Been there, done that?

Have you ever seen a photo online, checked the location and thought 'hang on, I've been there but I've never seen THAT!'

Recently, I posted on social media about a walk we did on our local hill (Cleeve Hill) and I have honestly never had so many comments and DMs telling me that they loved the hill, but had never seen the spots in my photos! So how can you have brand new experiences when you've already been somewhere? 

1. Just get out there!

The first time we walked there, years ago, we just followed the path to the masts and then directly back to the car. That's how most of our 'new' adventures start, with the most obvious.

2. Explore more.

After a couple of walks there, we started noticing adventure spots. Hedges Honey could get inside, little rock formations she could climb and then small quarries where we stacked stones, made words out of rocks and searched for fossils.

 

3. Go further.

Fast forward to lockdown and we started extending our usual walks. Our old end point became our halfway point and we found Prestbury Hill Nature Reserve, a gorgeous cluster of excellent climbing trees, complete with rope swings (which have since been taken down) and stunning views over Cheltenham. 

4. See what you're missing! 

Lastly (although perhaps this should have come first), I checked the location tags on social media and we had a good look at the map in the car park. Turns out that there were still some landmarks that we hadn't seen and we made our way to The Washpool, the best spot yet!

We're not done with Cleeve Hill* yet, there are still paths we haven't been down, which means more new places to discover. Remember not to discount places just because you've been there before.

*Parking charges will apply from 24th July onwards.

National Trust Membership, is it worth it?

In short yes. In long, here's the lowdown, including a spreadsheet I made, detailing our most recent year of National Trust adventures…

When did we use it?

We mostly used it for days out from home, driving anything from 20 minutes to an hour and a quarter to get to our destination of the day. 

Another great way we used our National Trust membership is for low cost days out when holidaying in the UK. Use the NT app or guidebook to find properties and locations close to where you are staying.

Free car parking is another great bonus of National Trust membership. There are so many beautiful walks to follow on National Trust land. Baggy Point is a favourite of ours down in Devon, we also love Sandymouth.

Finally, who needs a service station when you can stop and picnic in a stunning garden or treat the family to homemade cake in an NT cafe? Free parking  and entry by scanning your card and you can stay as long as you like (especially useful if you have a later check in).

Westbury Court NT

How much did it cost?

Well, technically it didn’t cost us anything, as the membership was a family Christmas gift from my parents, but a 2 parent family membership costs £133 per year (£11.99 per month). There are also options for 1 parent families, as well as individual memberships. Costings can be found on the National Trust website.

Coughton Court NT

How much would we have spent if we had to pay at each location?

£498.05, which is £364.25 more than our family membership cost! Sometimes, my husband was at work, so I have worked with the cost of a 1 adult family in those instances.

Are there lots of extra costs?

The main extra cost is eating and drinking. The majority of the time, we took our own food and refillable bottles then ate on the laws or at picnic tables. Lots of properties have covered picnic facilities for rainy days too. All the cafes have a water point, where you can fill up your bottles free of charge. 

During the summer, we sometimes bought an ice cream from an on-site vendor and the times we did eat in one of the cafes, the food was delicious and not extortionate.

The other time you may want to spend, is in the gift shop. There are always beautiful books, fabulous cards and lots of locally sourced arts and crafts available. They’re usually situated near the exit, but it’s often possible to bypass them if you have magpies!

Croome NT

Your NT checklist:

✅Join online to save time when you arrive at your first property.

✅Don’t forget your card so you can scan it for free parking at many places.

✅A fully charged phone or camera do capture your team enjoying the stunning surroundings.

✅Weather appropriate clothing.

✅A picnic and snacks

✅Reusable water bottles.

✅A bag for dirty outerwear (the big, blue Ikea ones are great).

✅Clean shoes for the car.

✅Start your own hashtag or photo book so you can look back on your adventures, ours is #teamgoresnationaltrustadventures

Conwy Suspension Bridge

I'm sure we will buy National Trust membership again in the future, although we're taking a break this year so we can explore some of the venues on offer through Historic Houses membership (which was a Christmas gift from my Mother in Law). A top tip I have come across recently, is to join the Scottish National Trust as their membership options are cheaper, yet you can still visit sites cared for by the National Trust worldwide (including England). 

5 Free (or cheap) Days Out in Gloucestershire...

A big thank you to Jamie from savvyjamie.co.uk, who has written a guest post about her favourite budget friendly, Gloucestershire days out. We haven't been to the sculpture trail yet, but can vouch for how much fun the other options are for families!

Entertaining little ones can get pricey, so here are my 5 favourite things to do in Gloucestershire for free.

1. Head to The Jet Age Museum

Your little budding pilots will LOVE a visit to The Jet Age Museum. With lots of aviation history from around Gloucestershire, full-sized planes in their warehouse-style museum, and small single-pilot planes that can be sat in. There is also a Hawker Siddeley Trident airliner that you can book a free tour of (older children here as there is a height restriction). The museum is free but does ask for a donation. There is also an onsite café and a small gift shop full of reasonably-priced plane memorabilia. 

2. Visit Museum in the Park

This eclectic museum sits right in the heart of Stratford Park in Stroud. The museum also has a traditional “walled garden” which is perfect for playing Peter Rabbit! The museum also has a small giftshop and a coffee shop. Once you are done browsing the museum, talk a walk around Stratford Park and take in the Sensory Garden, dance in the bandstand, or feed the ducks (food is available at the museum).

3. Explore the Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

Download your free trail map and get ready for adventure. There are 16 sculptures to find and explore. The Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail is 4.5 miles long, but there are shorter routes too. Car parking is £3 and the trail is free.

4. Wander around Gloucester Docks

With the guarantee of seeing boats, who wouldn’t love a visit to the docks. With added excitement like watching the bridge go up, or seeing boats being repaired out of the water – the docks can be a great day out. It’s home to award-winning National Waterways Museum and the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum. There are also plenty of coffee shops and it’s located right next to the outlet shopping centre, Gloucester Quays. 

5. Check out St James City Farm

Who would believe that right in the centre of Gloucester is a sweet little farm?! Well, you better believe it. St James City Farm is home to rabbits, pigs, sheep, chickens, horses and more. Get up close and hands-on at this charity farm where entry is free!

One Enchanted Board Game...

 AD|Enchanted Forest Game Gifted by Ravensburger

Whether it's your Dad always winning at snap, your Granny cheating at chess or your little brother sending the counters flying, most of us have memories of playing board games as a child.

Here are 5 reasons why playing board games as a family still stands the rest of time…

1. Playing board games like Enchanted Forest allows little ones to practise taking turns. The rule book helps here, in this case, stating that the youngest player starts first (this cut cries of "it's not fair, I wanted to go first"). Playing games with your child affords you the opportunity to model how to wait your turn, teach your child how to know when it’s their turn (eg it’s your turn after Mummy) and also lead by example with encouraging words and praise for others while you wait for a go. 

2. Board games come in many different shapes, sizes and guises and most board help to teach life skills in some way. Enchanted Forest uses two dice, which encourages counting and number recognition. It also focusses on strategy, problem solving, matching and honing memory skills.

3. As well as the inevitable frustrations, playing games together can also lead to so many different conversations and much fun and laughter. Playing games is a great way to spend quality time together.

4. Board games are available based on so many different themes, which makes them ideal to explore a favourite topic or interest. Honey and Ace are huge storybook fans and they love spending time in the woods, so I knew Enchanted Forest would pique their interest. The game has 3D pieces, as well as a colourfully illustrated board and I can imagine them playing it 'in real life' and hunting for the King's treasure next time we go out for a walk! 

5. Nobody is left out, you can find a game for any size of group and most can be adapted to suit a range of ages, even if it’s simply teaming a young child up with an older child or adult. 

If you fancy getting the family together and competing to rule the kingdom, Enchanted Forest is available from Smyths Toys Superstores (RRP £15.99).