Wookey Hole Review

Reviewed by Melody

We recently enjoyed a family day out at Wookey Hole on the penultimate day of the school Easter Holidays. We travelled from Devon, via the M5. We set the Sat Nav before leaving, however as it seemed keen to send us off piste down some very narrow looking lanes, we opted to follow the brown signs from the M5 and found Wookey Hole very easily. It was probably one of the best signposted places we have visited.

On arrival we were directed to a space in the large free car park and from there it was a short walk to the entrance. We then joined a short queue to collect our tickets. As it was raining when we arrived we were very glad that there was an undercover queuing area to keep us dry. The Wookey Witch and Wizard were also on hand to greet us and to keep children entertained while queuing (which wasn’t very long at all). After collecting our tickets and an Easter Trail sheet for each child from the helpful staff we headed on up to the caves. The trail sheet doubled as a map and information sheet which was a very helpful reference throughout the day with all the key information in one place.

The Wookey Hole caves are the largest show caves in England. As it was school holidays we were able to walk around the caves at our own pace (outside of school holidays there are guided tours available). The route took us through tunnels, walkways and several impressive chambers, one of which had been quite recently opened in 2016. It was nice to be able to walk around at our own pace, and there were signs highlighting key parts of the caves so we didn’t miss anything. The children were also able to tick these off on their sheets which helped to keep them engaged. There were staff dotted around who were more than happy to answer any questions. We were all impressed by the caves, some of the chambers were massive and we really liked the way they were lit up in different colours as this really enhanced them. We also saw the part of the cave where the famous cave-aged cheddar is made, (I have to admit I was slightly disappointed there were no samples available to taste!). The cheese could be purchased from the gift shop later in the day if desired.

On leaving the caves we found ourselves walking through the enchanted valley and then dinosaur grove. Luckily it had stopped raining so we were able to appreciate the scenery and model dinosaurs in the dry. The highlight for the boys was the scale model of King Kong which was huge (10 metres tall according to the website) and we took the obligatory photos. There was a refreshment stall in the enchanted valley as well, although we didn’t buy anything as we had taken our own drinks and snacks on this occasion.

As we exited the valley we came to the 4D cinema, as it was only 5 minutes until the next showing we decided to join the queue. We didn’t have to wait long before we were let in, picking up our 3D glasses on the way. The first area was the Witches Kitchen which bizarrely was upside down (due to a misplaced topsy turvy spell), the boys loved the fact that everything was on the ceiling including the table with a meal on. It took a little while to get used to it. Everyone stood together in this area and listened to the witches’ bat talking to us, then taking a call from the, very angry, witch who wanted her kitchen returned to normal and was coming to find us. After this we were let through the doors into the main cinema area where we all took our seats to watch the Scooby Doo 4D short film. This was lots of fun with moving seats, puffs of air and 3D action. We were all engrossed in the experience and sad when it ended. The film runs regularly throughout the day. If you are visiting with younger children be aware that Under 3s are not allowed into the cinema.

Next, we went into the Mill which houses most of the other attractions, including the old-fashioned pier with vintage slot machines, the mirror maze and various soft play areas and small rides for children. There was also the cave-diving museum which was well worth a look and a paper-making museum (which somehow, we managed to miss).

As it was nearly midday we opted to watch the Wookey Circus Show in the theatre. This was on three times per day during school holidays and features local young people who have trained at the Wookey Circus School. There was an impressive array of different circus skills on show from magic, to roller skating, to bicycles, hula hoops, juggling and rope work. All with a great up-beat sound track. We all thoroughly enjoyed the show and it was a real highlight of the day. The show lasted 30 minutes which was about right to ensure the children kept engaged throughout.

As it was then lunchtime we decided to pay Captain Jack’s restaurant a visit. This was basic and canteen style, however it served a good range of different food options from sandwiches and cakes to cooked meals and the prices were fairly reasonable. There were several children’s options available. There was also a huge seating area so it was very easy to find somewhere to sit. We all enjoyed our meals, although on a return visit we would consider taking a picnic as there was plenty of space to be able to enjoy one both indoors and outside.

After lunch, we went to play Adventure Golf. This was an outdoor 9-hole course with a pirate theme. We had to collect our clubs, balls and score card and then queued to start. There was quite a backlog of people waiting to play (maybe because the sun had come out) The boys were quite fed up queuing and we did feel that we had to rush around the course so as not to keep anyone behind us waiting. The course itself was good fun, and perhaps we picked a bad time during the day, but it would have been better if there were allocated timeslots for the golf as it would have made it a lot more pleasurable.

As it was Easter when we visited there were large eggs with letters on situated around the site, the boys had to write down the letters on their sheets and then unscramble them to make a word. When they had found the word we went to collect their chocolate Easter eggs from the Witch. This was a lovely little extra and an incentive to keep them moving during the day.

Our final stop before we left was the Wookey Hole Ice Cream Parlour where we got to choose from a vast array of ice cream flavours (it was very hard to choose!), the ice creams were delicious and a lovely treat before the drive home.

Overall, we spent about 4.5 hours at Wookey Hole and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. The site was well maintained, there were a lot of different activities to keep the children entertained which were all included in the ticket price. The only extra we paid all day was to get some old pennies for the slot machines. There was a well- stocked gift shop which appeared to have a large variety of items to suit different price ranges (we tend to avoid gift shops as they always tend to lead to arguments so didn’t look at this in great detail!). Our boys are 8 & 11 and they both enjoyed the day, some of the play facilities were too young for them now, but on the flip side they enjoyed the caves a lot more than they would have when they were younger and took more interest in the museum exhibits. They also loved the mirror maze, circus show and 4D cinema. I would highly recommend a visit to Wookey Hole and we would definitely consider visiting again in the future.

Rating: 4.5/5

Ticket Prices: Adults £21.45, Children 3-14 £17.65, Under 3’s are free (Concessions are also available)

Tickets can be booked in advance via the website: https://www.wookey.co.uk/ or purchased on arrival. Booking is recommended at peak times.

Address: Wookey Hole, The Mill, High St, Wookey Hole, Wells BA5 1BB