England Family-Friendly Sightseeing, Attractions & Activities

recommended places to visit and things to do with children in England


Longleat House

Warminster

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lose yourself in the world's longest hedge maze, visit the Elizabethan stately home or drive through the world famous safari park

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set in a magnificent deer park, the ancestral home of the Russell family for nearly 400 years has many attractions, including a famous wild life reserve

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  • historic house
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  • something different!
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  • family-friendly
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  • all-weather attraction
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  • open year round
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  • Harry Potter
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dating back to the fourteenth century and closely associated with many historical events. Now best known as one of the locations for the Harry Potter films

Croome

Worcester

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  • National Trust
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  • transport
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  • aviation
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a secret, wartime airbase now a museum and visitor centre, restored parkland great for walking and with the 18th Century mansion at its centre

Ham House & Garden

Richmond-upon-Thames

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  • National Trust
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Beautifully situated on the banks of the Thames. Step back in time, walking on the original marble floors and admiring the re-imagined 17th Century garden

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a classic lat 18th Century mansion with political, wall paintings by Sir Jame Thornhill and extensive, relaxed gardens and parkland

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a lovely 18th Century house with an unusual drawing room pained by Rex Whistler, a permanent 20th Century art collection and magnificent gardens

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a suburban palace caught between town and country with a lake, magnificent house, elegant gardens and a natural play trail with rope swings and steppingstones

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  • cycling
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the house, home of the quirky Museum of Curiosities, is surrounded by an informal landscape of lawns, lakes, woodland, parkland and farmland

  • historic house
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a handsome Georgian mansion with a fine collection of antiques and objets d'art, including the Charles Paget Wade Costume Collection

Kenwood House

London NW3

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  • free admission
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  • English Heritage
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with paintings by world famous artists Rembrandt and Vermeer, this hidden gem offers a unique look at an elegant Georgian mansion

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a fine Elizabethan mansion refurbished in the 17th Century with extensive collections of paintings and objets d'art

Cotehele

St. Dominick

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  • needlecraft
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atmospheric Tudor house with medieval roots, working mill on historic quay with a restored Tamar Sailing Barge and glorious gardens

Hughenden Manor

High Wycombe

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country home of Benjamin Disraeli, housing a fascinating collection of his memorabilia. Also Second World War rooms, with interactive exhibits and eye-witness accounts

Brantwood

Coniston

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  • geology
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for 28 years, the home of John Ruskin, scientist and art collector, with many personal artefacts, including his extensive geological collection