Not just for kids: 20 family days out to suit all ages
cake, she says. It’s also essential this summer that a day out together is a safecation. We must follow government guidance when meeting up with extended family, continues Monaghan, practicing social distancing and hand hygiene and avoiding crowded spaces.
Many visitor attractions have new restrictions that have been put in place. At National Trust properties, for example, visitors will need to book tickets online in advance and many of the days out listed here have the same policy.
North Perrott Fruit Farm: sites.google.com/site/ northperrottfruitfarm/
To find your local pick-your-own, see pickyourownfarms.org.uk
Asian elephants at Whipsnade, below; punting on the River Cam, above
GO BACK IN TIME
English Heritage sites provide interactive elements for the youngest children and fascinating history for the grown-ups. The site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings in East Sussex works well for multigenerational visitors; young and old can admire the Harold stone, where King Harold fell, and join a battlefield trail while taking in the ruined abbey on the site of the conflict. Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, built half on the mainland and half on a jagged headland, is another example – the two halves of the castle have been reunited with a spectacular new bridge, making it accessible for buggies and those with mobility problems.
PICNIC BY A LAKE OR RIVER
It sounds so obvious, but a picnic is one of the most relaxing ways to spend time together this socially distanced summer. For multigenerations, the spot needs to be easy to get to and, ideally, within reach of clean public lavatories. Hampstead Heath in London, with its ponds, hills, ancient woodlands and playground, is one of Britain’s favourite picnic spots, according to research by Cath Kidston, along with Lily Hill Park, Bracknell, Ryton Pools Country Park in Warwickshire and Sherwood Pines in Nottinghamshire.
CHECK OUT A SAFARI PARK OR ZOO
As David Attenborough says, don’t let London Zoo go extinct. Both London Zoo and Whipsnade, near Dunstable (zsl.org), have suffered during extended closures, jeopardising global wildlife health research and conservation projects in more than 50 countries. Happily zoos and safari parks are an ideal
multigenerational post-lockdown day out; they are well prepared for buggies, large family groups and mobility vehicles, and are fascinating for every age group. The 80-acre Paignton Zoo in Devon has approximately 2,000 creatures and around 1,600 species of plants (paigntonzoo.org.uk), while Howlett’s Wild Animal Park in Kent has a herd of African elephants as well as tigers, lions and leopards (aspinallfoundation. org).
PICK UP A NEW SKILL
Why not learn to work sheep dogs in the Brecon Beacons? Or take a fossil hunting workshop on the Jurassic coast in Dorset? A day course is a memorable way for different generations to bond. Ross Games, who breeds and trains Welsh border collies in the Black Mountains, will introduce his dogs to the group and show how he works with them at different stages of their education. Old and young can then have a go at instructing a dog with some training sheep, as well as touring the farm and meeting the animals (gooddayout.co.uk). Meanwhile, on the Dorset coast, James Carroll runs fossil hunting courses for private groups (thewobblyfossiler.wordpress.com).
GO ON A CIRCULAR WALK – WITH A PUB STOP
Incentivise a family walk with lunch at a pub en route, or a cream tea at a café. The National Trust lists its favourite pub walks on its website (nationaltrust.org.uk): the George Inn at Lacock in Wiltshire, for example, with a 40-minute walk around the medieval market village and along the banks of the River Avon, and the King’s Head in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, with a 40-minute stroll through the Chilterns. The Pub Walks app is another good source of inspiration, with maps, journey times and