Guided Tour

Guided Tour

What is it? 

A guided tour is the practice of an individual leading a group of people around a point of interest and giving them information about it, which can cover topics such as religious significance, cultural history and how it relates to other locations and events in history. 

What does it involve?

Attending a guided tour basically just involves paying attention! All the work is done for you in finding out the facts and presenting them in an interesting manner; the role of the participant just calls for a level of interest in your surroundings and an eagerness to learn!

Why do it and what are the benefits?

Tour guides can be extremely educational - physically interacting with the place while learning about its history will provide a different kind of academic experience to the classroom by giving the students something more tangible to focus on.

What equipment do we need?

You shouldn't need any equipment for a guided tour, but check beforehand to make sure; some tours involve their participants even further by getting them to write down their own thoughts, or make drawings - so you may need to ensure students have something to write on!

Who is it suitable for?

Guided Tours are suitable for pretty much anybody if you pick the right one - smaller children will find it harder to focus on more complex subjects and will need more visual aids, but if they are engaged correctly they will have a great time! Likewise, teenage students will get bored if the subject isn't engaging enough, so make sure to choose the tour appropriate for the age and interests of the group. 

Costs?

Around £20 or less per person, but it can vary greatly depending on the location of the tour - for example, a minibus tour around a park will cost more than a short walk around a country manor! Make sure to shop around to get an idea of the prices in your area. 

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

A guided tour should be suitable for all ages, but students with condtions such has ADHD may have trouble focusing for an extended period of time - make sure to be aware of the specific needs of your group. 

How do we include?

Many guided tours have disabled access for those with limited physical movement, but it would be wise to doublecheck beforehand. Those who are deaf and blind can also be included in guided tours but may need more specialist staff - again, you will need to check with the specific establishments. 

Doing it abroad?

There are points of public interest all around the world, so wherever you can find something well known chances are there will be a guided tour available! Foreign tours may be conducted in another language though, so make sure to confirm the specifications of the tour before booking it. 

Main website: 

This website gives a good overview of places where you can go for a tour guide, but you're best looking at the specific areas around you to find out details!

 

See the list below for venues and providers who deliver this activity:

Blaenavon Ironworks

Well preserved Ironworks with furnaces, casting house, dressed cottages & company shop
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Captivated by the Coal House series? You’re not alone! The BBC television series, filmed on site, has attracted thousands of new visitors to witness how difficult life was for working families at Blaenavon Ironworks’ Stack Square cottages.

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Bourne Mill

Picturesque watermill with working waterwheel
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

A delightful piece of late Elizabethan playfulness. Built for banquets and converted into a mill in the 19th century.

Just a mile south of Colchester sits Bourne Mill, a grade 1 listed building steeped in history. It was built as a fishing lodge in 1591, converted to a fulling mill around 1640 and then converted to a corn mill in about 1840, which continued working until the 1930s. It is well worth a visit.

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Combe Wood

Escape the bustle and enjoy a secluded woodland walk
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

Visit Combe Wood, 10 acres of mixed ash and oak woodland.

Criss-crossed with pathways, this is the perfect place for a sheltered walk on a warm day and a favourite for local residents.

In spring time the wood is transformed by a carpet of vibrant bluebells and purple orchids.

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Mundesley Maritime Museum

Working coastguard lookout with a marvellous miscellany of maritime exhibits
Venue Type: 
Maritime / Sea Life
Overall Rating: 
0

One of England’s smallest museums, Mundesley Maritime Museum is packed with exhibits, including  lifesaving paraphernalia, ships wheels, and navigation lights. 

Prints and other information illustrate over 200 years of the town’s maritime history taking in lifeboats, shipwrecks, fishing, railways and the tragic story of the Mundesley Minefield.

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Royal London Hospital Museum and Archives

Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

The Royal London has a museum which is located in the crypt of a 19th-century church. It reopened in 2002 after extensive refurbishment and is open to the public free of charge.

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The Burrell Collection

Creative fun in the countryside
Venue Type: 
Art Gallery
Overall Rating: 
0

​​​​​​In the heart of Pollok Country Park, this award-winning building houses a unique collection in a beautiful woodland setting. The Burrell Collection is one of the greatest ever created by one person, comprising over 8,000 objects.

Our displays range from work by major artists including Rodin, Degas and Cézanne, to important examples of late medieval art, Chinese and Islamic art, Ancient Civilizations and much more.

The Burrell regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, and runs an extensive programme of events and activities for both adults and families with children.​​

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Hardcastle Crags

Beautiful wooded valley with 19th-century Gibson Mill at its heart
Venue Type: 
Wildlife and Nature
Overall Rating: 
0

A beauty spot of the South Pennines with more than 160 hectares (400 acres) of unspoilt woodland.

As well as being the home of the northern hairy wood ant, there are tumbling streams, glorious waterfalls and stacks of millstone grit, all crisscrossed by more than 15 miles (24km) of footpaths.

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Down House

Where Charles Darwin Lived and Worked
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

With its unique place in the history of science, Down House, the home of Victorian scientist Charles Darwin (1809–82), is one of the major visitor attractions in the South East. Down House was Darwin's home from 1842 until his death 40 years later. Situated in the rural Kent village of Downe, the house offered the peace and privacy that Darwin needed to work on his revolutionary scientific theories.

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The House on Crutches Museum

Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

A museum set in a remarkable building that holds an extensive collection that covers the many aspects of life and social history in Bishop’s Castle and the surrounding area. Free to visit. Restricted opening times as run by volunteers.

The House on Crutches Museum tells the story of the unique town of Bishop’s Castle, using a variety of displays and temporary exhibition in a series of themed rooms.

The kitchen is the first room that you enter, and will give kids a chance to learn about domestic life, including washday! There are also some costumes for them to try on.

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The Straw Museum

Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

This remarkable small museum is home to many diverse collections of items made from straw including marquetry, embroidery, straw stars, Swiss straw lace and dyed straw marquetry. 

There are also examples of other crafts such as quilling, tatting and beadwork. Owner, Ella Carstairs, will be happy to give you demonstrations of straw marquetry and quilling.

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