The weather
may be chilling down, becoming wetter and windier, and generally making us feel
a bit miserable, but there are still times that we’d like to get out and about.
Many
attractions are now closed for the winter, some understandably so such as Theme
Parks and Seaside Funfairs, but other closures puzzle me. Certain indoor
attractions and stately homes close their doors during the winter months –
perhaps they just don’t want us trudging through leaving muddy footprints.
Fortunately, however, some visitor attractions offer a warm welcome all year
round.
Over the
coming weeks I’ll be recommending a selection of places to visit during the
coming months. Here are a few to get you started.
Leeds
Castle, Kent – Adults
£19.75, Children £12.50, with 10% discount given to English Heritage Members.
This may sound a bit pricey, but tickets are valid for a full year (though not
for some selected events) so you can make multiple visits. The castle is in a
beautiful setting with extensive grounds to wander round, or if you prefer you
can take the land train (50p per person each way) from the gate to the castle.
The castle itself is beautifully furnished and other highlights include the
really tricky maze, which you can exit by a charming (though scary for some
little ones) grotto, and a great play area for the kids. November 24th/25th
there is a Christmas Gift Fair in the grounds and 8th to 24th
December the castle’s rooms will be decorated for the festive season.
The Horniman
Museum, Forest Hill, South London – is open daily 10.30-5.30 and is FREE! This is a little gem; we thoroughly
enjoyed our visit. The museum houses a great aquarium and a wide variety of
exhibits including African displays, a music gallery and large natural history
section. In the gardens you can learn about the medicinal properties of plants.
We ate in the café on our visit and were pleased to find some lovely sandwiches
at a reasonable price.
Yorvik
Centre, York –
Adults £9.25, Children £6.25, Family of 4 £26, Family of 5 £29, tickets are
valid for a year. You can also use Tesco Clubcard Days Out Vouchers to gain
admission. Not huge this place but has some interesting features. My son loved
the ‘time capsule journey’ – a ride through the Viking Jorvik settlement,
complete with appropriate smells. After the ride you can browse the museum
exhibits at your leisure, but would say this is more of a couple of hours type
visit as opposed to a day out.
More to
follow …
Any
recommendations for winter outings? Email comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk
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