When walking into the celebrated Cathedral Close in Salisbury, visitors step back into a past world, and on entering Mompesson House, featured in the award-winning film Sense and Sensibility, the feeling of leaving the modern world behind is deepened.
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
The Heritage Centre is the ideal place to come to find out about Bude and the surrounding area before setting out to explore the town, canal wharf, beaches and to take lovely cliff walks.
One of the most complete surviving friaries of Dominican 'black friars' in England, later converted into a Tudor house and cloth factory. Notable features include the church and the fine scissor-braced dormitory roof.
Home of the exciting museum and exhibition dedicated to the 2 Tone record label and its bands The Specials, The Selecter, Madness,The Beat et al.
Handsome 17th-century merchant's house with walled garden
This beautiful 17th-century merchant's house is a hidden gem in London, a place of unique charm and ambience.
Lady Binning bought the house in 1936 and filled it with her highly decorative collections of porcelain, Georgian furniture and 17th-century needlework.
One of Norfolk and England’s greatest heroes
The Nelson Museum celebrates the life and times of Admiral Lord Nelson. Find out about his remarkable naval career, the sea battles he won, his Norfolk childhood, scandalous love life and untimely death at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Packed with dramatic and moving details the museum also offers ships' games, family fun days and a garden for picnics.
This 'Castle of the Rock' is famous for its spectacular views, which take in no less than eight counties on a clear day.
The MCC Museum was opened by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh in 1953 and is one of the oldest sporting museums in the world.
Come and find out about the Scottish Parliament. We've got games, stuff to help you with coursework, posters for the walls of classrooms and lots more!
Our education programmes are run for schools, colleges and other educational groups who are interested in finding out more about the work of Parliament.
Visit Churchill War Rooms to discover the original Cabinet War Rooms, the wartime bunker that sheltered Churchill and his government during the Blitz. Explore the historic rooms to experience the secret history that lives on underground.
A walking tour of Stratford upon Avon with William Shakespeare is fun for every age. He will relate stories of his life, whilst passing all the notable sites: his birthplace, Halls Croft, Nash's House, The Grammar School, the theatre and grave.
A unique experience: two treasure hunt style walks of discovery to keep the whole family intrigued and amused. Keep the kids happy answering clues and matching pictures, whilst reading stories about this surprising, often overlooked city. Buy the booklet from our website and explore in your own time.
Walk 1: Theatre to Cathedral
A fun way to explore the small and historic town of Kenilworth in the green heart of Warwickshire. Follow the Trail, solve the clues and see the sights!
enilworth is home to the ruins of England’s most important lake fortress which Queen Elizabeth I visited on several occasions.
Frogmore House has been a favourite royal retreat for more than 300 years. Built in the 17th century, it became royal property when it was purchased for George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte, in 1792. It is no longer an occupied royal residence, but is frequently used by the Royal Family for private entertaining.
Belfast City Hall is Belfast City Council's civic building. It is located in Donegall Square, in the heart of Belfast city centre. It first opened its doors on 1 August 1906.
he King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Museum received £204,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the refurbishment of this re-telling of the story of this famous regiment which was founded in 1757. Generous contributions towards the cost of the project were also received from the Regimental Trustees and the Friends of Doncaster Museums
Late 18th-century thatched house in gentrified vernacular style
An elegant 18th-century thatched cottage with its peculiar gentrified vernacular style.
A rich history and delightful walks can be had by those who explore the property in Bessbrook, Co. Armagh.
Home of Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge
The 17th-century cottage was home to Coleridge for three years, from 1797. It was during his time here in Somerset that Coleridge wrote his finest works, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Frost at Midnight, The Nightingale, Cristabel and This Lime Tree Bower my Prison.
Beautifully placed between the city of York and the town of Malton , the riverside ruins of Kirkham Priory are set in the beautiful Derwent valley near the Yorkshire Wolds.
At this peaceful tourist attraction, learn all about the secret visit of Winston Churchill during World War II and unlock the connection between Helmsley Castle and the priory.
The most thought-provoking museum in the Lakes
Coniston is a prime example of a place where nature and history, environment and man meet in a topographical dimension and together generate culture. The Ruskin Museum is Coniston’s Cabinet of Curiosities, which features: a Lake and a Mountain, a Prophet for the Millennium, a real Boy’s Own Hero and Swallows and Amazons.
15th-century mill beside a tranquil mill pool
This charming rustic mill is one of only four virtually complete corn mills in Cheshire. Take a guided tour of Nether Alderley Mill, and learn all about the process of milling and hear fascinating stories about the lives of the millers.
The Scott Monument is the largest monument to a writer in the world. It commemorates Sir Walter Scott.
There are 287 steps to the top of the Scott Monument, from where you can enjoy breathtaking views of Edinburgh and the surrounding countryside. Find out about Sir Walter Scott and the monument in the museum room.
A manor house built from the remains of a Norman hall
Horton Court lies in a valley in the South Cotswolds. Originally a Norman hall, now a manor house, it has an interesting and diverse history.
Looking for a fun and interesting way to explore Warwickshire? The Stratford-upon-Avon Trail is one of many in the area. These fun treasure hunts will teach you fascinating facts and show you some beautiful scenery. Enjoy a family walk and solve an intriguing mystery at the same time.
Kit's Coty House and its neighbour, Little Kit's Coty House, are the remains of two megalithic 'dolmen' barrow burial chambers standing in open fields.
The sites offer fine long views across the North Downs and Medway Valley.
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