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!
Part of Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site, this is the only Cornish beam engine anywhere in the world that is still in steam on its original mine site.
The famous Levant engine is housed in a small engine house perched on the edge of the cliffs.
Discover to the Key to England on a fantastic educational trip visit Dover Castle!
New: Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk.
Explore the Secret Wartime Tunnels deep beneath the castle to see, hear and feel - as never before!
The last working water-powered forge in the country nestles in the middle of Sticklepath village on the edge of Dartmoor, near Okehampton. During lively demonstrations see and hear the large water wheel and tilt hammers in action. Demonstrations of the machinery every hour.
Denny Abbey has a unique and fascinating history.
Founded in 1159 as a Benedictine monastery, it then became a retirement home for elderly Knights Templars. After the Templars’ suppression for alleged heresy in 1308, it became a convent of Franciscan nuns before becoming a farm from 1539 and the dissolution of the monasteries, until the 1960s.
Drayton Manor is a fun-filled theme park near Tamworth with rides like Apocalypse, Maelstrom and Pandemonium, animals and of course Thomas Land, home of Thomas the Tank Engine. There's even a 4D cinema and a Dino Trail.
School Visits
These unique gold mines are set amid wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley.
2,000 years ago, the powerful Romans left behind a glimpse of gold-mining methods. The harsh mining environment continued in the 19th and 20th centuries, ending in 1938.
Guided tours take you back to experience the conditions of the Roman, Victorian and 1930s underground workings.
Quainton Windmill is a great place for kids to learn about the history of windmills and this one in particular.
It was originally restored in the 1970s but is currently undergoing further restoration at the moment, (which means the sails have been removed)but it is still an interesting place to visit.
Created at the site of Staffordshire's Apedale Mine, offering an underground mine experience, with informative museum, café and gift shop.
We are located in North Staffordshire’s Apedale Community Country Park in an area that was once an industrial powerhouse.
A beautiful medieval site with public access for walks and picnics. We run family-focused events through the year, whether it's history, wildlife and environment or archaeology, there's something for everyone to learn and have fun too!
Cwmmau Farmhouse is a timbered farmhouse boasting many original features, including stone-tiled roofs and vernacular barns.
Come and explore this quintissentially rustic English farmhouse on one of the eight days throughout the year when it is open, or stay for a long weekend when the farmhouse is open as a holiday cottage.
Extensive collections of buses, and battery electric vehicles. Cafe/Shop/Picnic area. Kids Kabin activities. On event days (bank holidays etc) there are classic bus rides and a miniature steam railway.
The spectacular entrance is the largest to any cave in Britain. See rope making, the remains of an underground village and find out why it is called "The Devil's Arse"! Guided tours suitable for all ages.
Unusual rock formations, the eerie sound of running water and echoes of a bygone age await you.
Donnington Castle stands overlooking the Lambourn Valley in an important strategic position commanding the crossing of major north–south and east–west routes.
The striking twin-towered 14th-century gatehouse of this castle, later the focus of a Civil War siege and battle, survives amid impressive earthworks.
Welcome to the Wedgwood Visitor Centre, set in over 240 acres in the heart of the Staffordshire countryside.
Pottery History
Exeter’s world-class museum has stunning new displays and galleries, fabulous exhibitions and modern amenities. Its spectacular Victorian building links the modern commercial city centre bustle on Queen Street with the city’s historic past.
The largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain, used for entertainment and military training by the 20th Legion, based at the fortress of 'Deva' (Chester).
Excavations by English Heritage and Chester City Council in 2004-5 revealed two successive stone-built amphitheatres with wooden seating.
Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland from its position on the Castle Rock.
Discover Highhlights:
The new Library of Birmingham is a stunning building both inside and out. Here you can:
Goodrich boasts one of the most complete sets of medieval domestic buildings surviving in any English castle.
Goodrich stands majestically on a wooded hill commanding the passage of the River Wye into the picturesque valley of Symonds Yat. The castle was begun in the late 11th century, by the English landowner Godric who gave it his name.
In 1973 the Royal Institution opened a museum dedicated to Michael Faraday. It is in the main Royal Institution building in Albemarle Street. It is free and is open to the public during weekday office hours.
At the Royal Victoria Park there are a wide range of activities that you can enjoy.
Wildlife and Habitats
Escape to a rural retreat just a few miles south-west of Bristol, where'll you discover fantastic views from the ridge across the Severn estuary to Wales and north back to Bristol. Enjoy peaceful woodlands and babbling brooks.
With an enviable setting in the ancient precinct of the magnificent 12th-century Melrose Abbey, this delightfully rustic walled garden has three distinct areas to explore.
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.