Regarded by many as the best preserved Elizabethan town house in the UK, this historic gem is well…read moreworth a visit. It contains a wealth of decorative plasterwork and woodwork. History The house was built by Robert Wynn, a younger son of John Wynn of Gwydir Castle. He had served with the British Ambassador in Bruges, and travelled around the Continent. When he retired to Conwy, aged 50, he built himself a town house incorporating the latest features and styles, reflecting his prestige. It was built 1576-1585. After his death, a dispute over his inheritance meant the house was eventually split into a lodging house, and also functioned as a school, and then the headquarters of the local antiquarian society, before being taken over and restored by Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments). The house This large building occupies a whole block of Conwy's streets. The main frontage consists of an elaborate gatehouse, courtyard and then the main house, which has its own courtyard and garden. The exterior has been plastered and limewashed, as it would have been originally. Inside, the rooms are a mixture of the 'working' rooms of the house kitchen, storage rooms, servants' quarters and so on, and the grander rooms intended for Wynn and his family. These have impressive fireplace mantels and panelling, and particularly large expanses of decorative plasterwork. In many places this is highly coloured, and includes decorative friezes of coats of arms, Tudor roses and other heraldic devices (and above all, Wynn's initials, RW, which appear everywhere). Another recurring motif is that of naked caryatids, carrying bowls of strawberries on their heads. They wear loincloths of leaves, and cover one breast, leaving the other bare. The plasterwork images are often touchingly naive and primitive, as local plasterers tried their best to reproduce unfamiliar images copied from pattern books. The house also has some impressive furnishings, although these have been sourced separately and are not original. In the attic, one room is furnished as it would have been in the early 19th century, as the home of a lodger, a washer-woman. Practicalities There is a guided audio tour available, which is well worth using, although the Tudor jingle which precedes each section may get irritating after a while. There are also static presentations on aspects of Tudor and later life. Access for those with restricted mobility is limited, due to the presence of stairs and uneven floors. There is also a shop at the entrance selling the usual cards, books and gift items.

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed touring this Elizabethan house. When you first go in they actually…read morehave clothing you can try on from that period. I would highly recommend visiting.

I'm planning a visit to north wales later this year and the air museum is somewhere im hoping to…read moreget to again. My last visit last summer I was surprised to see the addition of a harrier jet. The collection of aircraft many of which you can sit in makes this museum an instant hit with adults and children alike. The relics from crashed aircraft from north wales are very interesting and the gift shop has plenty of selection.

The museum has a collection of paintings and objects from around the world as well as…read moreArchaeological items ranging from Neolithic, Bronze Age and Roman, with hands-on material for children of all ages, displays on Llandudno's fishing, farming and mining heritage in objects and a life size display of copper mining on the Orme. A reconstruction of a Welsh kitchen, war memorabilia covering the First and Second World Wars and the story of Llandudno as a resort is told through objects, models, photographs and other visual displays. They also have artists who come in and work there and get inspiration from the local surroundings. Its a great place for adults and children alike.

Great place have been going here since I was a little boy, very informative and amazing to see the…read moreold locomotives

Under the Dinorwig slate quarry is this fantastic museum. Housing the largest waterwheel on…read moremainland Britain. Slate splitting exhibitions and various film shows. Quarrymens housing showing the differences in living standards throughout the ages. Very interesting AND free entrance.

Very interactive and interesting exhibits…read more FREE admission will get you into 90% of the actual museum. Variety of exhibits so it has a little something for everybody. The first floor was the Dive In! Aquarium. It had a very nice anemone tank and a variety of other tanks that had sea life. The second floor is the Bug space, and the beginning of the Natural History space. Both are very interactive and have plenty of kid friendly space. The Return of the Gods exhibit (which costs 8 GBP to visit) was on the third floor, but you could also see what I thought was the most interesting part of the museum which was the World Culture exhibit. The exhibits themselves are nice, but this museum has a novel approach to explaining how Liverpool got its items. Comedian Daliso Chaponda was narrating the process of how the museum procured the majority of its items through good ole colonization (kidding, not kidding). He brings to light the appropriation process through comedic discussion, novel and palatable. The 3rd floor also has the Egyptian Exhibit, which is very good. It's probably the jewel of the museum. The history of the pieces are well explained, and the mummies are displayed wonderfully, some in layers, some in narrative, and plenty of interactivity for the little ones. I didn't spend much time on the fourth floor (Dinosaurs) or fifth floor (Planetarium/Space). The fifth floor wasn't as impressive, but gave those genre's some space for those that are interested. It was the meh portions of the museum. If you have a few hours to burn, consider this museum a good choice for kids of all ages and interests.

Visited the museum especially to see the current special exhibition on the Chinese terracotta army…read morewhich was well worth the cost of the tickets. The building contains a large cafe on the ground floor that was well stocked with good quality food and deserts, this area also has access to free Wi-Fi. The next floor has the Aquarium and treasure house theater. The 2nd (3rd in US) floor has the special exhibition and the Bug House. Next floor contains World Cultures, Ancient Egypt and Western Discovery Center (only open weekends & school holidays. 4th floor holds Dinosaurs, Endangered Planet and Clore Natural History Center. Finally the 5th floor holds exhibits on Space and Time along with a Planetarium - tickets needed from the information desk on the ground floor. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful and could not be more accommodating, well worth the visit. I should also add the this museum is free except for the special exhibit which needs tickets purchased either online or at the entrance with limited time slots available each day.

Interesting museum showing history of Leyland trucks and commercial vehicles.read more

Excelent museum run by enthusiasts and retired truckers with stories galore. There is a good…read morearchive and many exhibits from the earliest days to modern commercial vehicles. Well worth a visit. Parking is free outside, and there are many cafes, supermkts,shops etc. in Leyland town centre next to it.

Ah, the Atkinson. Again, just another Southport landmark full of childhood memories for myself…read more Yep, my father used to bring me here regularly to ensure I had a lovely cultural upbringing, and it's a marvellous gallery housed in a terrific building right in the centre of the seaside town itself, opposite Lord Street and the band stand. Admission is free but donations are encouraged as every gift helps, no matter how small. And once you've walked around this spectacular yet strangely humble gallery you'd have to have a heart of ice not to want to give a little something. It has a varied and rather extensive collection, ranging from LS Lowry to John Piper, John Collier to Ernest Normand and many more. The Friends of the Atkinson Gallery are an organisation which helps to drum up even more interest for the gallery. It's currently closed for refurbishments but plans to reopen bigger and better than ever as part of a Southport cultural overhaul, so get involved as it's bound to increase in popularity after its makeover. Southport might not quite rival Brighton yet in the seaside artsy stakes, but it's getting there, and with the help of the Atkinson it'll get there a lot faster!

This is now an entertainment/cultural centre, with the art gallery, an auditorium, civic hall and…read morebotanic museum all within the grade 2 listed building. The entrance/foyer is welcoming and strikingly clean - statuary and paintings being the first things I saw. The bookings and information desks are unobtrusive, yet easy to find as the signage throughout is very clear. There are interesting display cases throughout. Up the impressive staircase are the toilets, the superb but expensive bar and the entrances to the auditorium. As I was there for a music concert, this is the area I saw best. A superb setting for Fairport Convention as they attract a fair number of fans, yet like to connect with their audience as intimately as possible. The seating was comfortable and gave us all a good view of the band. The sound was just superb.

At the IOM Steam Railway's final stop, Port Erin, you'll find the lovely railway museum…read more You will find retired steam engines and a souvenir shop, along with one-of-a-kind items like the carriages Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother rode in on visits to the Isle; a steam train simulator (just £5 for 15 minutes and a load of fun); old maps; train sets; memorabilia; and other train ephemera. I recommend going on -- of all times -- Sunday morning ... that's when you will find the museum experts on duty and available for guided tours. We missed it the first time to Port Erin, but not the second time .... awesome! The incredible part, to me is it only costs £2 for adults and £1 for kids. Two weeks in the UK, and this is by far the least expensive museum we've been to. And worth every penny.

The Port Erin railway museum is directly at the end of the tracks for the Isle of Man steam train…read moreline in Port Erin. The museum is a great place to pickup railway souvenirs and post cards as well as Isle of Man themed post cards or gifts. They also have a nice collection of Thomas the tank engine items which we may have purchased a bit too many for my son. The museum itself is definitely worth seeing, especially for the low trivial cost of 1 GBP. The museum has two retired locomotives as well as a few of the actual railway cars used through the years. It has an interesting history of the trains on the Island. I would highly recommend a stop to visit this museum if you are in Port Erin.

This is a charming little site in the beautiful quayside area of Conwy, a must-visit town in…read morenorthern Wales. I'm 5'3" for scale.

I've not been inside, but it's pretty darned cute from the outside. And yes, it's a wee (meaning…read moresmall for my fellow Americans) house! Lol... How could I not award 5 enthusiastic stars to The Smallest House in Wales (Great Britain?)