Days out

[chrispyvrs]

Hi everyone,

Got a week off work next week and want to go away with the mrs on a few days out. We were thinking Thorpe park or Alton towers but thinking its going to be mega busy with holidays...even with fast tracks. We are keen for anything really, whether it be historic days out or something like a theme park. Going to be in cheltenham for the week, does anyone have any suggestions for where to go? Don't mind the travelling to be honest either.

Thanks

[devonutopia]

Cheltenham?  Hmmm, maybe Cotswold Wildlife Park?  (not sure if zoos are your thing though?)

[Dark_Hero]

The international bird of prey centre in Gloucester is brilliant if you like birds of prey

[BJM]

Alton Towers is about 100 miles from Cheltenham, takes around 2 1/2 hours to get there, Thorpe Park is also almost exactly 100 miles, also about 2 hours.

No other theme parks any nearer.

 

Depends on what you like, and expect to pay. A few suggestions a bit nearer:

 

Warwick Castle - about 45 miles.

 

Bristol / Docks / Industrial Museum / SS Great Britain - about 40 miles

 

Steam (GWR  Railway Museum) Swindon - about 35 miles.

 

"Do" the Cotswold villages - fairly scenic if a bit pedestrian, e.g. Bourton-on -the Water (espec the Motor museum) Stow-on-the-Wold, Morton-in-Marsh (NOTE there is no "The" in it, mark of a local to know that, also avoid on Tuesdays unless you like large street markets with all parking full up by 09.00 and full of crumblies from Birmingham on coach trips) Broadway etc.

 

As you are from Newmarket, whilst in C'ham you could always nip up to the Racecourse and take the chance to see what real racing is about 

[littleade]

Severn valley railway is a good day out IF the weather is good. The Bathams bitter in the king and castle at kidderminster (pub thats part of svr) is a nice pint of real ale if you like that sort of thing though it's difficult to stop at 1 so praps SWMBO could drive back!

[Dale Dunbar]

Mega road trip :p

[nickguzzi]

Blast up the Borders?  Loop round Snowdonia.  Back via Abergavenny and a nice meal at the Walnut Tree http://www.thewalnuttreeinn.com/

Ring of Wiltshire? Silbury, Avebury, even Stonehenge if you feel the need.  Lots of roads and villages to pootle through.  Devizes has Wadworths brewery (6x is one of my favourite summer beers, light, fragrent, hoppy and delicious).... You book on a tour, sample the brew and there's even a pub serving food.

Should you chose the cotswolds tour, Morton has one of the best chip shops I have ever been to.  Somewhat unpreposessing on the outside, nothing special inside, except the fish and chips.  Worth a detour, as they say.  On the left as you come from the south, about 1/2 way through.

[Clunkclick]

Good starter for ten is the AA book "365 days out in Britain" and the National Trust Handbook -available from Amazon, priced £14 and £10. - enough days out for a couple of life times.

 

Drawing from these two sources, within a couple of  hours striking distance of your location:-

 

Aldeburgh (Opera) Lavenham (Cloth Industry)  Orfordness, Wicken fen  and Blakeney Point (Nature Reserves) , Wimpole Hall and farm Cambridgeshire, Norwich Cathedral, Ranworth broad Norfolk, Duxford (Imperial War Museum aircraft), Ely Cathedral, Cromer, Great Yarmouth (Fun fair )FlatFord mill and Constable country (Art), Newmarket stables (!!), Colchester (Excavated Roman site ?), St Ives, Blicking Hall in Norwich (One of the UK's best Jacobean 17th Century Houses), Brancaster salt and mud flats, Ickworth House Bury St Edmunds.Snetterton race track

 

In my area (North-West London) Waddeson Manor, Tring (Home of the Rothschild family), Cliveden (Disraeli) Burnham Beeches, CHeNies Manor, Henley on Thames, Christmas Common, RAF museum Hendon, Whipsnade Zoo and Ciountry Park, Dunstable, Ashridge Estate, Berhamstead, Mosquito Museum, London Colney, National Rose Society, Chiswell Green, Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Sandown Park and Epsom Racecourses, Grand Union Canal, Gliding Centre Dunstable

, Wisley Gardens, Surrey, Thruxton motor racing circuit, Andover,  Shuttleworth Collection (Aircraft), Old Warden and Blenheim Palace and Blayden, Oxford (Home of the Churchills) -probably too busy at this time of year.Didcot Railway museum (Steam Days), Beaconsfield moDel village, Bray village.

 

Nick

Edited 30 July, 2013 by Clunkclick

[Clunkclick]

Ooops ! Misread your post Chris.

 

Agree with what's been said above.

 

Apparently, you've just missed the Ross-On-wye Steam Traction Fair !

 

Other possibilties within an hour's drive (+/- 15 minutes) ;-

 

Wildlfoul and wetlands trust, at Slimbridge, nearly Berekeley, Gloucester (30 mins down the M5 from Cheltenham.

 

Berkeley castle.

 

Roman villa at Chedworth (South-east of Cheltenham, Andoversford)

 

Highgrove, the POW's gaff at Tetbury.

 

Weston birt Arboreteum (Lovely flowers and trees)

 

Prinknash Abbey (use to be able to see monks manufacturing own HQ  pottery)

 

Bibury, trout hatchery and nice pub.

 

Broadway village

 

Bouron-on-the-water, Upper and Lower slaughter (Rivers flowing through village centre)

 

Sudeley castle (falconry)

 

Moreton in the Marsh, Sezincote (Magnificent country house built by member of East India Company)

 

Forest of Dean and Hay-on-wye (To the west of the Severn).

 

Clifton suspension bridge, Bristol

 

Symonds Yat (Viewpoint over the wye)

 

 

 

An hour an a half away:-

 

 

Cheddar Gorge and wookey hole (South)

 

Clevedon court (South)

 

Worcester Cathedral and Hereford cathedral (Which houses the Mappa Mundi) (North)

 

RNAS Yeovilton and Fleet air arm musuem (To the south -east)

 

RAF Museum Cosford.(north)

 

Stratford-upon Avon (The bard) (North-east)

 

Not forgetting, Offa's dyke earthwork between England and Wales

 

 

 

Nick

Edited 30 July, 2013 by Clunkclick

[Yearofthegoat]

+1 for Cotswold Wildlife Park.  Good value and good for letting the kids run around.  Managed to wear out a high-energy 3 year old sufficient to get a lie in the next morning!

[chrispyvrs]

Anyone with a bit of knowledge for me? I'd love to go to the London dungeons. Again would be in cheltenham. What's the best way of doing it? Where to park etc? Literally any advice would be great!