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!
A lovely little museum dedicated to the history of Oswestry and the surrounding countryside, from B.C. to present day. Run by friendly volunteers, quiz for the kids and free to visit!
Discover the history of Oswestry through a timeline exhibition that maps everything from the formation of rocks to present day.
The High Court of Tynwald is the parliament of the Isle of Man. Tynwald is of Norse origin and over 1,000 years old, and is thus the oldest parliament in the world with an unbroken existence.
Set on a large natural mound, Launceston Castle dominates the surrounding landscape. Begun soon after the Norman Conquest, its focus is an unusual keep consisting of a 13th-century round tower built by Richard, Earl of Cornwall, inside an earlier circular shell-keep.
The extensive and picturesque ruins of Minster Lovell Hall are located in a beautiful rural setting beside the River Windrush. Approached from the north, through the adjacent churchyard, the 15th century site comprises a fine hall, tower and complete dovecote nearby - making this a particularly interesting day out for anyone considering a visit.
No day out in the Yorkshire Dales would be complete without a visit to Middleham Castle. Once the childhood home of Richard III, you can relive the Castle’s illustrious history and unlock the deeds of its great owners.
Although roofless, extensive remains of the fortified palace still survive, making Middleham a fascinating castle to explore.
A chance to experience what war was like over the last three hundred years for soldiers and their families. A fun way to show history to your students.
Tredegar House is one of the architectural wonders of Wales and one of the most significant late 17th-century houses in the whole of the British Isles.
Situated within 90 acres of beautiful gardens and parkland, this delightful red brick house provides an ideal setting for a fantastic day out.
Great battles, ancient myths, spellbinding tales, pampered princesses, heroic knights. You can find them all here at Warwick Castle.
Journey through the historic estate of Shugborough and experience the nation's best 'upstairs downstairs' experience.
The mill is a ‘living’ place where the graffitied, lime-washed walls and the ancient hessian sacks mingle with the smell of the timbers and tallow. A lucky survivor, it tells the story of the decline of traditional village work and life.
Playwright, politician, philosopher and wit George Bernard Shaw lived in this Edwardian villa for over 40 years from 1906. When he moved in, he was at the height of his fame. If you'd been walking up the drive 70 years ago, you would have been coming to visit one of the most famous, most photographed and most quoted men in the world.
Tamworth Castle is a Norman Motte and Bailey Castle located in the centre of Tamworth surrounded by the Castle Pleasure grounds. The oldest parts of the Castle are believed to date from the 1180s. There are 15 period rooms to explore with many hands-on activities for all ages.
Schools and Groups
Overlooking Portland Harbour in Dorset stands one of Henry VIII’s finest coastal forts, built in the early 1540s to protect against French and Spanish invasion.
Today it provides a great day out for visitors and its audio tour, included in the admission price, tells of the castle’s 450 year history and the part it played in the First and Second World Wars.
A must-see for any visitor to the picturesque market town of Helmsley in the North Yorks Moors National Park.
Discover how the castle evolved over the centuries, from a mighty medieval fortress to a luxurious Tudor mansion, to a Civil War stronghold and a romantic Victorian ruin.
The perfect stop on any trip - if you’re out walking or cycling.
Totnes Fashions and Textiles Museum houses the Devonshire Collection of Period Costume, which contains clothing for men, women and children from the eighteenth century to the twentyfirst century.
A themed exhibition, which is changed annually, is displayed in the most intact Tudor Merchant's House in Totnes.
Well preserved Tudor Home with gardens and some dressed rooms. We also provide a Tudor treasure chest handling collection. And a Servant's Life education activity led by costumed character.
The newly refurbished Harborough Museum is home to the Hallaton Treasure, discovered in 2000 and one of the most important Iron Age finds in Britain.
The museum celebrates Market Harborough’s long history as a centre of trade and industry in the heart of the Welland Valley at the crossroads between Leicestershire and Northamptonshire.
80 displayed aircraft, interactive zone & film theatre - plus regular events!
Collection includes two aircraft of the Queen's Royal Flight, the World Speed Record Holder G-Lynx, Russian Hind Gunship and the 'Huey' Bell UH-1H.
Copter Coffee Cafe, Gift Shop, Picnic Area & Free Car Parking On Site
Twinlakes Park offers the very best in family entertainment jam-packed with a breath-taking variety of family Rides, Attractions, Animals and even a Waterpark!
Set in 70 acres of glorious countryside, where you'll find unlimited action and play zones, a massive 125,000sqft indoors plus rides and attractions galore. All weather action all year round!
The fine twin-towered gatehouse of this castle, built by Edward I in 1292, once defended a crossbow bolt factory which used local Forest of Dean iron. Once a prison, it is now a youth hostel in wonderful walking country.
St Briavel’s was an important royal castle on the frontier with Wales and the administrative and judicial centre of the Forest of Dean.
Arbury Hall, originally built on the ruins of a 12th century Augustinian Priory, now stands in the midst of beautiful 18th century landscaped gardens and surrounded by over 100 acres of lakes and parkland, and has been the home of the Newdegate family for over 400 years.
The police museum was set up in the 1980s to explain and illustrate Northern Ireland's unique and often contentious policing history. Our collection includes police uniforms, equipment, medals and archives from the early 1800s to the present day and also weapons used against the police over the years.
Garvagh Museum is unique in Northern Ireland in that it is a rural Folk Museum in the Bann Valley. It had its origins when artefacts collected from the town and district were housed in a small building adjoining Garvagh Secondary School. When the collection out grew the space, a new building was erected by enterprise Ulster, with the generous support of local businesses and others.
The Somme Heritage Centre opened in 1994 as an educational facility and tourist attraction. It examines Ireland's role in the Great War with special reference to local cross-community involvement in the three volunteer Divisions raised in Ireland: the 10th and 16th (Irish) Divisions, and the 36th (Ulster) Division.
The museum is housed in a grade B+ Sovereign's House. The Eagle Takers Gallery won the Best Exhibition in Ireland in 2003. The collection contains the uniforms, medals, regalia and the two Victoria Crosses won by the Regiment. The Regimental archive and library may be viewed by appointment.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.