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:

Royal Garrison Church

Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
Overall Rating: 
0

Medieval hospital, Tudor ammunition store and church for the forces since the 1580s, the Royal Garrison Church has stood in Portsmouth for nearly 800 years.

Royal Garrison Church was constructed about 1212 as part of a hospital complex. Although the nave was badly damaged in a 1941 fire-bomb raid on Portsmouth, the chancel remains roofed and furnished.

Hostel and Hospital

Read more

Laing Art Gallery

Venue Type: 
Art Gallery
Overall Rating: 
0

The Laing Art Gallery is home to an important collection of fine and decorative art. Our permanent collection and temporary exhibitions feature historic and contemporary art from internationally renowned artists.

18th and 19th Century Collection
The Laing's impressive permanent collection encourages visitors to return to the Gallery on a regular basis. Highlights include John Martin's breathtaking The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and William Holman Hunt's poignant painting of Isabella and the Pot of Basil.

Read more

Egglestone Abbey

Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
Overall Rating: 
0

The charming ruins of a small monastery of Premonstratensian 'white canons', picturesquely set above a bend in the River Tees near Barnard Castle.

Remains include much of the 13th century church and a range of living quarters, with traces of their ingenious toilet drainage system.

Egglestone is situated above the River Tees about a mile south-east of Barnard Castle (see p. 92). The abbey has a fairly unconventional plan, with its church on the south side of the cloister.

Read more

Lavenham Guildhall

Intriguing stories
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Set in the lovely village of Lavenham, the Guildhall of Corpus Christi tells the story of one of the best-preserved and wealthiest towns in Tudor England.

When you step inside this fine timber-framed building, you'll feel the centuries melt away. You can discover the stories of the people who have used the Guildhall through its almost-500 years at the heart of its community, and learn about the men and women who have shaped the fortunes of this unique village.

Read more

Swaffham Museum

A jewel of a museum in a lovely Georgian town
Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

Set in a handsome, grade II listed townhouse on Swaffham’s Georgian Market Place, Swaffham Museum has elegant rooms housing rich collections and 21st century displays with lots for all the family to enjoy. 

Find out how Swaffham man Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen and see remarkable archaeological finds from the local Swaffham area too. 

In school holidays, look out for family activities, with fun for all ages, and don’t miss the Symonds Doll Collection, which recreates characters from Shakespeare, Dickens and Tolkien.

Read more

Hardwick Old Hall

An Elizabethan Masterpiece
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

The family home of Bess of Hardwick, one of the richest and most remarkable women of Elizabethan England, stands beside Hardwick New Hall which she had built later in the 1590s.

Though the Old Hall is now roofless, visitors can still ascend four floors to view surviving decorative plasterwork, as well as the kitchen and service rooms with our audio tour.

Read more

Bishop's Waltham Palace

Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

The ruins of a medieval palace (together with later additions) used by the Bishops and senior clergy of Winchester as they travelled through their diocese. Winchester was the richest diocese in England, and its properties were grandiose and extravagantly appointed.

Much of what can be seen today is the work of William Wykeham, who was bishop from 1367. The ground floor of the farmhouse is occupied by the Bishop's Waltham Town Museum. Other palaces of the Bishops of Winchester include Farnham Castle Keep and Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishop's Palace).

Read more

Bowes Castle

Venue Type: 
Castles
Overall Rating: 
0

The impressive ruins of Henry II's 12th century keep, on the site of a Roman fort guarding the approach to strategic Stainmore Pass over the Pennines.

It was constructed to guard the strategic route known as the Stainmore Pass, and was occupied from the late 1st century AD to the late 4th century. The importance of this route and the crucial defensive position of the fort were recognised by Henry II who built the keep in the north-west sector of the fort.

Read more

Aydon Castle

Venue Type: 
Castles
Overall Rating: 
0

Aydon Castle stands in a secluded woodland setting. Almost completely intact, it is one of the finest and most unaltered examples of a 13th century English manor house. 

It was originally built as an undefended residence, but almost immediately fortified on the outbreak of Anglo-Scottish warfare. Nevertheless it was pillaged and burnt by the Scots in 1315, seized by English rebels two years later, and again occupied by Scots in 1346.

Read more

Oxburgh Hall

15th-century moated manor house
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

No-one ever forgets their first sight of Oxburgh - a romantic, moated manor house.

Built by the Bedingfeld family in the 15th century, they have lived here ever since. Inside, the family's Catholic history is revealed, complete with a secret priest's hole which you can crawl inside.

See the astonishing needlework by Mary, Queen of Scots, and the private chapel, built with reclaimed materials.

Read more

Pages

Login/Sign Up

Latest News

Schoolboy Falls From 60ft Cliff on School Trip

A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries. 

TELL ME MORE