The castle is lovely and grounds are absolutely stunning. Although the structure and landscaping…read moreare lovely, our tour guide felt the need to weave her strong political views into most topics. Examples would be regarding a pitcher/jug that is displayed in one of the glass cases. She said the pitcher "should not be here" and if she had her way "it would be returned" because it was "stolen from a masque." She also said when referring to Dr. Edward Jenner being the first to develop a successful vaccination for small pox that "it really is a question if he were the first." She said he barely beat Africa and Turkey in this world altering vaccine. To which doctors to whom was she referring to in Africa or Turkey? She made a comment of, " My grandfather always said, 'Whatever horrible acts done have been done have been done by the English first.' and I firmly believe this." She was also railing against the decisions of the monarchs before the addition of the parliament. Then she went on to say she wished she could get rid of the current government. A guide should concentrate on the facts and remove biases. It is quite distracting and unnecessary.

What can you say about one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world which is still owned by the…read moresame family from 900 years ago. You have to go. Its where Edward II was murdered with a red hot poker up his fundament .

An excellent place for a half-day out. The Hedge puzzle is worth the entry fee by itself -- a great…read moremaze with an easy way out once you've found the middle, and with good viewing platforms so that you can laugh at other people struggling away. But there's all sorts of other things there as well: the proprietors are clearly into mazes and puzzles in a big way, and they've put together a very entertaining collection of such things to keep you (and/or the kids) occupied. We were made to feel very welcome when we went, with some zany staff making a good job of entertaining our two children. There's a Butterfly Zoo next door (qv) but we preferred the Maze -- a very good morning out.

This course is as good as the one in Bath, and a great leveller - the best and worst players won't…read moreget too far apart. Nine holes is always too small for me, and eighteen too much for children, so this twelve-hole course is great for families, and there are small clubs for infants. There are some crazy-golf novelties like the spiral, but the theming is more restrained than most. The design is original, with a Roman theme a bit like Pompeii and one particular feature which makes everyone smile (I won't tell you what!). The countryside around is lovely. The playing surface is artificial turf and I have seen wheelchairs on it. It's quite cheap, and half-price for extra rounds or if you visit the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo or the aMazing Hedge Puzzle, which are both next door to it. Parking is free, which makes a change.

Whitmore Bay is what most people think of when they talk about Barry Island, and has all the…read moreameneties you'd expect for a suburban resort: amusement arcades and fish'n'chips abound. Just behind is a small fairground, which I recall visiting when I was a small child - I used then to think it was quite impressive! The bay has also now been made famous by featuring extensively in the TV series 'Gavin and Stacey'. Up until the 1960s, however, it used to be packed during Bank Holidays with people coming on day trips from the mining communities in the valleys: newsreel footage shows every inch of sand covered with families! It's rather quieter than that, now, but still popular for day trips.

The larger of the two beaches on the island, this is very popular with holiday makers and local…read morewalkers. It's a surprisingly huge beach with soft golden sand and long headlands on either side. Ideal for families throughout the season for swimming and sunbathing. There is usually a coastguard presence. There are horse and carriage rides along the beach in summer, and many tourist and beach shops, cafes and fast food outlets around the promenade. The famous Pleasure Park lies behind the beach. The island railway station is fairly close (by foot) and you can journey to Cardiff from here.

Streamleaze road park is great for the little ones ,some swings ,a slide , rope climb etc all…read moreenclosed and gated

If your preference is for rugged, raw, untamed and wild, look no further, here is a beach that will…read moresuit you to a T! Remote and windswept (well, it is at the moment, even though it's supposed to be mid-summer), you could call it bleak. But, there's beauty in bleak. A vast expanse of virgin sand backed by a pebbly foreshore and then behind that the warren of sand dunes that makes up the rest of the Kenfig National Nature Reserve. It's a trek to get here, from Rest Bay in Porthcawl via a small bit of the newly opened Wales Coast Path. Or from the Nature Reserve car park by Kenfig Pool, trudge along the myriad sandy tracks and pathways that try their best to disorientate you, make you feel like you're a million miles away in the Gobi desert, lost until found as skeletal remains (OK, maybe a bit OTT - they're bound to find you long before decomposition sets in). Surfing, lazing, throwing pebbles, making sandcastles, watching wild-life, chatting to the resident life-guard, or his girlfriend, burying your head in the sand, watching the amazing sunsets; these are all acceptable activities at this lonely but lovely beach. Definitely recommended

The 7-mile stretch of sand and dunes that make up Brean beach lies just over two miles down the…read morecoast from Weston-super-Mare.  It boasts one of the longest stretches of sand in Europe and at low tide a vast expanse of mud flats are exposed. It is however dangerous to walk too far out at low tide and there are warning signs about staying away from the mud flats on the beach. The beach is popular with walkers, dog walkers and beach sport enthusiasts (both on and off the water). Access to the beach is easy as there is plenty of parking both next to and literally on the beach in designated areas. Toilets and drinking water are available and there are usually snacks in the form of an ice cream vans and a burger van. From the beach, Brean Down dominates the skyline.  This 97 metre high headland stretches out into the sea, forming a natural pier.  The more energetic may enjoy climbing up the down and will be rewarded with excellent views over the Bristol Channel and the Somerset Levels. The down is also home to a number of interesting archaeological sites.  There is evidence of the area having been inhabited in the Stone Age.  The remains of a Roman temple have been excavated on the south side of the down whilst the remains of an Iron-Age fort lie on the east side.  At the summit, the remains of a 19th century fort, built to defend against a possible Napoleonic invasion, can be found.

This is a fabulous, 7-mile long stretch of dune-backed beach running from Burnham-on-Sea in the…read moresouth to Brean Down, in the north, located on the North Somerset coast. I spent a lot of my childhood playing in the sand dunes here, but I also had my first (and last) driving lesson from my Dad on the beach - part of it is accessible to vehicles and you can park on the sand. As well as traditional beach activities like building sand castles, it's a favourite area for training racing horses, paragliding and sand yachting. At one end - close to the mediaeval church at Berrow - is the remains of the wreck of the Norwegian barque SS Nornen, which was blown onto the sand banks during a storm in 1897. The crew of ten and the chip's dog were rescued by the Burnham lifeboat during a heroic rescue. Like the rest of this coast, the tremendous tidal range of the Bristol Channel (the second highest in the world after the Bay of Fundy in Canada) means that the sea disappears over a mile out at low Spring tides, exposing extensive mud flats. These provide rich pickings for birdlife, but can be a death trap for the unwary, as the tide comes in at walking pace. Recent years have seen some dramatic rescues of people, vehicles and animals stuck (literally) in the mud as the waters rise around them. Following the death in 2002 of a five-year-old girl from Worcester called Lelaina Hall, a campaign was started to fund an inshore hovercraft, to help deal with such situations. It has been named Spirit of Lelaina in her honour. The advice is to stick to the firm sand close to shore - it's also rather nicer than the mud (which, ironically, is worse at he Burnham end). There are lots of caravan sites along this stretch of coast, and a few shops and a pub, although that's about the limit of facilities here. Nearby Brean Down - a large limestone promontory with fabulous views over the Bristol Channel - is a National Trust nature reserve, is notable for archaeology dating back 4,000 years, and has a well-preserved late 19th Century 'Palmerston Fort' at one end. Brean village - more a hamlet really - has a small 13th century church, unusually dedicated to St Bridget. Overall, it's a great place to walk and to blow away the cobwebs.

What a fantastic day out. This place offers a lot for family's…read more Great value for £8 per adult and £5 for children over two, under twos are free ! The grounds are fantastic lots of open space for the children to wonder and explore and also paths that follow through the trees and gardens. There's a big adventure playground full of lots to explore, zip wire, slide climbing frame etc. There were also blow up slides and a paddling pool. There was a separate area with Wendy houses, trampolines and a climbing frame for the smaller children which was in a really nice relaxing area. You can get up close with pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens in Pet's Corner. There is 66 acres of beautiful gardens and woodland walks, the views across the River Severn and Wales and spectacular ! There's also a cafe and shop. The cafe is really nice I had a caramel latte with a cheese and chutney sandwich came to £5.50 wich Is good value. Plenty of parking available. Overall a fantastic day out which was really enjoyed by all.

Old Down Country Park is not your typical stately home. It is a farm/zoo/park/house. Great for the…read morewhole family too. They have large lawn areas for picnics, a café for those who didn't pre-prepare food, and lots and ltos of animals. Expect to find your typical farm animals. Goats? Check. Pigs? Check. Sheep? Check. Ponies? Check. Wallabies????check!!! Entry is only a fiver and you can spend the whole day there (weather permitting) walking along the Victorian walls and cooing at all the cute animals.

Whitemead is a family-orientated holiday park, located at Parkend, in the heart of the Forest of…read moreDean. Run by the Civil Service Motoring Association (CSMA), anyone can visit, but CSMA members get a hefty discount. (If you're eligible for the CSMA, it's well worth joining, just for one visit). It's a been a favourite with my family for get-togethers for several years now. Accommodation is a mixture of apartments, chalets and log-cabins, all set in attractive, landscaped wooded grounds. There are also camping and camper-van pitches. On-site facilities include a swimming pool and gym for the more energetic, and a restaurant and bar to undo all the good work later! There's also a small shop for groceries, and reception has tourist information on places to visit. The chalets and cabins, in a variety of styles and tariffs, are well equipped, with spacious lounge/dining areas, although the bedrooms tend to be a bit small (but then, you don't come here to stay in your bedroom). There's lots of wildlife: rabbits and deer wander around, and the bird-life is plentiful and they are used to visiting the chalets for crumbs! The small village of Parkend has a shop, two pubs (both with real ale), and is the terminus of the Dean Forest Railway (excellent for kids). But the main attraction has to be the forest itself: covering 35 square miles, it is excellent for walking, hiking, and especially for cycling: together with the adjacent Wye Valley forest, there are over 60km of off-road trails. Some have been converted from former industrial railway lines, with gentle gradients, making them perfect for children. Bikes can be hired from Cannop Cycle Centre. There are also plenty of tourist attractions in the surrounding area, with Monmouth, Chepstow, Ross-on-Wye and Gloucester all within half-an-hour's drive. Two things to note: the forest roads are narrow and twisty, and get busy in summer, so it's best to avoid cycling or walking on them use the trails instead. The Forest also has very limited mobile phone reception (none at Whitemead itself). You really will get away from it all!

As dmj1962 has already explained, Whitemead Forest Park is run by the CSMA and contains excellent…read morefacilities (see dmj1962's explanation of these below). We were there in mid-November. The chalets are delightful, warm and comfortable. The facilities overall are excellent. We had a great time using the place as a base for a few days to explore the Forest of Dean. CSMA membership gets you a raft of additional member benefits so it is worth joining to get the discount.

Just a few miles from the M4, this Park has 113 acres of woodlands and lakes to wander around, and…read morepaths beside the River Garw. There are also formal, ornamental gardens and a Japanese style Tea Garden Pavilion. Refreshments, available in season, can be found next to the car park. For a more formal meal, there's the Harlequin Restaurant at the house. A nice place to walk.

Was married at bryngarw house 24th oct 2009. Also held our…read morereception there and the weather appart,bryngarw proved tobe the perfect wedding venue. Would highly recomend everything associated with country house and there staff.

The Munday playing fields, which was donated to Thornbury by Mrs Violet Mundy in 1937. It features…read morea children's play area and sports ground as well as a large open air paddling pool, it is the best place to go for free in the summer. The grassy bank slopes down towards the paddling pool so you get a great view of what your children are up to from the comfort of your picnic rug. It has toilets and usually an ice cream van but it is just off the high street so you can easily pop to the shops.

Very good park for kids and adults ,great paddling pool my kids love it even if it is a 20min walkread more