Marble Arch, London, costs £25 a head. We were given a special media rate to sample the tea, but the hotel had no input into this review.

More food in London with Family Travel Times

A chocolate walking tour - my dream

Trying our Hip Chips - crisps and dips for lunch

 

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.

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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

Stunning Tintagel Castle in Cornwall

If you think of the most beautiful views you've ever seen, what comes to mind? Do you think of stunning blue seas in the Caribbean, or snowy capped mountain tops in Switzerland? I'd hazard a guess that you don't think of the UK, but perhaps you should....

I'm still overwhelmed by the fabulous views we saw on our trip to Tintagel, on the north coast of Cornwall. It is an absolute gem of a place - with a gorgeous village, so many lovely places to eat (we thought the fudge at Granny Wobbly's was the best we had in our whole Cornwall holiday!) and also lovely to walk around. Then, on top of the charm of the village, it has the most incredible castle remains, dramatic views of the cliffs and Atlantic Ocean, and a link with King Arthur. It's the kind of place that you want to return to pretty much straight after you left. And it's a place we'd all recommend - even if it's just to watch the waves crashing onto the shore again and again.

Tintagel has a history which goes back hundreds and hundreds of years, to the Romans. It was initially called Trevena, which means "village on a mountain" in Cornish and that's certainly a name which makes perfect sense.

[caption id="attachment_3654" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The old post office in Tintagel[/caption]

While you're in the village, you can also visit the Old Post Office, which was originally a 14th century farmhouse and which is open to the public. You'll be particularly impressed by its wavy roof!

And if your children just want to run around away from the views, there is also a local skateboard part at Tintagel Playing Fields, while if you're looking for more culture, then you can visit the ancient church of St Materiana’s, which is over 900 years old.

[caption id="attachment_3656" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Jess at the stunning castle ruins[/caption]

However, if you're in the area, you probably want to visit the ruins of the castle and enjoy the views. Be aware that there is plenty of walking required and that some of the steps are steep, so it's not perfect for very young children (unless you're happy to do a lot of carrying).

Before you go into the castle, there is some background in the exhibition, which is particularly good on the Arthurian links. There is also a beach just before you start walking upwards, and if you look carefully, you might see Merlin's face in there too.

[caption id="attachment_3657" align="alignnone" width="1200"] As you can see, it's a long way up...[/caption]

The castle was built in the 13th century and then rebuilt by Edward the Black Prince in the 1300s, but the site had been inhabited for many hundreds of years before that. Archaelogists have found a number of Dark Age pottery in the area and there are huts along the island as well as the remains of more impressive buildings and a chapel.

It was in the 12th century that Geoffrey of Monmouth named it as the place where King Arthur was conceived and it may be because of this that Richard, the Early of Cornwall, built the original castle in the 1230s.

When we visited, there was quite a queue, but we realised that there was more than one place to purchase tickets (or show your English Heritage membership card) so we kept walking down towards the coastline until we found a shorter line. Be warned that it takes a while to walk from the village to the start of the castle area, and you can pay £2 each to take a Land Rover up and down instead. We didn't do this - we're hardy!

[caption id="attachment_3659" align="alignnone" width="1200"] All of us enjoying the views![/caption]

We walked up and up and I was gripped by the views, which were all incredible. We almost missed the statue of King Arthur (actually called Gallos, which is Cornish for power), which has only been there since 2016. It makes for another perfect photo opportunity.

When you do enter, you first come to some castle ruins, including the Great Hall built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall. There are helpful boards scattered around to give you some history and you can sit down and admire the views. But don't stop here. You simply must keep walking up and up to enjoy the full spectacle.

Tintagel Castle is only open at weekends from now until the 12th February and then open daily from 10am till 4pm during half-term (13th to 24th February). Please check their website for dates beyond this.
Our entrance was free as we belong to English Heritage, but a family ticket for two adults and up to three children costs £20.50. 

Find out more about our trip to Cornwall in this video below:

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If you're going to Cornwall, don't miss our guide

Tintagel was in our best views of 2016 - find out our other "bests" of the year.

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

 

A Great Day Out at Thorpe Park (By Robert)

[caption id="attachment_2498" align="alignnone" width="1200"] The depth charge ride[/caption]

Robert, aged 11, writes: You might know that I turned 11 a few weeks ago, and to celebrate, my Dad took me and some friends to THORPE PARK. That day I was accompanied by a thrill seeker who wanted to go on everything, a boy who was scared of heights and my mate who was too small to go on a handful of the rides. Each of my friends had a totally different experience but they all had a great time overall. This is what happened in our day at the park...

On arrival, we ran to get to the I’m a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here Maze as we’d heard that there was usually a long queue. But when we got there we found out that the attraction only opened at 10am and this was true for many other rides as well.  Instead we went over to Tidal Wave and as it was so early, we didn’t have to wait at all.

[caption id="attachment_2497" align="alignnone" width="900"] Tidal wave ride[/caption]

Tidal Wave is one of the highest log flumes in the UK and is a whopping 85 ft tall. We sat down in our vehicle before slowly going up on a treadmill sort of thing, at the top we went round a corner before plummeting down into a giant pool of water. The splash was so big you couldn’t see anything for a few seconds and then when we thought it was over we got soaked. As there was still no one waiting we went on Tidal Wave five more times before eventually plodding out, nearly unable to walk as we were so cold. You have to be 1.2 metres tall to go on this ride.

It was nearly 10am, so to our dismay we were forced to run in our soaking state and we managed to be the second group to enter the I’m a Celebrity Get Me out Of Here Maze. This was one of the attractions I enjoyed the most and not only because it was about one of my favourite TV shows.

When we entered we were met by one of our campmates who then elected a new leader (this was me). We then watched a video where Ant and Dec explained to us about what we were about to face. The maze wasn’t actually a maze, it was a set of three challenges or Bushtucker trials. The first was to stick your hand in a hole then pass a star from one person to another. Our group failed miserably as one of my friends didn’t understand what to do and just held on to the star for the entire time. The next trial involved answering a question; If you got it correct nothing happened whilst if you got it wrong you’d be covered in something horrible (not really, it was just rice). The final challenge was a bit disappointing as the Celebrity Cyclone was just climbing up a hill with some dramatic lighting. My favourite part of the “maze” was when we had to sort out some washing to spell a word. When we were finished we won some dingo dollars which we could spend on a treat but it didn’t really go to plan. All throughout this attraction you crawl through tunnels and go down slides but these are all optional.

Next we explored Angry Birds Land. Detonator bombs away is a short ride which you have to be 1.3 metres tall to go on. This meant that all my friends could go on it but two decided against that idea and were much happier playing with the claw machines which they did, amazingly, win something in. Detonator bombs away is a 100 ft drop where you go 50 miles an hour. I thought it was really fun and we went on it a few times as it didn’t take very long. Next in Angry Birds Land we went and saw a 4D movie. The film involved some green pigs stealing some eggs from a group of birds. This made them angry and they turned into...  angry birds. The film was extremely entertaining and I loved how the seats moved to make you feel like you were being catapulted or being chased by bees. You might get a bit of saliva on you though, I did warn you.

Next two of us went on Rush. This was definitely the most thrilling ride to go on if you are less than 1.4 metres (the minimum height to go on all the roller coasters). The ride swings you up and down, the height gradually getting bigger each time until it gets to the maximum, 75ft. Every other go you will end up going backwards which sounds horrendous but personally I found it more pleasant than when going forwards. You can see the whole park right at the top which was amazing. I cannot stress how much I loved this ride and how much you should go on it. It was awesome.

Quantum is a smaller version of Rush. You have to be 1.3 metres to go on. In this ride you swing up and down and sometimes you do a whole loop but you are never upside down. This is a really good attraction for people who like rides but don’t want to go on the really big ones. But it did make one of my friends feel quite sick although that might have been the candyfloss, biscuits and crisps!

My friend who was too small to go on some of the rides got to choose the next attraction we did, so after everyone enjoyed a refreshing slushie we reluctantly went on Flying Fish, one of the only roller coasters you can go if you're under 1.3 metres. However, it was really fun and I’d recommend going on it. At my party we went on it about five times throughout the course of the day.

The four of us went on Rumpa Rapids and to be honest it was not worth the wait. I like fast, scary rides and for this attraction you just sit there. It was a bit like a lazy river just with a name that suggests something thrilling. It was quite nice though just to relax and let our clothes dry. Depth Charge was also a slight disappointment. We waited half an hour to go down a slide which only lasted 10 seconds. If you have time you should go on it but it should definitely not be a priority.

Now onto the big, proper rides at the park. Storm in a teacup is the modern day twist (get it) on the classic teacups ride. This means it is exactly the same as it was 20 years ago. You spin around in a teacup. My opinion of this ride was that it was a bit dull and just made you dizzy but two of my friends loved it. Everyone’s got their own opinion.

I was the only one to go on Zodiac as one of my friends ran away as I got into my seat (scaredy Cat). Zodiac is basically a Ferris wheel that spins really fast. It starts off spinning around on the floor and then slowly turns vertical. By the end you are doing one loop the loop after another. It is really fun when you are on it but I did feel queasy afterwards.

Storm Surge is a fun water ride, but you don’t get that wet during it. You are put into an inflatable dinghy with a maximum of 7 other people before rushing down a course of spirals and small drops resulting in a small splash at the end.

We were nearing the end of our trip so this was our time to get extremely scared; this was our time to go on the big roller coasters. Dun, Dun, Duuun. We decided to start off on Nemesis Inferno, which was apparently the least scary of the main five. Unfortunately it was out of order so we were thrown in on the deep end and went on Colossus. Before that day I had never been on any rollercoaster with a loop the loop, I was really excited. Then when I heard the familiar click of me being locked in, I was petrified. Then all of a sudden the ride started and there was no going back. Colossus was fast, very fast and went as quickly as 45 miles per hour. Throughout the ride you spin around a total of ten times, that includes loops, rolls, corkscrews and the UK’s first and only quadruple barrel roll. I really enjoyed the ride and found out that loop the loops aren’t actually that bad and actually enjoyed them near the end of the ride.

Saw was scary. Not only did the ride include a 100 ft vertical drop even just queuing up was freaky. Based on a horror movie the building is meant to creep you out and it really did. Saw starts off inside where I could barely see anything. After a few unexpected drops we were out in fresh air and already slowly sliding upwards and after fifteen seconds of tension we fell. I managed to hate it and love it at the same time. After the plummet we zoomed around loops and spun our way through the rest of the course which did include some more high drops. It was fantastic and one of my favourite rides in the park. You do shake around like a bobble head after some of the drops. You should look at this on the ground as you can see everyone’s heads shaking in unison, it is quite funny.

[caption id="attachment_2496" align="alignnone" width="900"] The Stealth Ride[/caption]

Never in my life did I think I’d go on a rollercoaster that lasts 13 seconds. Stealth is one of Europe’s fastest roller coasters. When the ride starts you go from 0 to 80 miles per hour in less than two seconds. You then quickly zoom up 205 ft before going down again. This ride isn’t actually that scary as it does not go upside down and the drop is nowhere near horizontal but that didn’t matter as it was one of the most exhilarating things that I’ve done in my life.

Finally after another go on flying fish we (that means one other friend and I) went on The Swarm. This was the one ride that I said I would never go on when I entered the park and by the end it was my favourite thing I’d done. Just the introduction to the ride was amazing. As you walked in ambulances were on their side you could see half an aeroplane sitting on a field very close by. The Swarm is the UK’s first winged rollercoaster meaning you sit on either side of the track and there is nothing over or below you. This ride goes at a speed of 100 kilometres an hour so it was really fast. Throughout the ride you fly through billboards and narrowly dodge them as well. It was really exciting and by far my favourite ride in the park.

Overall I had one of the best days out I’ve had in ages at Thorpe Park. There are a few rides like X, the indoor rollercoaster that you don’t have to be that tall for or Nemesis Inferno that were closed when we went but are still great rides. There are also loads of attractions for younger or smaller kids that we didn’t go on. I loved nearly every second and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Tickets for Thorpe Park are cheaper online! It costs £32.99 per person for a ticket and fasttrack pass which means you can jump the queue for many of the rides. It costs £27.99 for a day pass. You can find out more about the tickets from the website.

Read Robert's view on The London Dungeons and also on Shrek's Attraction.