Days out in Warwickshire
Famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon and a large expanse of rural green belt, Warwickshire feels very different from other, more built up, areas of the West Midlands but there are many places to visit and things to do with the kids. Whether you are looking to indulge in a little bit of medieval history or explore the great outdoors there is more than enough to keep you entertained.
Here are some of our favourites to give you some inspiration but you will find more if you click the ‘Places2go’ tab above.
Warwick
Hatton offers a great day for the whole family. There are lots of individual and unique shops to wonder around, ranging from homeware and clothes to candles and garden furniture, to toys, sweets, and truly excellent jewellery. You will also find a garden centre, antiques shop, pub, cafe, and farm shop which also sells delicious ice cream. They have an amazing children’s area to play in, where children can play in a huge fenced off area, in safety. There are trampolines, slides, guinea pig village and lots of animals to see and handle. Parking and entrance to Hatton itself is free. There are a variety of events organised throughout the summer from barbecues to concerts. This is a great day out for everyone and children will have a fantastic time, where they can spend all day in the play area whilst you relax strolling around the shops.
Market Hall Museum is located in the Market Hall, a 17th century landmark in the heart of Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire. Recently refurbished with the help of a generous grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the museum tells the story of Warwickshire, and how the shifting natural, built and human landscapes have shaped the county to the present day.
Stratford-Upon-Avon
Enjoy the unique pleasure of watching hundreds of the world’s most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around. You can see them feeding and flying in a wonderful tropical environment. Our landscaped tropical greenhouse is the largest tropical butterfly display in the UK! Throughout the year we have over 250 different species of tropical butterfly from 20 different countries. There are approximately 1,500 free flying individual butterflies, sometimes a few more, sometimes a few less. The Mini-Beast Metropolis houses one of the largest insect collections in the UK. Come and see these fascinating creatures up close. You can even take part in our Meet the Mini-Beast handling sessions during the school holidays.
If you’re not quite sure what mechanical art is all about, think of the machines and gismos used in Wallace and Gromit, Scrapheap Challenge and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In a nut shell mechanical art is usually beautifully crafted, moving sculptures either made to have an exaggerated purpose or made simply for the fun of it. The pieces on display have been sourced from artists all around the world and the fact that nearly everything is interactive means kids and big kids(!) can really get stuck in. We encourage you to press buttons and to “release your inner inventor”. In a world full of computer screens and ‘do not touch’ signs, we’ve been told MAD is refreshingly satisfying.
If you don’t have time to see a performance then why not enjoy the stunning views from the Tower, discover theatrical secrets on a Theatre Tour, spend time exploring the award-winning The Play’s The Thing exhibition, relax with a coffee at The Other Place or simply kick back with a divine cocktail in the Rooftop Restaurant.
Elsewhere in Warwickshire
The Chocolate Shed birthday parties are a brilliant blend of the informative, fun, messy and creative! Taste, design, decorate and create to take home wonderful, unique, yummy chocolates certain to impress!
