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National Railway Museum (York)
by jillycat Living in York one of the places we visit often with our son is the National Railway Museum. My train mad 3 year old loves going and seeing the trains and the various changing exhibits over the year. Where is it ************** Located in the centre of York the National Railway museum is easily accessible by public ... transport. A bus stop is near by and if you have travelled by train it is actually to the rear of York station and is a short walk across a concourse and over a road a walk in total from the station of about 5 minutes. If you are coming by car it is well signposted with brown signs and is on the inner ring road off Leeman road. The museum has its own car park which will cost £5 for the day. However if you are visiting on a weekend I would suggest using the train stations commuter car park which is next to the museum and cost £2.50 for the day. There is plenty of parking here and again is a 5 minute walk to the museum. However don't use this car park during the week when the fares make it much higher than the Museums own car park. What's there and our experience ********** ********************** There are two main sections to the museum the Great Hall which is on one side of Leeman road and the South yard and Station Hall which is on the other. The two are linked by an under road path there are some steep steps here so you do have to be careful with young children. There are also lifts which makes it easy for pushchairs and the disabled to get between both sites. In the underground walk way there is also some lockers situated so you can store some small items. There are also about 6 large lockers that would fit a pushchair of a large suitcase if you so choose and are worth bearing in mind if you are checking in and out of hotels before a trip home by rail. The fees for these are quite small £1 for a small one and £2 for a large one. The Great Hall *************** Included in the Great Hall is the turntable so you can watch at regular intervals the trains being moved around. The Mallard train and the Japanese Bullet train are also located in this section. Some of the trains you can only admire from the ground and feel dwarfed by their size but other you can go on walkways to see inside the engines or in the case of the Japanese Bullet sit in one of the carriages. One of my son's favourite bits in this section is the model railway which is behind some Perspex screens. Several model trains on a 0 gauge go round this track that is laid out well, with trees, tunnels, animals, stations and everything a little boy would love to see on their own railway set. The railway is set out in a very child friendly way with ramps so that younger ones can watch the trains go round without having to be lifted up to see. My son has been able to see under aided since he was 2 years old. There are several interactive sections in the great hall, inducing a section on mail/post going by rail here you can record a message to be relayed or post letters through slots to see how quickly they can go and do various other push button questions and watch some films. The letter posting is always a firm favourite with my son and other children so occasionally you may have to wait your turn. Close to this there is the elevated section called The Works about the Flying Scotsman and some of aspects about railways. The elevated section is accessible either by stairs straight from the Great Hall or by a lift that is hidden in the warehouse section. From this elevated section you can look down into the works to see them working on restoring not only the Flying Scotsman both other projects to. Around the walkways are various displays telling you about the Flying Scotsman and some interactive displays to either build an engine or a touch screen telling you about various points in the history of the Scotsman. As you walk further around here there are other displays mainly regarding signalling and how they control trains on each section of the railway. The next highlight for my son is the viewing platform here where you can watch trains arriving and leaving York station. There is a handy timetable on the wall that updates regularly to let you know when the next trains are arriving so you can pop back in a few minutes if one is not due when you go. My son often loves watching these go back and forward and waving to passengers even though I am sure they can't see him. The other area off the Great Hall we have discover recently is the Search Engine this is a library about all things train related, however it is worth noting for younger visitors that might want a bit of quite time that there are also children's books here to look at and my son and I had a quick read of some Peter's train books on our last visit. South yard and Station Hall ************************* The Station Hall has changed over this year prior to this it used to have a large exhibit of the royal trains and other private carriages for you to see. Since July this year that has changed and is still in the process of redevelopment. They are trying to re create a huge railway station atmosphere with lot of carts, luggage, freight carriages for you to see. I have to admit to having some mixed feelings about this as my son misses seeing the posh carriages close up as he used to and we would play games to see if we could see the mannequins move. The empty space still seems a bit vast and under used but as it is planned to be finished into 2012 it is still early days and a large section of the hall was corned off on our visit for the Santa experience so what will sit in that space I am unsure. What was nice though was the story telling here as it had a nice open space for all the children to sit and watch the story unfold. The Station hall is also where the main restaurant and indoor picnic area is and this does take up a degree of space. Situated next to it is the art gallery which is a new feature that will display changing exhibits of paintings and other art work inspired by the railways and if you are interested in this it is probably worth while checking the website for details of the current exhibit. The South Yard as well as being where the adventure play ground is and the miniature railway has some outdoor seating for picnics and a signal box. It is also the place where if they are running short steam trip you can catch the train from. There is also a works shed which was closed the last time we visited but generally houses some more modern trains and carriages to look at. Outdoor Miniature railway *********************** At a cost of 50 pence a person for a ride this small miniature railway is popular place to visit with our son. Situated next to the outdoor children's play area with swings he is happy to be amused there with the various activities till we can have a turn on the train. Tickets are purchased from a machine that takes both coins and notes so you don't need to stock up change before a visit. The train trip is very short but goes past a small pond with fish and a tunnel made of willow so provide a little bit of interest to look at but for our son it is just often enough to sit close to the engine and watch it chug along the track. Events ********* The museum has regular events on especially for families during school holidays. During the weekdays and most weekends there are story time for the children and my son generally enjoys these as most are interactive getting the children to respond to things by shouting and waving flags for instance. There are often some special events on through out the year most recently a Santa experience my son and I did last Saturday which my son enjoyed and we got a nice gift of a wooden connect four for him included in the price for him. Some of the events do cost so it is always worth checking the web-page for the museum for the individual details. For the grown ups there are often talks scheduled during the day and regular announcements let you know when they are on. There is also the regular Railfest each year that includes often the change to go into more of the trains than normal and steam train journeys between York and the Shildon museum site. Restaurant and picnic area *********************** There is the main restaurant in the Station Hall this servers not only drinks but hot meals, sandwiches and snacks. Whilst it isn't cheap the food is very well cooked and presented and the few times we have eaten there as a treat we haven't been disappointed. They also serve child's potions and a children's snack box. The restaurant is self service which can at times seem to run a bit slow. The tables we find are always nice and clean and you can have tap water without any charge. There are plenty of highchairs to use and there is the facility to heat baby food if you need to. The smaller signal box café in the Great Hall is mainly for drinks sandwiches and cakes. This again is well presented and does seem to be a bit better value for an afternoon treat rather than lunch. There is an indoor picnic area in the Station Hall that has several large picnic benches for you to sit on these easily accommodate several adults and children. There is also some very handily situated bins near by for rubbish. These are ideal for families and something we use on most trips to the museum. Family friendly ************** The museum is very family friendly with lots of activities for the children such as story telling, to events where they can make things. There are plenty of toilets situated though out the museum that have baby changing in them. The ladies toilets in the Station hall area also have some larger cubicles to allow you to take a pushchair in them which is very handy. The restaurants are also very family friendly with the inclusion of a good amount of highchairs. There are the usual pester power points of gifts shops by the entrance and a few Thomas rides that take 50 pence around the museum as well. The playground is a great way at times in the better weather we find to break up the looking at trains and for burning off some excess energy. Disabled accessibility ******************** There does appear to be a good disabled access through out with very few of the exhibits being inaccessible to the disabled. Most areas have either lifts or ramps to get a wheelchair around them. There are also available larger print maps if you would like one. You can also have a wheelchair to use if you need one, there is no mention if you need to book these on the website but it maybe worth a ring to reserve one. There is also free disabled parking to the front of the museum. Overall ********** The railway museum is a great tourist attraction in York with lots to see and do. We frequently attend throughout the year and my 3 year old never seems to get bored of visiting there. The family friendlessness of the museum makes a pleasant place to visit as a family and it is good cheap option for a day out. Entrance fees and opening hours ***************************** The entrance to the museum is free however I have noticed that there is a bit more of a push to ask you to make a donation recently. However if you refuse politely as I have done the staff don't give you any horrid looks. The entrance to the museum I find a little annoying as they ask you to queue up and go to the till to say how many are in your party which when its free seems pointless bar them trying to get a donation from you or to encourage you to buy a programme. The queue at times can stretch outside and be a bit cold which again is a bit frustrating It is open Daily 10.00 - 18.00 but Closed on the 24, 25, 26 December Contact details ****************** National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, York, YO26 4XJ telephone: 08448 153139 (Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm) fax: 01904 686228 Website: http://www.nrm.org.uk Read the complete review |
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Cumberland Pencil Museum (Keswick)
by Kat1987 Introduction The moment I found out I was going to the Lake District I knew I had to go to the pencil museum, I'm a bit of a 'nerd' and my favourite part of going back to school was always getting new stationery so I figured this place would be right up my street. Getting There. The pencil museum is situated in ... Keswick town centre and being a key attraction it is well signposted and easy to find. The outside doesn't look particularly like a museum though so keep your eyes peeled. The museum does have parking but we had parked in town so I cannot comment on the parking charges all I would say is if it is by the hour, you won't need many! We arrived prior to opening time and found several sheltered tables outside with paper and pencils, we assumed these were for children but had a go anyway (the less said about this the better, turns out I'm not very artistic!). What's there? In short, not a lot. The museum itself is very small. We arrived at reception and paid the entrance fee. I have to say how wonderful the staff are here, we were greeted by a very friendly woman who gave us each a children's activity sheet (we are 23 and 25!) and a pencil museum pencil. I would advise people of all ages to get an activity sheet as it is fun to do and makes you pay more attention to the exhibits. I think if we weren't trying to fill in the activity sheets we would have skimmed through the museum in no time. To get from reception to the exhibits you walk through a 'mine' complete with dummy miner, who to be honest, has seen better days. The museum takes you through the pencil making process, the history of the pencil and insight into the materials needed for pencil making in thorough detail. There are a few 'hands on' activities for children to do but nothing spectacular. The museum is also host to the worlds largest colour pencil, exciting isn't it? The downside is that the pencil is almost on the ceiling, you could potentially miss it and I really wanted my picture taken alongside it as I'm really small but that isn't possible how it's currently displayed so all in all a bit of a disappointment. There is a small darkened room in which a 10minute video on pencil making is repeatedly played, this isn't particularly entertaining but I thought it was interesting that the pencils made here were used to illustrate 'The Snowman'. There is also a 'drawing corner' which is a table and chairs with paper and pencils for children to do a bit of drawing. You leave the museum via the shop, a crafty move to get some business but I found the products to be overpriced unless you are an artist and want to pay for the quality of course. There is also a small café on site which we didn't stop at but appeared to serve the usual tea and cake. Overall this isn't a day out, it's an hour or two at most. I'm not sure if children would find this place entertaining but as adults with a childish sense of humour we really enjoyed it and I do know a lot more about pencils now! Opening Times 9.30am - 5pm Open everyday except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. Admission prices Family Ticket £10.00 (2 Adults and 3 Children aged 5-16) Adult £3.75/ Students £3.00 Concessions and children £2.50 Under 5's go free. Read the complete review |
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Housesteads Roman Fort (Northumberland)
by dee778 Housesteads Roman Fort was the first of the forts along Hadrian's wall that we decided to visit during a recent visit to Northumberland. It turned out to be the most enjoyable and atmospheric of all the historic sites along the wall; perched high up on crest of the Whin Sill in some of the wildest countryside in Northumberland, it is ... small and beautifully preserved, offering fantastic views and a wonderfully bleak atmosphere with spectacular views across the countryside. ~~The Fort~~ Housesteads was one of the permanent forts added to the Wall around AD 124. Known to the Romans as Vercovicium, 'the place of effective fighters', Housesteads was home to around one thousand soldiers for over 300 years, and had a symbiotic relationship with the village that lay beneath it down in the valley. The five acres of land covered by the fort saw some small changes during the 300 years of Roman occupation as the rules governing such things as allowing women past the gates changed, and so the garrison accommodation changed to allow for family groups. The basic layout that can be seen today clearly reflects the life that the soldiers led, with the outlines of gates, defences, granaries, courtyards, houses and barracks, laid out in stone on the barren soil. Today enough of the buildings have survived the plundering of the local townsfolk who stole the stone to build, and it is still easy to see the hypocausts, waterways and structures which cling to the side of the windswept hill, flanked by the clear outline of Hadrian's wall stretching over the undulating hills to either side. In a strange partnership, the café, toilets and shop at the bottom of the hill are owned by the National Trust, the Museum and toilets at the top of the hill by English Heritage, and the Car Park by Northumberland National Parks. ~~Getting There~~ Housesteads is situated on the A69, just outside the small hamlet of Twice Brewed. We found a good pub at Twice Brewed, which served a delicious lunch and a nice pint to set us up for our visit. Surprisingly, this fort was not well signposted and we got lost several times before entering the National Park, where brown signs for every Roman Fort in the area magically appeared. Once in the National Park, it is fairly easy to find your way to the fort, which has its entrance right next to the A69. The fort is about a 40 minute drive from Newcastle and close to the small village of Haydon Bridge. ~~The Visit~~ We decided to time our visit with one of the two guided tours that operate in the fort, organised by the National Park. These guided tours operate at 11.30 and 2pm every day, and we really benefited from waiting for the Northumberland National Park's guide, who spent the following hour and a quarter making the visit really special for us. A remarkable amount remains of the fort itself, and with the help of our guide it was easy to picture the commander's villa, the legionnaires quarters, the hospital and the toilets. Well illustrated signs inform the visitor of the construction and use of each building, but we were glad to have our guide with us. The guide brought Roman military to life through his stories and reconstructions, telling us about the village outside the fort and how the soldiers interacted with the villagers; explaining why the bath house was so far from the fort, and explaining in excruciating and graphic detail the hygiene of the communal toilets and how practical they were. After he had finished, he pointed us to the East Gate, where we could take the opportunity to walk on the specially strengthened section of wall; the only place that anybody is allowed to actually walk on Hadrian's wall these days. Along with the majority of our party, we took off and walked on top of a turfed and fairly long section of wall which bordered a steep drop, making it very clear how easy it would have been to see enemies coming across the hills, and also how easy it was to defend a fort which was perched on such a high ridge. After less than a mile, we reached the remains of a Roman Mile Fort; the smaller towers that the soldiers on patrol used for refreshment and shelter. We decided to keep on going as we were enjoying the amazing views of the wall, looking north over the moors and picturing the Babarians marching towards us, and looking to the south to the tamer and greener fields which gently sloped down the valley. In the sunshine it was possible to see for miles, and a city person like myself rejoiced in the lack of any form of town or village in sight. ~~Museum~~ When we visited, the Housesteads Museum was closed for refurbishment. I had previously read that this museum, owned by English Heritage is a small and modest museum, displaying artefacts found on and around the site. I was not too disappointed to find it closed, as I understand it to be mainly an educational centre for schools and younger children. It is closed all winter and is being refurbished, opening again in Spring 2012. ~~Refreshments, Shop and Toilets~~ Entrance to the fort is via a National Trust shop, which contains a short visual display on the history of the fort as well as the usual National Trust memorabilia which are for sale. Outside the shop is a small takeaway café, providing drinks and snacks. These can be taken inside the shop to eat on cold or rainy days - and there is a microwave as well as table and chairs inside which I imagine are very welcome during the cold winter months. Male and female toilets are open when the shop is open. I did not get a chance to experience these, as by the time we finished our walk at 5pm, they were firmly locked. ~~Parking~~ There is a large car park which seemed to easily accommodate all visitors when we were there. Owned by the National Park, rather than the National Trust, everybody has to pay a standard charge of £3 per day. Tickets can then be used again in any of the other 6 forts along Hadrian's Wall for that day only. Many people did not realise this and just displayed their members National Trust parking stickers - presumably they were later to be given a penalty ticket. Signage could have been more helpful in this regard. I was slightly put out at the high cost of parking, but I read on the back of my ticket that all money made is used to maintain the National Park, which made me feel a bit better. In addition, entry to the fort was free of charge since the Museum was closed - so it was good value for money as we spent nearly 4 hours there. ~~Prices~~ Member (National Trust or English Heritage) Adult £5.00 Child £3.00 Concession £4.50 Family Ticket N/A Read the complete review |
England Museum National |
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2 reviews Address: 44-46 Oxford Castle / Museum National / Oxford / Oxfordshire / OX1 1AY / England |
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2 reviews Address: Jackson Dock / Museum National / Maritime Avenue / Hartlepool / TS24 0XZ - It is a re-creation of an 18th century seaport. It brings to life the time of Nelson, Napoleon and the Battle of Trafalgar. |
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1 review Address: Isaac Newton Road / Museum National / Arborfield / Berkshire / RG2 9NJ / England - The museum of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Displays include information on the evolution of a REME soldier's life through the years, including training, equipment and accommodation. |
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2 reviews Address: Singleton / Museum National / Sussex / England - The open air museum covers over 50 acres of land in the Sussex countryside. The buildings have been carefully dismantled, conserved and rebuilt to their original form to reflect the farmsteads and rural industries of the last 500 years. |
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Address: Wood Street / Museum National / Wakefield WF1 2EW / England |
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1 review 3 Nestles Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 4SB / Museum National / Email: info@londondonmotormuseum.com / Opening times: Monday to Sunday 10am to 6pm - Featuring a showroom full of classic cars from the 1950s to the present day the London Motor Museum charts the recent history of the moving vehicle. Cars includ... |
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2 reviews SDC Colour Experience / Museum National / Perkin House / 1 Providence Street / Bradford / BD1 2PW / Tel: 01274 752138 / Email: colour-experience@sdc.org.uk / - Pre-booked groups only. Discover more about our wonderful world of colour. |
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1 review Museum National / Step back in time to the historic outdoor museum on the River Tamar, Devon. |
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2 reviews Address: Drake Circus / Museum National / Plymouth / Devon / England |
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1 review Address: Salter Row / Museum National / Pontefract WF8 1BA - A museum full of life, history and artefacts detailing the town's birth to the present day. |
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