Top Ten Days Out Part 1: The Midlands

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In this mini series we take look at fun things to do this summer in different parts of the country.  If you want to organise a day out for family and friends then look no further!

In today’s article we look at ten top days out in and around the Midlands.  Ranging from theme parks to zoos, stately homes to museums, there truly is something for everyone!

Alton Towers, Staffordshire

The mission of Alton Towers is “to make Britain happy”.  The theme park has a variety of rides suitable for all ages as well as the better known white knuckle rides such as Nemesis, Air and Oblivion.  It also has two impressive themed hotels, a thrilling water park, a woodland Enchanted Village and an 18-hole golf course.  A new attraction for 2017 is Galactica, a space adventure rollercoaster, where riders wear virtual reality headsets for a fully immersive experience.

School holiday opening hours are from 10:00-18:00.  Normal day prices on the door are adults £52.80 and children £46.80, but there are significant online discounts on these prices.

Ironbridge, Shropshire

At this River Severn site where the Industrial Revolution began there are now 10 museums.  The most popular with children are Enginuity – a science and technology centre with a great selection of interactive activities and exhibits –  and Blists Hill – a reconstruction of a Victorian town and fairground.

Summer opening times are 10:00-17:00, and prices range from between £8.95-£16.95 for adults and £7.50-£11.50 for children.

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

This spectacular 1760s landscaped parkland contains both formal and informal gardens to wander through.  It also has a maze, a miniature train, a butterfly house and a playground.  The historians of the family will be interested to see the Churchill exhibition, and follow the “Walk in Churchill’s Footsteps Trail” around the grounds.

Summer opening times are 09:00-18:00.  Prices are adult £24.90, child £13.90.

Cadbury World, Birmingham, West Midlands

At Cadbury World there is fun for all the family!  You will find out about the story of chocolate and be able to shop in the world’s biggest Cadbury shop.  The self-guided tour around Cadbury World covers 15 different zones.  Explore the depths of the Aztec Jungle and discover The Purple Planet full of digital chocolate delights.  You can also take part in an exciting 4D adventure, ride the Crunchie rollercoaster and have fun on the ropes, bridges and slides at the African Adventure play area.  There is also the opportunity to go on the Cadabra ride – which takes you on a gentle journey through a chocolate wonderland – and join Freddo in the cinema experience.  

Summer opening hours are 9:00-16:30 and ticket prices are adults £16.75 and children £12.30.  Pre-booking is strongly advised and there are online discounts available.

Imperial War Museum, Duxford, Cambridgeshire

This museum – part of the Imperial War Museum group – has five hangars displaying historic aircraft.  There is also a Battle of Britain Exhibition and a Land Warfare Hall containing several giant tanks and other military vehicles.  The relatively new American Air Museum relates the story of the Anglo-American relationship from WWI to the present day.

The museum is open from 10:00-18:00, and prices are £16.35 for adults and £8.15 for children.

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Describing itself as a “park with a difference”, Chatsworth House has something for all the family to enjoy.  As well as a thousand acre park, the grounds contain a maze, ancient woodland, a water garden and sculptures.  There is also a working farmyard and adventure playground.  During the summer there will also be games and live music in the garden.  Inside the house itself there are works of art spanning 4,000 years, from ancient Roman and Egyptian sculpture, and masterpieces by Rembrandt, Reynolds and Veronese, to work by outstanding modern artists, including Lucian Freud, Edmund de Waal and David Nash.

Open daily from 10:30-17:00, a Discovery ticket – which includes entry to the house, garden, farmyard and adventure playground – costs £23 for adults,  £15 for children.

Bekonscot Model Village & Railway, Buckinghamshire

This exciting model village and railway dates from the Thirties, which makes it the world’s oldest and original model village.  It has now evolved into over an acre of beautiful gardens, containing wonderfully created houses, farms, fields and lakes, all connected by a model railway.

Open daily from 10:00-17:30, ticket prices are £10 for adults and £6 for children.  All profits go to charity via the Roland Callingham Foundation and the Church Army:  so far over £5.5 million has been raised.

Black Country Living Museum, West Midlands

This 26 acre museum is an open-air site containing over 40 buildings which have been moved from various parts of the area.   They include a pub, chapel, Twenties cinema and Thirties fish and chip shop.  You can travel around the site by either trolley bus or tram, and even experience the life of a 1850s miner by means of a 35-minute tour into a drift mine.

Summer opening times are 10:00-17:00, and ticket prices are adults £16.95 and children £8.45.

Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

This beautiful castle dates back from the Norman and Tudor times, and features a spectacular Elizabethan Garden which had previously been lost for 400 years.   Attractions include climbing the height of the tower built to woo Queen Elizabeth I,  an original Norman keep, an exhibition in the Gatehouse, and taking a castle audio tour which is particularly geared for children.

Summer opening times are 10:00-18:00 and ticket prices are adult £9.60 and child £5.80.

Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire

Whipsnade is one of Europe’s largest wildlife parks, and houses over 2,500 animals.  Notable animals include two named George – a meerkat and an Asian elephant – and attractions include Lemur Island, Cheetah Rock and “Chimpnasium” to keep the acrobatic chimpanzees happy.

Summer opening times are 10:00-17:00 and prices are £22.80 for adults, £16.50 for children.

So this summer why not plan a day out with the family or some friends and visit one or more of the above attractions?   If you need money to finance your trip then do remember that Loans 2 Go provides the convenience of online loans.  If your application is approved the money could be yours within 60 minutes – just in time for you to head off for a lovely summer day out!