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:

Max Gate

Atmospheric Victorian home designed by Thomas Hardy
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
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Max Gate, an austere but sophisticated town house a short walk from the town centre of Dorchester, was the home of Dorset's most famous author and poet Thomas Hardy. Hardy, who designed the house in 1885, wanted to show that he was part of the wealthy middle classes of the area, to reflect his position as a successful writer, and to enable him to enter polite society. The house was named after a nearby tollgate keeper called Mack.

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Netley Abbey

Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
Overall Rating: 
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The most complete surviving Cistercian monastery in southern England, with almost all the walls of its 13th-century church still standing, along with many monastic buildings. After the Dissolution, the buildings were converted into the mansion house of Sir William Paulet. Situated in Royal Victoria Country Park, even in ruins, the abbey continued to be influential, inspiring Romantic writers and poets.

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Sherlock Holmes Museum

The world's most famous address and the official home of Sherlock Holmes!
Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

Step back in time, and when you visit London, remember to visit The World's Most Famous Address - 221b Baker Street - the Official Home of Sherlock Holmes!

Download our FREE Sherlock Holmes's London Walking Tour HERE.

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Nash's House and New Place

Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Visit Nash's House and the site of Shakespeare's last home at New Place, where he died in 1616.

Nash's House was named after Thomas Nash, first husband of Shakespeare's granddaughter, Elizabeth. Today, it is a well preserved Tudor building, with the ground floor furnished as it would have been in Nash's day and with two fascinating exhibitions upstairs. Learn about archaeological finds from the site and choose your favourite character in our top 10 heroes and villains exhibition.

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Berwick-upon-Tweed Barracks and Main Guard

Venue Type: 
Battlefield / Military
Overall Rating: 
0

Berwick Barracks was built in the early 18th century to the design of the distinguished architect Nicholas Hawksmoor, the Barracks was among the first in England to be purpose built.

A stone's throw away from the Scottish borders and located in a Georgian market town it also boasts a range of other temporary and permanent exhibitions to explore: The King's Own Scottish Borderers museum, the Berwick Gymnasium Art Gallery and the Berwick Museum and Art Gallery.

Don't Miss

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Thomas Hardy's Birthplace

Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Explore the landscape and childhood home of famed local author Thomas Hardy.

Set in the heart of Hardy Country, the new visitor centre was opened in September 2014 as a gateway for local people and visitors alike to discover more about the life and works of Thomas Hardy and the local landscape. It is located on the edge of Thorncombe Wood and is a short walk from Hardy's Cottage, where he was born and lived until he was 34 years old.

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Glastonbury Town Hall

Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Although a charter was granted to the town in 1705, following a petition citing the lack of local justice which stated "whereof the morall of the inhabitants are corrupt, and cavill and breach of the peace are frequent", it was not until 1813 when an order was placed with a Mr.Beard of Somerton to draw up plans for a Town Hall.

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Cromer Museum

Cromer’s past in an enchanting nutshell
Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

Step inside a tiny fisherman's cottage and imagine life in Cromer at the end of the 19th century. Colourful displays chart the town’s history as an early Victorian seaside resort, resplendent with fine hotels and scandalous mixed bathing. 

The town is in a geological area of international importance. Find out why in the Geology Gallery with its fine collection of fossils, which include bones from one of the area’s most famous finds, the West Runton elephant - Britain's oldest and most complete elephant fossil.

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Cotehele Mill

Working watermill and workshops
Venue Type: 
Factory Visits & Industry
Overall Rating: 
0

This working mill next to the Morden Stream is an atmospheric reminder of the recent past when corn was ground here for the local community. It’s believed that mills have worked in the Tamar valley since medieval times and this watermill dates back to the 19th century. The buildings surrounding the mill were used as stables, cowsheds, a hayloft and a ‘cherry house’ for storing cherries. The last of these buildings was added in the 1890s and they are now set up as a selection of estate and craft workshops.

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Rufford Abbey

Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
Overall Rating: 
0

The best-preserved remains of a Cistercian abbey west cloister range in England, dating mainly from around 1170. Incorporated into part of a 17th century and later mansion, set in Rufford Country Park.

The roofed porch formed the original main entrance to the Earl of Shrewsbury’s 16th century house. The inner double doors lead into the now ruined Brick Hall, which formed a grand initial reception room for the post-suppression house. This area of the building originally formed the lay brothers’ dormitory.

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