Northamptonshire's premier aviation museum....Museum of the Year & Best Exhibition in the Renaissance Heritage Awards 2007, Highly Commended in the Northants Heritage Awards 2011 & 2012 for Best Special Project....
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!
Venues with this Activity
Northamptonshire Archives hold a range of documents covering the history of our county from Norman times to the present day. The aim of the Heritage Education Service is to make this information accessible to school children of all ages.
We work in schools and at special events throughout the county and offer taught sessions using original documents.
The cathedral at Northampton is a commodious but unpretentious building designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. It is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Northampton which covers the counties of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and that part of Berkshire (formerly in Buckinghamshire) that lies to the north of the River Thames.
At Masjid Umar we welcome visitors from all over the world. We also work closely with local schools and organisations.
Masjid Umar provides a range of education for both young and old, including:
- Quran
- Arabic
- Tajweed
- Fiqh
- Hadith
The museum opened in 1992 houses paintings on Sikh history ranging from portraits of the Sikh Gurus, the Sikh scholars, paintings relating to Sikh rule in the Panjab in the 19th Century and the persecution of the Sikhs.
The UK's Only Main Line Heritage Railway
The Great Central Railway is Britain's only double track main line steam railway. Train rides are available every weekend and Bank Holiday throughout the year and daily in May through to September.
Originating as a 13th-century wayside hospital, this flint and timber-framed building now displays Roman artefacts from nearby sites.
Evocatively sited amid the East Kent marshes, Richborough is perhaps the most symbolically important of all Roman sites in Britain, witnessing both the beginning and almost the end of Roman rule here. Explore the huge stone walls which mark the site of this Saxon Shore fortress and take a look at the fascinating museum.
For a fascinating day out on the Kent coast look no further than Deal Castle.
Built by the order of King Henry VIII it is one of the finest Tudor artillery castles in England, and among the earliest and most elaborate of a chain of coastal forts, which also includes Calshot, Camber, Walmer and Pendennis Castles.
Our Ada Cole visitor centre in Essex has a veritable feast of activities on offer. From horse owners and Redwings guardians to animal lovers and members of our Adoption Club, we have something for everyone!
Landguard Fort is the site of the last opposed seaborne invasion of England in 1667 and the first land battle of the Royal Marines. The current fort was built in the 18th century, and modified in the 19th century with substantial additional 19th-20th century outside batteries.
The historic racing town of Newmarket in Suffolk is home to the National Horseracing museum, housed in the buildings that were once known as the Subscription Rooms which were a focal point of Newmarket and consequently are steeped in history
Retired jockeys and trainers staff the museum, dedicated to horse racing history.
Lydia Eva is the last steam drifter and the last boat to have been constructed in the ship yard in Kings Lynn. Over 1000 of these fishing vessels worked out of Yarmouth in the 1920s.
On-board displays tell the story of the Lydia Eva and the East Coast herring fishing industry.
Have your own private visit to St Nicholas Chapel with its 15th century wooden roof and beautifully carved angels.
For over 600 years the wonderful carved roof angels, the dazzling stained glass and the history contained within St Nicholas' Chapel have inspired locals and visitors alike.
St Seraphim’s is an Orthodox Chapel created in 1967 by Father David and Leon Liddament of the Brotherhood of St Seraphim in what was previously the booking office and gentlemen’s waiting room of Walsingham Railway Station. An onion dome and cross were added to the original 1857 building, but otherwise it remains relatively unchanged from its original design.
Cliff-top showcase for military might
There has long been a military presence at Weybourne, reflecting the village’s key defensive position. The remaining Weybourne Camp buildings now house Britain's largest private working military museum.
Exhibits date from 1782 to the present day. Highlights include the many tanks, guns, missiles and armoured vehicles, some outside but many in large indoor galleries.
Grime’s Graves is the only Neolithic flint mine open to visitors in Britain. This grassy lunar landscape of 400 pits was first named Grim’s Graves by the Anglo-Saxons. It was not until one of them was excavated in 1870 that they were identified as flint mines dug over 5,000 years ago.
A love of show business and steam
Thursford Collection is a working museum of mechanical organs, Wurlitzer shows, a silent movie theatre and old fashioned fairground carousels. There are also static displays of both fairground engines and road engines plus all kinds of related memorabilia. Ride on beautifully restored gallopers and gondolas and hear the music of the mighty Wurlitzer.
The museum houses the lifeboat Henry Ramey Upcher and other collections relating to the Sheringham lifeboats that were paid for by the local Upcher family and manned by the fishermen themselves.This atmospheric museum is housed in a historic fishing shed on Sheringham's seafront.
The wonderfully complete 14th century brick-vaulted refectory undercroft - later a cottage occupied until 1902 - of a small Augustinian priory.
It is dedicated to Olaf, the 11th century king and patron saint of Norway whose stark Christian message was ‘baptism or death’.
A Story of Crime and Punishment
Take a journey through crime and punishment in Great Yarmouth in one of England’s oldest prisons. Learn of the fates of thieves, smugglers, witches, pirates and murderers. Hear both gaoler and prisoners tell their stories of transportation, incarceration and execution.
Visit one of Norfolk's best and largest extant marsh mills, built to grind a constituent of cement and in use until 1951, finally pumping water to drain surrounding marshland.
One of the largest, best preserved and most lavishly decorated keeps in England, surrounded by 20 acres of mighty earthworks.
Begun in 1138 by William d'Albini for his new wife, the widow of Henry I, in the 14th century it became the luxurious exile-place of Queen Isabella, widow (and alleged murderess) of Edward II.
Owned and managed by Lord Howard of Rising.
A Norfolk hero remembered
Coxswain Henry Blogg (1876-1954) was the RNLI's most decorated lifeboat man. During his 53 years of service Blogg was awarded three Gold and four Silver RNLI medals for gallantry, as well as the George Cross and British Empire Medal.
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