Wookey Hole
Reviewed by Lee-Anne McCarthy
with Caitlin aged 9, Jack aged 7 and Finn and Alfie aged 18 months
What do you get when you cross school holidays, sunny weather and bored kids? An immediate trip to Wookey Hole. So we packed up the picnic, the kids and the car and off we set on our day’s adventure to Wookey Hole. The journey is one of beautiful winding roads and glorious countryside but be warned sat navs do have a knack of sending you down the narrowest of roads and lanes. Might be worth a check on a real map or online before venturing on journeys from afar.
Being the summer holidays and a beautiful day it was a busy park. There is good car parking facilities on site not to mention a very beautiful newly opened Wookey Hole Hotel. We queued for a short time for admission but no more than we’d have expected at such a site.
As part of our entry fee on the day of our visit Pirate Golf was included in the cost however this is an additional cost on other occasions. So with our passes in hand we donned our pirate gear and clubs and made our way down to pirate crazy golf. We navigated the course through the treacherous waters and along the way sunk 9 holes. The older children particularly enjoyed the competition of the golf. The course itself was beautifully adorned with Pirate paraphernalia and the children were particularly mesmerised by the ship. Within this area there were other pirate activities like panning for gold that the children could take part in for £2. An ideal additional cost if children receive pocket money they’d like to spend but easily avoided for parents on a tight budget.
The main event of the park was Wookey Hole caves themselves. This was a guided tour and on a warm summers day there was a short queuing time. The wait was far from excessive and very manageable for myself and the older children. It was made even more manageable by the entertainment provided by the notorious Captain Jack Sparrow himself. He was highly engaging and merrily stopped for numerous pictures with eager fans also cracking a few jokes along the way. We were very aware before we attended that the younger members of our clan wouldn’t enjoy the caves in the same way as us. You are able to take smaller children into the caves but it is important to know that pushchairs aren’t allowed through the caves themselves making non-walking little ones a babe in arms again. In our case our heavyweight duo were far too heavy to carry through. However we had already mentioned this to the member staff at the admission gate who had told us all about a virtual tour that was available for my husband to use in the gift shop while I and our older children entered the caves. We were on a tour with around 45 others. Although this sounds like a lot of people it wasn’t in anyway detrimental to the experience of the caves. The guide was really engaging and showed a real love of the caves, the history and the myths. When I asked Caitlin what she thought of the caves for this review she said “it was a really fun way to learn about science and history.” Jack said he thought the caves were really deep and thought it was awesome that a witch lived there. The tour lasted around 20 minutes. We ducked and dived under different caves entrances and saw many wonderful sites big and small along the way.
While we enjoyed the caves my husband took our twinkle tots on a walk around the dinosaur garden. They were completely mesmerised by the beautiful replica creatures. The entire family enjoyed seeing the great beasts of the past up close. We couldn’t miss the photo call at the Stone Age people’s board. There was quite a queue but when you visit you’ll see why. It provides a little fun picture moment to take home to remember the day’s adventures.
There were some beautiful displays of the history of circuses at the site and also some beautiful models of circuses, clowns and even a vast town. These provided a lovely educational aspect to the visit but one that was engaging because of the theme of circuses. Everyone loves a circus. Also indoors were a number of indoor play areas. These weren’t massive but they were big enough to keep the children entertained should there be some not so pleasant weather on the day of your visit. There was also a vintage fair. The games weren’t expensive and used only pence. Again this is something that could be easily avoided. During school holidays and at weekends there are shows that available at 3 different times of the day. These shows are great for the whole family and provide a lovely alternative to or break from the outdoor activities on offer.
We ourselves visited the park with our own picnic in hand. There were plenty of places to sit and eat in the sunshine. However you were interested in purchasing food at the site there are a number of dining options available and none were any more expensive than any other day out. There was a beautiful ice cream parlour we did indulge in. I have never seen so many flavours of ice cream in one place. They were a real treat but a nightmare for anyone who is indecisive like me. There were toilet and baby change facilities available on site. I know I am a very awkward customer with two babies in a double buggy. However the baby change facilities were really difficult for me to use on my own. As my husband played golf with our eldest I went to change our boys I found that I was unable to get through the standard width door of one baby change and had to get downstairs to use the other. If you are travelling with a wide load like myself just be aware tag team changing would be necessary for the day.
Finally the gift shop was filled with all things Wookey from cheeses to pencils, from wine to dinosaurs. There were a large number of products at pocket money prices allowing the children to take home a small inexpensive memento of their day.
As a family we had a lovely day we enjoyed many aspects of the park and would recommend this as a place for a fun filled family day out.
Rating: 4/5
For more information or to book tickets (save money by booking online) visit www.wookey.co.uk
