The most adventurous and fun way to learn about history may not always be found in textbooks. For us the best history lessons remain the ones we discover ourselves and this summer English Heritage has been a great start when it comes to bringing the story of England to life. Whenever I run out of ideas for a family day out I turn to the English Heritage website and job done! Last browsing session took us to Wrest Park which is only about an hour away from London and its amazing gardens are pretty breathtaking no matter the season.
Woodland walks, a brilliant playground for the kiddies, great food, very welcoming stuff, you’ll find it all here! Whichever is the reason you feel like you need a break from the big city life, Wrest Park is made of 92 acres of award-winning gardens, plus, mums, mums to be or new mums, you can’t beat the cool workout if spending the entire day here just walking around. The kids’ bedtime becomes a breeze, too. I was absolutely amazed not only by the breathtaking gardens which are a dramatic showcase of three centuries of landscape design, but expect serpentine waterways, classical statues and stunning graded buildings.
The children had fun looking for fairies and after a scrumptious lunch there (with lots of locally produced ingredients, you have to try the local ice-cream!!), they played for hours in the most creative playground we’ve ever been to – this is pretty much a garden filled with lots of pear and apple trees, surrounded by lavender and veggie crops.
So, next time you’re planning a day out, you might as well check English Heritage for a variety of family ideas; there is so much to choose from as it cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites – from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker.
Can’t wait for our next adventure: planning it all out: Hadrian’s Wall, Dover Castle, Whitby Abbey and Osborne are just a few to still be ticked on our English lessons list.
