Tried and tested – read our verdicts of seven days out, including Pleasurewood Hills, the Food Museum, Jimmy’s Farm and Audley End Miniature Railway
The school holidays can throw up all sorts of options for family days out and this region has plenty of attractions to choose from.
With the cost of activities probably having a bearing on any decision, we’ve compiled seven of our tried and tested reviews to give you a better idea about some of the region’s attractions and where you might want to spend your money.
From the thrills of Pleasurewood Hills to cycling through the Ickworth Estate and meeting animals at Jimmy’s Farm, read on for some half-term inspiration
Just off the A14 at Wherstead, Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park is a popular family-friendly day out – as we discovered when we visited in June.
Car parking is free and plenty of picnic tables are dotted around the site, while there is plenty to see and do for a full day of entertainment.
The farm is celebrating its 20th year in 2023. Tickets cost from £15-£17.50 (under twos and carers free).
Audley End Miniature Railway is just a short drive outside Suffolk, near Saffron Walden, but has been a long-standing favourite of many for generations.
When Suffolk News visited last year – read our review here – we found an attraction exuding ‘a gentle charm, with old-fashioned activities sure to keep children enchanted for hours’.
As well as the miniature train trip through the woods and adventure play areas, Audley End Miniature Railway offers themed activities which change throughout the year, from an enchanted fairy walk to Hallowe’en and Christmas.
Prices vary depending on the date of your visit, with children costing £5 and adults £10 on ‘woodland adventure days’.
See the glorious Ickworth Estate from a different perspective by hiring bikes and taking on one of the trails through the countryside.
This is an activitiy perfect for anyone who can ride a bike, while youngsters who have not yet mastered the skill can hire a balance bike or be pulled along in a trailer.
We tried the activity last summer and gave it the unanimous thumbs-up – despite torrential rain half-way through the ride, in typical English fashion.
Bike hire costs £5 for two hours or £10 all day, with balance bikes and trailers also available.
‘A surprising oasis’ in the heart of Stowmarket is what we discovered when we visited the Food Museum – read our review here.
Set across 75 acres of countryside, with 17 buildings to explore and close to 40,000 objects in its collection, there is plenty to see during a visit.
But as well as plenty to see, there is also plenty to do. You might find yourself making bread, feeding young animals or enjoying talks, tours and demonstrations.
Tickets are budget friendly (£8 children, £12 adults) and allow a year of entrance to the museum.
Lowestoft’s Pleasurewood Hills has been delighting families since the 1980s – and we could see why when we visited last summer.
With rides, thrills and spills galore, it is a theme park requiring less walking than some of the big-name parks further away.
Our young reviewer described it as ‘one of the best days ever’ – read our report here.
Advance online tickets cost from £18.50.
Over the border in Norfolk, ROARR! is known for being home to prehistoric creatures living in the woodland… but it offers an awful lot more.
WIth a high ropes course, a farm barn, soft play, theatre, adventure golf, splash pad and adventure play also on the line-up, it is a day out which would also be enjoyed by youngsters who are not dinosaur fans.
Read our verdict following a visit last month.
Pre-booked tickets cost £19.95 for adults and children over 92cm.
Over the border and not far from the Norfolk Broads, you can be transported into an enchanted world during a visit to Bewilderwood.
Discover the Twiggles and Boggles who live among the trees, adventure on woodland adventure play structures throughout the site, take a boat trip to the Scary Lake, fly along on zip-wires and shoot down slippery slope slides.
We visited Bewilderwood this month and enjoyed our ‘wholesome escape’ – read our review here.
Tickets for those over 105cm tall cost £21.50 (£19.50 92-105cm and £13.50 over 65s).
