The Whitechapel Bell Foundry is the oldest manufacturing company in Britain and was the birthplace of Big Ben, the great bell of the Palace Of Westminster. Founded in 1570, it still produces and supplies bells all over the country.
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
Britain's oldest manufacturing company, having been established in 1570 (during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I) and being in continuous business since that date
The Magic Circle headquarters hosts a remarkable museum and library dedicated to preserving the craft of magic.
Fans, their history and how they are made
The Fan Museum holds a world-renowned collection of fans and fan leaves which include the splendid Hélène Alexander Collection and further acquisitions, gifts and bequests which have been received since the museum opened to the public over twenty years ago.
If you’ve always dreamed of travelling in time, this museum is ideal for you
The Geffrye collects objects, images and texts in order to explore the history of English homes from 1600 to the present day.
The Museum of Teapots
We have over 6,700 teapots on display in our exhibition that is open to the public for a small charge and you can purchase a memento from our shop to take home with you to remind you of your day with us.
See and hear the fascinating world of mechanical musical instruments.
That magical musical atmosphere that has been lost and forgotten in today's digital age.
In addition to our two theatre organs, the Organ Theatre contains a unique collection of mechanical (self-playing) musical instruments that our founder, Mr. Charles Hart, began collecting nearly half a century ago.
Visit one of Scotland's most impressive ruined castles
Visit Dunnottar Castle for an unforgettable experience. A dramatic and evocative ruined cliff top fortress in a truly stunning setting.
Eureka! is a unique place for families and groups to visit, where children aged 0 to 11 are inspired to learn all about themselves and the world around them by playing, imagining, experimenting and – above all – having fun, with the caring grown-ups in their lives.
A small local museum in a town once described as a full-flavoured fisher town. Buckhaven’s past importance in the East Coast Fisheries is reflected in the displays housed above Buckhaven Library. Free admission, open as Library.
St Andrews, the home of golf, is also home to the British Golf Museum.
The museum has over 16,000 exhibits telling the story of golf from its origins in the Middle Ages to the present day.
Learning at the British Golf Museum
The Bell Pettigrew Museum is the University's zoology museum. It is a rare survival of a Victorian teaching museum, and wonderfully atmospheric.
The displays, which include examples of several extinct species, are arranged to allow the evolutionary and taxonomic relationships between animals to be clearly understood.
Schools
Restored overshot watermill with threshing machinery and various agricultural artefacts. Set on a working farm. A 10 minute video shows the mill in action. The local history of the area and agriculture is displayed. Craft/souvenir shop. Toilets and tourist information point.
The Crofthouse Museum takes visitors back to a time where life’s essentials were of a bare minimum. The House, barn and byre are all accessible under one roof and everything, from the floors to the kitchen appliances, is made with materials found and collected.
Yell is the stepping stone island to Unst and Fetlar and is also home of the Old Haa Museum. Here, the history of the island, including the whaling years and shipwrecks are summarised along with natural history, genealogy and a picture and sound archive.
A dynamic community-run museum on one of Shetland’s remoter islands. Displays on crofting and the sea are complemented by early film and storytelling recordings, and interactive multimedia displays bring to life the island’s natural and cultural history.
George Waterson, the former Scottish Director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, co-founded the Bird Observatory in 1948. Dr Waterson’s Memorial is a fascinating museum in the former Fair Isle School, which studies local social history and particularly the famous knitting traditions and patterns, plus natural history and archaeology.
Chronicalling the Shetland Bus Operations
Scalloway Museum is owned by a charity, the Shetland Bus Friendship Society (SBFS), and run by volunteers. The charity was formed in 2001, to instate a memorial to those who served and died in Shetland Bus operations during World War II. The memorial was unveiled in 2003. The group continued, and went on to achieve the museum you see before you today.
Visit Unst Heritage Centre in Haroldswick and discover the unique story of Unst, the northernmost island in the UK.
Bearing in mind Unst’s special position as the northernmost outpost of the UK, the centre has a display about the lighthouse at Muckle Flugga, and a range of interpretive displays about geology, crofting, fine lace knitwear, the Shelties, etc.
This 18th century fishing böd, located on the outskirts of Lerwick, is the birthplace of Arthur Anderson, co-founder of the P&O shipping company. Two rooms have been restored to how they looked 200 years ago, in the time of Arthur’s childhood. They also contain displays explaining the history of the whitefish industry at that time, when the böd was a fishing station house and warehouse.
Different aspects of life in Northmavine through the years are illustrated by using a mixture of artefacts and photographs. Part of the display has a new theme every year.
Maritime History of Shetland
The Boat Haven is dedicated to the maritime history of Shetland boats.
The collection consists of original wooden boats of various
types that have been in use over the past one hundred and forty
years.
Old tools, fishing gear, documents etc bring to live the era of fishing at
the Far Haaf in open boats and the herring fishing at its peak in 1905.
A community museum addressing many aspects of local history, including crofiting, fishing, Viking occupation, blackhouses, trades and crafts, archaeology and finds, and the Lewis Chessmen, with extensive genealogical information.
The Kildonan Centre in South Uist is a heritage and cultural amenity which includes a museum, a
Situated literally on the on the seas edge in the village of Lochmaddy, on the Isle of North Uist, Taigh Chearsabhagh welcomes countless visitors each year to experience the arts, culture and heritage of the Uists. The centre is focus for life in North Uist and dedicates itself to a constantly changing programme of heritage and art exhibitions.
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British schoolgirl assaulted on school trip to Iceland
A viral video shows a black girl being assaulted by a white woman in a corridor.
Police in Iceland are investigating after a British schoolgirl was slapped and chased by a tour guide in a hotel corridor.
The schoolgirl, 13, who attended Harris Girls’ Academy, was assaulted whilst on a school trip to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. The incident occurred at Hotel Örk, Hveragerdi on 13th October.