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!

Six Second Rule...

 AD| Gifted for review

Six Second Scribbles proves that good things come in small packages! With Christmas coming up fast, read on to find out the top 5 reasons why you should be adding this game to your list this year!

1.  NO PLASTIC!

That’s right, from the postal packaging, to everything inside the box, it’s all recyclable! No plastic wrapping (paper bands to keep the cards together instead), no sellotape (just a well fitting lid), no plastic bags (pencils slotted inside a small, cardboard box in lieu of these). Brilliant, well done guys!

2.  The size of the box. 
If you know me, you’ll know that I LOVE things to be neat and tidy and I hate unwieldy boxes that don’t fit easily into any of our storage spots! Not a problem here, measuring just 12cm x 9cm, this sturdy, little box slots neatly into any drawer or cupboard with room to spare. 

3.  Its portability.
Related to point number one I suppose, but this game is perfect for popping in a handbag or backpack for fun on the go. Everything you need fits into the box, the only addition needed is a timer, which can be found on any smartphone. Think killing time in a restaurant while waiting for food, or taking it to a friend’s house for a play date.

4. Its adaptability.
It doesn’t matter how young, old or (un)artistic you are, there’s a way for you to play. With three levels of cards available, easy, tricky and almost impossible, there should be something that appeals to everyone from toddlers, to even the most proficient (or competitive) artists! Six Second Scribbles is also a fab way to get reluctant writers practising their skills. Short words and phrases will keep those writing muscles working over the weekends and holidays, and they won't even realise!

5. The fun packaging and clear rules.
Even though she'd never heard of Six Second Scribbles before, from the moment this game landed on our doorstep, my daughter has been desperate to play it… why? The packaging is bright, eye-catching and very exciting! I also appreciated the clearly set out rules, complete with suggested adaptations for youngsters and the encouragement to make the game our own, with your own rule tweaks and changes.

We have had great time playing Six Second Scribbles so far and look forward to introducing it to friends and family over the festive period... bring on games night! If you'd like to find out more or browse Gamely's full range of games, head to Gamely's website. Sign up to their newsletter for 15% off your first order.

Down by The Bay...

When my husband was a teen, he joined a canoe club and each year, they would head down to North Devon for the early May Bank Holiday and spend the weekend camping and kayaking. He continued this tradition well into adulthood and when kayaking no longer held an interest for him, was so in love with the area that he continued to travel down there and enjoy the local area instead.

Fast forward a few years and I found myself invited on one of these weekends and fell in love instantly (with the area, not my then boyfriend, I was already long gone on that front)! We have returned each year ever since and even got engaged down there in 2011, which makes it an even more special place for us.

We camp on a site called Easewell Farm, which is one of the Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks. The great thing about it, is that we get the peace of a quiet site, with the opportunity to visit the other sites in the group if we want a bit more action. 

Easewell Farm:
Really quiet. 
Children's play area with climbing frame and swings (most suited to 5+ but younger children will be able to access if helped by an adult).
Small pool.
Large toilet and shower block (with baby bath and changing area).
On site cafe and takeaway.
On site bar with entertainment.
Small shop.
Small amusement arcade.
Washing up facilities.

Twitchen House:
Kids club.
Kids discos.
Evening entertainment.
Cinema.
Larger children's play area with a range of equipment to suit all ages.
A wider range of shops.
Paint your own pottery.
Indoor and outdoor pools.
Outdoor activities.

Woolacombe Bay:
Small soft play (very recently refurbished so no longer smells of feet).
Large amusement arcade.
Large, modern bar with stunning views from the terrace.
Large pool plus kids pool with awesome water play area.
Gym.
Large Nisa shop.

Golden Coast:
Launderette.
Bowling Alley.
Soft play.
Pool (with super cute beach hut changing rooms).
Large bar
Pool shop.
Amusement arcade.
Indoor surfing.
High ropes course.

These are the facilities we have made use of at each site over the years, there's loads more we haven't explored yet, so head over to the Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks website if any of them sound like what you're looking for!

The open top bus is definitely worth a ride, we paid £5 per adult (children under 5 are free) and the ticket was valid for the whole of our stay. The journey takes quite a bit longer than simply driving into town as it stops at all the parks in the group, but the scenery is beautiful and you don't have to pay for parking when you get there!

In town, our days revolve around food. Pasties, milkshakes, waffles, pizza and cheesy chips, whatever you fancy, we can tell you the best place to go! Once we're fed, the only question is do we turn left or right when we get on to the beach (we're team right by the way ;-).

Honey and Ace wear... Woolacombe Bay hoodies by Shore 2 Surf

House in the Tree...

It was my birthday on Monday and I used it as an excuse to visit The House in The Tree on Hayden Road. It's somewhere I've only ever been to years ago for a quick drink but I've been intrigued by its family friendly reputation for the past few years.

The pub is well set up for children, high chairs are readily available and the children's menu is well thought out (jelly and ice cream as a pudding option = winner). When the weather's good, the adventure playground complete with adjacent ice cream hut and beer garden is sure to be a sun trap and the on site petting zoo is a lovely idea.  

The adult menu is varied and there's a nice range of specials too. The portions are large and most importantly, our lunches were absolutely delicious! 

Honey wears... Coral cardigan by Mini Boden