Days Out

Wookey Hole Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Melody

Wookey Hole is located near Wells in Somerset. It is a visitor attraction most famously known for its caves but also has a whole host of other activities for a fun family day out. We were delighted to be asked to visit.

We visited Wookey Hole during the May half-term holiday having travelled from Devon. We used our sat nav but were also reassured to see a number of brown tourist signs directing us from both Wells and the M5 so we found it with relative ease. As we arrived at mid-morning the car park was already very busy so we were directed to the overflow car park which was just a short walk from the main entrance. We were also pleased to see a large new toilet block just outside the main entrance which was very welcome after our journey.

Once refreshed we joined the ticket queue. We were entertained whilst queuing by the witch and wizard of Wookey Hole who were telling us about what activities to do, and also giving tips on the best times to do them depending on how busy they would be which was really helpful. We only had to queue for a few minutes before getting our tickets and a very helpful welcome leaflet that included a map and details of timings for the different activities and food & drink options. There was also a broomstick hunt for children to complete by looking for the hidden letters inside the mill itself, this then gave the opportunity to enter a competition to win either your money back or a free return visit.

As we had been told that the caves were very busy and would be quieter later, we decided to do a round of adventure golf first. This was great fun, there were nine pirate themed holes which we all enjoyed and at that time of day it wasn’t too busy (when we passed by later in the day there was a very large queue). I was impressed that the course was really well maintained and clean with lots of pirate facts and props dotted around.

When we finished the golf and handed back our clubs, it was almost time for the first show of the Wookey Hole Circus, which was on three times during the day so we headed over to the theatre and found ourselves some seats. The circus is only on during school holidays as the cast are largely children from local schools who attend the Wookey Hole circus school, this time the circus had a Wild West Theme so there were lots of cowboys and sheriffs getting up to all kinds of tricks. We really enjoyed the show which had a dazzling array of magic tricks, juggling, hula hoops, whips, acrobatics, and music. All great fun! At the end there was an opportunity to get a photo taken in the jail with the cast for those who wanted to (my children didn’t!).

We had opted to take our own lunches with us so found a picnic bench in an undercover area near to the adventure golf to eat it. There were plenty of picnic benches dotted around the site and also a water refill station in the mill. There is also a restaurant on site which served a good range of reasonably priced hot and cold food. Along with a refreshment hut in the Enchanted Valley, although this closed at 2pm for some reason so we were unable to try one of the milkshakes that were mentioned in the leaflet! But that was fine as I was holding out to visit the Ice Cream Parlour before we left!

After lunch we headed to the caves themselves, we had to queue for a short while before being let in for one of the guided tours. The tour guide took us around the first few chambers of the caves, showing us the main points of note and telling the history of Wookey hole and the famous witch. We were then able to explore the remaining chambers at our own pace. The caves were fascinating and as an added bonus there was a lit-up replica of the moon in one of the chambers which was really impressive and made for a great photo opportunity. We also saw the Wookey hole cheese which is matured in the caves. If I had a small criticism it would be that I personally would have preferred to explore all of the caves at our own pace as we were at the back of a very large group and couldn’t really hear or see the guide, and there was quite a bottleneck of people trying to move around which the boys found quite boring.

After leaving the caves we wandered back through the Enchanted Valley where there were dinosaurs, cave men and a very large gorilla to name just a few of the things we saw. It was a very pretty area and I think younger children would enjoy playing here. My boys are 12 and 9 so weren’t that interested.

Next we went to the 4D cinema which was showing a new film for 2024 called Chaos in Wonderland. We all enjoyed the experience thoroughly. The film shows regularly throughout the day right up until 4.30pm and we only queued for a couple of minutes to get in.

Finally we headed to the Mill itself to look at the Vintage Penny Arcade and the mirror maze which kept the boys entertained and I loved the nostalgia of it all, it took me back to my childhood (although I’m pretty sure the machines were already old when I was a child!). There were lots of other things to see in the mill including soft play areas and rides, and also a cave diving museum and paper making demonstration. Unfortunately, we ran out of time to look at these but would definitely recommend them if you have time.

There was a fairly large gift shop that sold a range of different souvenirs and also the famous Wookey Hole cave-aged cheese.

Before we left we headed to the Ice Cream parlour for a treat. This was very busy so I think everyone else had the same idea! There were so many different flavour ice creams to choose from so it was good that we had time to decide whilst in the queue. All of ours were yummy. I highly recommend the strawberry and champagne sorbet!

We really enjoyed our day at Wookey Hole, there is so much to see and do to keep the family entertained for a whole day. We found that the staff were really helpful, particularly the witch and wizard who were walking around the site telling people when the next shows would be starting etc and giving directions. There were plenty of toilet facilities too which is always a bonus and reasonable options for food and drink as well as picnic facilities. I would highly recommend a visit.

Rating: 4/5

Tickets cost Adults £22.95, Children 3-15 £18.95, Seniors £21.95, Under 3 – Free. I did notice that there were discounts for emergency services staff and also that blue peter badge holders get in free (our boys have these so this was good to know for a future visit).

Further information can be found: https://www.wookey.co.uk/

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