Free days out for you and older parent
It’s great to get out and about with your parent and enjoy time together. Here’s our useful guide to some great days our around the UK, which you could enjoy together
We are delighted to bring you some ideas and suggestions for great attractions, all free, around the UK.
The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Based in the city centre, this museum and art gallery are completely free! There are over 500,000 objects in the collection, some of them thousands of years old, covering art, social history, archaeology and ethnography from every continent on the globe
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park Combine culture with exercise at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park in West Bretton, Wakefield. Explore 500 acres of historic landscape, where you’ll find open-air displays by some of the world’s finest artists, plus five stunning indoor galleries. Admission is free, although there are parking charges and it’s open almost every day. There are always at least 60 sculptures in the park, with a shop and restaurant for a cup of tea once your walking is over. Dogs on leads are welcome. A great place to work as a volunteer too
The Lighthouse, Glasgow Scotland’s centre for design and architecture celebrates the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh along with many other designers. If you climb the helical staircase, which leads you up to the viewing gallery at the top of the Mackintosh Tower, you will be rewarded with spectacular views of Glasgow. With six exhibition spaces over six floors, including a Digital Design Gallery, there is a busy programme of creative exhibitions and events running throughout the year
Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich Wonderful free music concerts in Christopher Wren’s twin-domed masterpiece on the river, in the most beautiful chapel. It is the gateway to the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and all its attractions, Greenwich Palace and the Royal Hospital for Seamen for example. The Royal Observatory is close by and the highly regarded market, with a huge range of stalls and shops to browse in, is on hand to. You’ll find plenty of interesting, fun activities to fill your free day out
The Winter Garden, Sheffield Located right in the heart of Sheffield, this is one of the world’s biggest greenhouses , where you’ll find around 2,500 plants growing in a specially-controlled microclimate. Amazingly, they’re all watered by hand (seriously); a group of green-fingered gardeners goes round with a hose or watering can to ensure the plants receive exactly the right amount of water. It’s thirsty work
Maiden Castle, Dorset This enormous Iron Age hill fort covers a site the size of 50 football pitches. There are ditches and ramparts galore (an attempt to keep the Romans out), if you take the steep(ish) climb to the top, you’ll be rewarded with views out over the rolling Dorset countryside. Don’t forget the camera
Sherwood Forest Country Park, Nottingham Immerse yourself in the Robin Hood myth with a wander through his famous stomping ground. Don’t miss the Major Oak, the tree where RH is rumoured to have hidden while fleeing from the Sheriff of Nottingham – or the nearby visitor centre, which separates the fact from the fiction
Royal Armouries Museums, Leeds If you’ve ever wondered where all the knights in shining armour are these days, they’re here. In fact, The Royal Armouries Museum houses 70,000 pieces of armoury altogether – and you can see a lot of it in action in the tiltyard, as two knights battle it out in a Henry VIII-style joust
Bath Walking Tour, Somerset Want to know what the Romans smelled like? Or how tight a Regency corset was? Follow in Jane Austen’s footsteps with a free tour of her favourite city, where your guide will give you a potted history that’s not straight out of a textbook
Godolphin Estate, Helston, Cornwall Take a stroll around the atmospheric and ancient estate of this 17th century house, you may discover the Leeds engine house and stack, the remains of the Godolphin family mine. Visit Godolphin Hill on the south-westerly reaches of the estate and breathe in the beautiful views looking out over St Ives Bay and the famous St Michael’s Mount. Explore the peaceful woodland. Charge for house and formal gardens
Big Pit: National Coal Museum Blaenafon, Torfaen, Wales A real coal mine, with a working shaft you can go down for an authentic experience: be lowered 90 metres (300 feet) down for an underground tour (50 minutes) around the original workings wearing the very same equipment – helmet, cap lamp, belt, battery and ‘self rescuer’ – used by miners. Visit the pithead baths and museum
Eyam, Derbyshire This very special village in the Peak National Park, known for its remarkable history during the Plague of 1665, with buildings and emotive commemorative plaques, is well worth a visit as are the Riley graves close by
International Slavery Museum, Liverpool With an extraordinary history to tell, this museum focuses on three main areas Life in West Africa, Enslavement and the Middle Passage and the Legacies of Slavery. Hear the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery
Watch Simon Reeves on retirement travel
These suggestions are brought to you by www.silvertraveladvisor.com which is dedicated to travel for the over 50’s with thousands of independent reviews about holidays, places for days out, restaurants and hotels. To get in touch and use the free enquiry service, contact [email protected].
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