Join the space Age at Jodrell Bank (Jodrell Bank Observatory and Arboretum (Manchester))

Member Name: duskmaiden

Product:	Jodrell Bank Observatory and Arboretum (Manchester)
Date:	01/09/03 (103 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun for all the family, the Lowell Telescope, educational but fun

Disadvantages: cafe small, some exhibits worse for wear

My boyfriend is an aspiring Patrick Moore and space fascinates him. This bank holiday with the in-laws, we visited Jodrell Bank Visitor Centre and Arbitorium, deep in the heart of Cheshire, to see the world famous Lowell radio telescope. It really was a great day out and was fun for everyone.

What is Jodrell Bank?
Jodrell Bank is Manchester University?s astrophysics department in the countryside near Macclesfield. It is within easy driving distance of Manchester. Jodrell Bank consists of an observatory, three huge radio telescopes including the world famous Lowell telescope. There is also a visitor?s centre explaining astronomy and other general science and a large arbitorium. We were lucky to see the visitor?s centre as it is soon closing for a major refit and redevelopment. The observatory was opened in 1945 and the Lowell Telescope was opened in 1957. The locals must have thought the telescope itself was from outer space as it is huge. The massive moving satellite dish dominates the Cheshire skyline and weighs 3000 tonnes and is 300 feet (91 m). It certainly is an impressive structure.

How to Get There.

The problem with Jodrell Bank is that it is almost in the middle of nowhere. It is not a place that you could get to by public transport very easily so a car is necessary. It can be reached by turning off the M6 at Junction 18 and heading along country roads. It is a very pleasant drive though.

The Visitor?s Centre.

The visitor?s centre is fabulous and fun for all ages. There were loads of kids and big kids alike really enjoying themselves with the interactive exhibits in the visitor centre. Most of the interactives were fairly simple, and low-tech but very effective and fun to play with.

The first gallery we came to was entitled Pathways Through the Universe. The things that stood out for me was the large scale model of the different planets and a much up of the moon landing where you stood in the fo
otprints and messages from the original moon landings. I also thought the interpretation boards were very well designed. The titles were clear and all the important words and key facts were highlighted in bold type.

The Planetarium

We rushed off quickly from that gallery to see the Planetarium show. The planetarium is one of the attractions that is being scrapped in the refit. This is such a shame as it was probably the highlight of my visit. The 156 seater planetarium is in a big round dome with you looking up at the ceiling. The film pointed out the major stars and constellations in the winter sky as well as things like the planets, nebulas and comets. They also showed how astronomers map the sky. The technical term being Declination and Right Ascension The show lasted for 15 minutes and was enjoyable and informative.
The next exhibition was on Sir Isaac Newton and light. There was one of those talking heads where the face of Isaac Newton was superimposed onto a dummy and there were various experiments to do with lights and prisms. There was also a laser experiment which I could not get near.

The 3D Theatre

The 3d theatre was the next thing we visited. We had great fun pretending to be Roy Orbison with the dark tinted 3d glasses. The film was on the sun and the solar system. Although it was interesting it recapped a lot of material from the first gallery and the planetarium. We were sat nearish the back and I really did not feel that I got the 3d effect that well. I would say as it costs £1 extra it is fine if you have the time but I would not say it is an essential part of the visit.

The next galleries were a lot of fun. There was one to introduce the arbitorium. That was all about the properties of wood. There was a nice little handling game of different woods. However the names of the different trees underneath the wood were faded and were hard to read. This spoiled it a bit for me. There were also loads of xylo
phones. Perhaps they are looking for a new Patrick Moore now he is getting old!!

The final gallery was my favourite. The interactives there were ultra simple but ingenious and effective. There was only one real high tech one which was scales that told you how much you would weight on the moon and also on Jupiter. I want to go to the moon as I am much lighter! There was an experiment with different cans to demonstrate weight on other plants. There were loads of experiments with gravity. There was the spinning chair to demonstrate gravity which was great fun. The experiments were marked with different symbols so children could look out for different things. On my exhibition design course we were told by an interactives designer that the interactives should be very simple and have an instant effect. The interpretation and instructions should also be simple. Actually the interactive should provoke the child to play with it and instinctively know what to do. The instructions also passed the Tilden Principle test as they certainly provoked the children into thinking.

The Picnic Area and Outside Areas.

Outside was lovely. There was plenty of grass for children to run around, and a great radio experiment for children to do. There were also picnic tables and a great up-close view of the Lowell telescope where you can see it moving with the motors.

The Staff

I think it was the staff that made the visit. They were polite and very knowledgeable and answered the many questions we had. They were also very good with the children.

The Café.

The café was shutting when we arrived there. There seemed to be a decent enough selection of sandwiches and light snacks along with drinks. I did not note the prices as I did not buy anything. For a slightly more substantial meal I would suggest the nearby Red Lion, which does tasty pub food.

The Shop

The signage for the shop was confusing but we eventually found it
. It sells mostly pocket money toys for children, little souvenirs and space posters along with a range of space themed books.

There?s also a play park for the children to play in and there is the arbitorium with many different trees from all around the world which we did not have time to visit.

Opening times
15 March 2003 to 31 August 2003
Open everyday 10.30 to 5.30.
OPENING HOURS FROM 8TH SEPTEMBER
Winter season. November to mid March
Monday to Friday: 10.30 am to 3.00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11.00am to 4.30pm
Summer season. Mid March to end of October
Everyday 10.30am to 5.30pm.
CLOSED: 22nd to 26th & 31st December 2003, plus Jan 1st 2004.

Prices
ADMISSION CHARGES UP TO 31 AUGUST 2003
Adults £5.00
Children £2.50 (under 4's free, but no admission to the Planetarium or 3D Theatre)
Senior Citizens £3.50
Family Ticket £14.50, admits 2 adults and up to 3 children.
Planetarium show £1.00 per person
3D Theatre show £1.00 per person
Both shows £1.50 per person
DMISSION CHARGES FROM 8TH SEPTEMBER
Admission to site £3.00 per car (Pay and display parking)
Admission to 3D theatre £1.00 per person.

I think the centre is well worth a visit especially if you have children. They will love the interactices. I felt disappointed there was not more about the workings of the telescope. Perhaps tours of the observatory could be an option at certain times of the day. The signage was a little bit haphazard too. In the refit there are plans to have a 180 degree observation platform at the bottom of the main Lowell telescope. That would be fab. For a person who is not really into space I had a superb day out.

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