Set high on the rugged North Cornwall coast, visitors can enjoy dramatic sea views from the castle ruins on the headland and island. Steeped in myths and mystery, this is a spectacular place which has inspired artists and writers throughout history who have associated it with the legend of King Arthur and the story of Tristan and Isolde (Yseult).
Early Years (2-4)
Early Years (2-4)
In recent years there has been a cultural shift in our society that has reduced the access and use of outdoors for many young children.
A number of factors are blamed, including increased fear amongst adults in relation to children’s safety, anxieties about the threat of abduction, and technological advances leading to an overwhelming prominence of more sedentary indoor activities, such as television and computer games. However, the developmental needs of young children have remained constant and the outdoor environment continues to be essential to their health, development and well-being. Therefore, regular opportunities for sustained periods of play in a rich and stimulating outdoor environment offer a wide range of benefits to babies, toddlers and young children.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum, which covers children aged birth to the end of the Reception year, became statutory in September 2008 and places strong emphasis on the importance and value of daily outdoor experiences for children’s learning and development.
Learning outside the classroom supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles by offering children opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement, and promoting a sense of well-being. It gives them contact with the natural world and offers them experiences that are unique to outdoors, such as direct contact with the weather and the seasons. Outdoor play also supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.
And, of course, the outdoor environment offers more space than indoors and therefore is particularly important to those children who learn best through active movement. For many children, playing outdoors at their early years setting may be the only opportunity they have to play safely and freely while they learn to assess risk and develop the skills to manage new situations.
While many of these experiences will take place on-site, outdoor learning may also take place within the local community, for example a walk to the bakery, or past the building site on the way to the park. These off-site ‘expeditions’ offer both children and adults a catalyst for play and conversations. Ultimately, play and learning that flow seamlessly between indoors and outdoors make the most efficient use of resources and build on interests and enthusiasms. Forest Schools are growing in popularity across the UK and are increasingly offered as part of the early years curriculum in schools and settings.
Finally, parental involvement in children’s learning is particularly important in the early years as parents and carers are the child’s first educators. Early years settings, including children’s centres, are increasingly involving parents in developing and using their outdoor areas and in supporting other outdoor learning opportunities.
Suitable Venues
Castle Fraser is an atmospheric baronial castle dating back to the 15th century and was the ancestral home of the Fraser family. School trips can be arranged over the phone at any time of the year. If the tour is arranged out of season there will be a small fee to cover the cost of staff.
Ancient naked figure sculpted into the chalk hillside above Cerne Abbas
Standing at 180ft tall, this is Britain's largest chalk hill figure. It is also our most controversial.
Many theories surround the giant's identity. Is it an ancient symbol of spirituality? The Greco-Roman hero Hercules? Or a mockery of Oliver Cromwell? Local folklore has long held it to be an aid to fertility.
Whether you are looking for a trip down memory lane, a chance to learn something new, a peaceful stroll through nature or a nice cup of tea and a cake, Hartlebury Castle has it all. Hosting exciting events throughout the year a great day out for all the family.
The Bachelor's Club was one of the historic places which poet Robert Burns and his pals would while away the hours chewing over the topics of the day.
A visit to this authentically restored house, now converted into a museum chronicling the formative years of one of Scotland's greatest literary talents, is a must for any Burns enthusiast.
The British Library is a treasure trove of the written word, housing just about every famous manuscript you can think of.
Here you can find:
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The Gutenburg Bible
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Caxton's Chaucer
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Shakespeare's Quartos
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Magna Carta
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Lindisfarne Gospels
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Captain Scott's Diary
Magnificent late Victorian country house with gardens and wooded estate
Lanhydrock is the perfect country house and estate, with the feel of a wealthy but unpretentious family home.
This winter take a stroll around the extensive gardens and enjoy the year-round colour. There are beautiful herbaceous borders, a fabulous formal parterre and colourful higher gardens.
14th-century tower built to assert the authority of the Abbot of Furness Abbey
The 14th-century tower known as Dalton Castle was formerly the manorial courthouse of Furness Abbey. Here the abbott exercised his right to hold manorial courts and administer justice within the lordship of Furness, as authorised by the abbey's foundation charter of 1127.
Inextricably linked with the most powerful and ambitious men and women of the medieval period, the castle's history reads like a medieval who's who, full of murder, marriages of convenience, double crossing and devious alliances.
Long an important historic centre, today Hemyock Castle offers a warm welcome for Visitors, Schools, and Groups.
The privately owned site is a scheduled Ancient Monument, opened to the public on Bank Holiday Mondays (2 to 5 pm) between Easter and September. Schools and groups are welcome to arrange special visits.
Be charmed by a stylish royal residence with a foothold in history.
From the King's Gallery, designed by Wiliam Kent, to George II's state apartments to the Queen's state apartments, once used by Mary II for relaxation opulence abounds at Kensington Palace.
The Palace was also home to Queen Victoria and, of course, Princess Diana.
Enjoy a walk along the tranquil Dart Estuary
A beautiful area with stunning views over the River Dart estuary and Start Bay.
In spring and summer the coastal paths are ablaze with colour from wild flowers. Walk up to Gallants Bower to discover the Royalist Civil War fort and keep an eye out for the greater spotted woodpecker.
Gallants Bower
Tudor hunting lodge to fashionable home, set in a spectacular estate
Newark Park stands proud on top of the Cotswold escarpment, looking down into the Ozleworth valley to the Mendips beyond. This remote corner of south Gloucestershire is a secret and unspoilt place, with barely a sign of modern life visible in any direction. A place of architectural intrigue, quaint gardens and sprawling parkland there is much to see and do at Newark.
Glittering Elizabethan mansion
Montacute is a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design. With its towering walls of glass, glow of ham stone, and its surrounding gardens it is a place of beauty and wonder.
This beautifully conserved dwelling and byre in Glen Lochay, near Killin, offers a unique insight into rural life in 19th-century and early 20th century Scotland.
There are 5 jointed and pegged cruck couples, two of which can be viewed easily in the byre end of the house.
Discover 300 years of Scottish history through this magnificent and carefully conserved neo-Palladian villa. Newhailes is famed for having some of the finest rococo interiors in Scotland.
Learning Officer and Ranger Service available. Your visit duration and content can be tailored to individual school's needs.
Spanning nine acres of land on its rocky plateau high above the Northumberland coastline, Bamburgh is one of the largest inhabited castles in the country.
Get your hands inky at this living museum of a thriving printing firm in the Borders, whose premises were more or less unchanged for over a century.
Try your hand at being a printer's apprentice to learn the almost forgotten art of letterpress printing and typesetting.
Schools are welcomed and visits are very much tailored to suit the needs and requirements of the school.
Bovey Castle is history, excitement, glamour, adventure and the perfect retreat.
Where else can you wear your Hunter wellies at 8am, golf spikes at 3pm and Manolo Blahniks for dinner? But while we offer our guests luxury and indulgence, this isn't a stuffy hotel where you can’t sit on the furniture or let your kids enjoy themselves.
An ancient castle and comfortable country home with dramatic vistas and subtropical gardens
Dramatically sited on a wooded hill, a castle has existed here since at least Norman times, with an impressive medieval gatehouse and ruined tower giving a reminder of its turbulent history.
The castle that you see today became a lavish country home during the 19th century for the Luttrell family, who lived here for 600 years.
The Natural History Museum is home to life and earth science specimens comprising some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology.
This is where the Shakespeare story began.
Shakespeare's Birthplace has been welcoming visitors for over 250 years. This is the house where William Shakespeare was born, grew up and played. He ate meals in the hall and he slept and dreamt in these rooms. Shakespeare also spent the first five years of married life in this house with his new wife, Anne Hathaway.
This park provides an attractive gateway into Sandwell being located off the busy Hagley Road Junction, with beautiful Shakespeare Gardens. Work on a national lottery application is currently underway to restore the Grade II listed bandstand, Grade II listed house and the landscape.
Beautiful Georgian town house
Built in 1753, Lawrence House is leased to Launceston Town Council and used as a local museum and civic centre.
The museum is spread over three floors with exhibits that focus predominantly on local history including Launceston's intriguing association with Australia.
This restored historic 18th-century cottage near Glasgow vividly recreates the living and working conditions of a typical handloom weaver. See how a traditional tartan was made 200 years ago, completely by hand using original equipment in a unique setting.
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