This year we may not have a big adventure abroad like our California Road Trip or day in Niagara but that won’t stop me from planning fun things to do with the family.
I’ve been researching other things to do in England, and thought I’d compile my thoughts here so that I can add to it over time.
Midlands Road Trip
The first trip we made was a road trip to the Midlands at Easter. The weather wasn’t perfect but I organised enough indoor activities so we could do most of what we’d planned.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Our first stop was Stratford-Upon-Avon so we can immerse ourselves in the history of Shakespeare’s birthplace. I have to say it’s a lovely place to visit, with gorgeous buildings, lovely walks along the river banks and tons of history. I found this guide for what to do on a day trip to Stratford which was a great starting point. We did all the touristy things like checking out the Shakespeare Centre to get our bearings and the staff were so helpful.
We visited Anne Hathaway’s cottage, the RSC theatre where we went up the tower for fantastic views, and other historic buildings on a short walking tour.
Cadbury World
I’ve always wanted to go to Cadbury World so thought we couldn’t miss it when we were so close! It was great fun – you get free choccy bars when you go in and find out all about the history of the company, which is fascinating. Then you learn about how they make all their chocolate treats, with demos and lots of fun stuff for kids to do. Then finally you end up in the gift shop! I bought one of their bags of misshapes which are great value but terrible if you’re on a diet.
After Cadbury World we headed into Birmingham to Tilt, a pinball bar/cafe. It’s great for a rainy day and perfect for whiling away some time with the family.
Segway Tour
I’m a huge fan of riding segways and have done it a few times in England as well as a brilliant tour of downtown Las Vegas (read about that in my Vegas guide).
In the UK, many Go Ape adventure places also offer segway rides through the forest. We’ve done it in Bracknell, Crawley and there’s a centre near Cannock which was perfect for our Midlands road trip.
However, as I’d booked it weeks in advance I didn’t know what the weather would be like and as it turned out it was awful! So we changed the date to one in the summer at a Go Ape at Moors Valley and I was really impressed with how easy it was to do that, by phone, but I did have to pay a £5 admin fee.
Hatton Locks
My husband is slightly obsessed with canals and would love to buy a narrow boat. One mecca for barge-spotters is Hatton Locks, which is a series of 21 locks over a 2 mile stretch of canal fairly close to Stratford and Warwick. It’s a sight to behold and really fascinating to watch the boats moving up and down the canal, very slowly, through the locks. There’s a car park next to it, with pay and display, and a small cafe serving breakfast, lunch snacks and drinks. We needed to warm up so had a lovely hot chocolate there. If you’re passing then it’s well worth a visit, and you can go for a nice walk along the towpath, although it was quite muddy when we went.
Ironbridge
Our final stop before hitting Shrewsbury was a visit to Ironbridge. Ironbridge is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and there is a cluster of museums around the gorge including those dedicated to china, pipeworks and iron. There are hands-on science and engineering activities at Enginuity and the reconstruction of a Victorian village.
As it turned out, we ended up just stopping for lunch in a cafe, with a glimpse of the bridge through the rain. I’m sure if you can spare a whole day then you can really make the most of it, but we were short on time and keen to get to Shrewsbury, the end point in our midlands road trip.
South of England
There are so many fun things to do in the south of England. Starting in London, you can have a cheap day out with lots of free stuff to do there. Many of the main museums are free, including the Science Museum and Natural History Museum. Sky Garden is an amazing place to visit for free too, but be sure to book well in advance. Do check out my London post to find out more.
Brighton
Brighton is one of my favourite cities and there’s so much to do there. You must visit the pier and play in the arcades, walk along the prom and head into the Lanes and the more bohemiam North Laine to visit their small independent shops and cafes. Our favourites include vegetarian cafe Iydea in Kensington Gardens, and coffee shop Cloud 9 opposite which serves the most tempting cakes!
I’ve written a few posts about Brighton including fun and quirky things to do there, the hidden street art that you might not see from the pavement and the Sussex Treasure Hunts which are a cheap way of finding out more about the city.
If you’d like to get the most bang for your buck then I’ve compiled a list of cheap places to eat in Brighton too.
Dorset
Although we’ve been to Dorset lots for scooter rallies we’ve never really explored it for a holiday, except when we spent a few days in Weymouth a couple of years ago.
My friend Jo goes there a lot and has written about things to do in Mudeford and Christchurch. Bournemouth is nice and there are some really cool beach lodges to stay in. There’s plenty to do there and around Poole, including the lovely quay.
Stonehenge
In the 1990s I lived in Wiltshire and commuted to work every day past Stonehenge. It was stunning at sunrise and sunset and I wish I had taken more photos at the time – but it was before camera phones existed. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit with my family and is easily accessible from the A303 so could be incorporated into a UK road trip really easily.
I found a great article with top tips for a visit to Stonehenge so will use that for research when we go there.
Somerset
We’ve had some great holidays in Somerset, staying at a caravan park in Burnham-on-Sea. Brean Leisure Park is a great theme park with great rides for little ones and old school seaside fun activities. Check out my post on family-friendly things to do in Somerset for some great ideas.
Other south coast places to visit
In no particular order, there are other places I’ve written about before, including:
- Things to do in Bognor Regis
- Walk around the walls in Chichester
Other places on my bucket list
I would really love to explore the Lake District and Peak District too, but maybe we will save that for when my teenage son no longer wants to come on holiday with us. I found this great Lake District Road Trip guide which recommends a route and places to stay. And this article features a fabulous tree house there!
Cambridge looks really lovely and there seem to be some lovely things to do there. It has some amazing culture, with plenty of museums and galleries. You can tour the university and go punting on the river. It looks like a beautiful city surrounded by lovely countryside. There are also some really unique and quirky places to stay there like this boatshack! More inspiration for 8 great places to stay in the UK are suggested by Rachael at Lukeosaurus And Me – we are so lucky to live somewhere with such a wide range of places to visit aren’t we?
Jo Jackson writes about the area around Mudeford in Dorset which also sounds delightful. It’s a corner of the county which we haven’t explored previously but is definitely on my list.
Booking your next trip
I love booking.com because I can plan trips and book accommodation with cancellation options in case my plans change. You can search for your next staycation adventure below!
Booking.com
Been to Stonehenge a few times and always loved it! Great list.