Guided Tour

Guided Tour

What is it? 

A guided tour is the practice of an individual leading a group of people around a point of interest and giving them information about it, which can cover topics such as religious significance, cultural history and how it relates to other locations and events in history. 

What does it involve?

Attending a guided tour basically just involves paying attention! All the work is done for you in finding out the facts and presenting them in an interesting manner; the role of the participant just calls for a level of interest in your surroundings and an eagerness to learn!

Why do it and what are the benefits?

Tour guides can be extremely educational - physically interacting with the place while learning about its history will provide a different kind of academic experience to the classroom by giving the students something more tangible to focus on.

What equipment do we need?

You shouldn't need any equipment for a guided tour, but check beforehand to make sure; some tours involve their participants even further by getting them to write down their own thoughts, or make drawings - so you may need to ensure students have something to write on!

Who is it suitable for?

Guided Tours are suitable for pretty much anybody if you pick the right one - smaller children will find it harder to focus on more complex subjects and will need more visual aids, but if they are engaged correctly they will have a great time! Likewise, teenage students will get bored if the subject isn't engaging enough, so make sure to choose the tour appropriate for the age and interests of the group. 

Costs?

Around £20 or less per person, but it can vary greatly depending on the location of the tour - for example, a minibus tour around a park will cost more than a short walk around a country manor! Make sure to shop around to get an idea of the prices in your area. 

Issues/Things to think about? (unsuitable for age groups, medical conditions etc)

A guided tour should be suitable for all ages, but students with condtions such has ADHD may have trouble focusing for an extended period of time - make sure to be aware of the specific needs of your group. 

How do we include?

Many guided tours have disabled access for those with limited physical movement, but it would be wise to doublecheck beforehand. Those who are deaf and blind can also be included in guided tours but may need more specialist staff - again, you will need to check with the specific establishments. 

Doing it abroad?

There are points of public interest all around the world, so wherever you can find something well known chances are there will be a guided tour available! Foreign tours may be conducted in another language though, so make sure to confirm the specifications of the tour before booking it. 

Main website: 

This website gives a good overview of places where you can go for a tour guide, but you're best looking at the specific areas around you to find out details!

 

See the list below for venues and providers who deliver this activity:

Oxford Bus and Morris Motors Museums

Venue Type: 
Transport
Overall Rating: 
0

All aboard! See how engines work; what buses are made of; go aboard some; see old tickets and uniforms once used. View the workshop and on special days ride on a vintage bus. Morris Museum: see a 1970s police car; 1920s Bullnose Morris and a Mini in the original style.

The Museum has c40 vehicles on show, some of which you can go aboard and on the first Sunday of each month (Apr to Oct), most Bank Holidays and on special event days take a Free Bus Ride (see website).

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Paycocke's House and Garden

A stunning Tudor merchant's house whose walls have more than a few stories to tell
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Stunning woodcarving and elaborate panelling made this wealthy merchant's house a medieval des res built to impress.

Built around 1500 for Thomas Paycocke, the house is a grand example of the wealth generated in East Anglia by the cloth trade in the 16th century.

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Denny Abbey and the Farmland Museum

Venue Type: 
Religious Buildings
Overall Rating: 
0

Denny Abbey has a unique and fascinating history. 

Founded in 1159 as a Benedictine monastery, it then became a retirement home for elderly Knights Templars. After the Templars’ suppression for alleged heresy in 1308, it became a convent of Franciscan nuns before becoming a farm from 1539 and the dissolution of the monasteries, until the 1960s. 

All these changes are still traceable in the building and are interpreted for visitors by graphic panels illustrated by local artist Anne Biggs. 

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Levant Mine and Beam Engine

Unique steam-powered Cornish beam engine in action
Venue Type: 
Science & Technology
Overall Rating: 
0

Part of Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site, this is the only Cornish beam engine anywhere in the world that is still in steam on its original mine site.

The famous Levant engine is housed in a small engine house perched on the edge of the cliffs.

Restored after 60 idle years by a group of volunteers known as the 'Greasy Gang', it is a thrilling experience for young and old alike to see this old engine in action, with its evocative sounds and smells.

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Dover Castle

Secrets, Spies and Tunnels!
Venue Type: 
Castles
Overall Rating: 
0

Discover to the Key to England on a fantastic educational trip visit Dover Castle!

New: Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk.

Explore the Secret Wartime Tunnels deep beneath the castle to see, hear and feel - as never before!

Spectacularly situated above the White Cliffs of Dover this magnificent castle has guarded our shores from invasion for 20 centuries - now you can enjoy a great family day out with a visit to the 'Key to England'.

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Dolaucothi Gold Mines

Gold mines in use from Roman times to the 20th Century
Venue Type: 
Science & Technology
Overall Rating: 
0

These unique gold mines are set amid wooded hillsides overlooking the beautiful Cothi Valley.

2,000 years ago, the powerful Romans left behind a glimpse of gold-mining methods. The harsh mining environment continued in the 19th and 20th centuries, ending in 1938.

Guided tours take you back to experience the conditions of the Roman, Victorian and 1930s underground workings.

See and hear the 1930s mine and mine machinery. Have a go at gold panning and take the opportunity to experience the frustrations of searching for real gold.

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Quainton Windmill

Visit the tallest windmill in the South East of England, built in the early 1800s
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Quainton Windmill is a great place for kids to learn about the history of windmills and this one in particular.

It was originally restored in the 1970s but is currently undergoing further restoration at the moment, (which means the sails have been removed)but it is still an interesting place to visit.

There are six floors to explore, each with something different to learn about from the knowledgeable and friendly volunteers.

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Apedale Heritage Centre

Discover the lost industrial heritage of the Apedale Valley
Venue Type: 
Museums
Overall Rating: 
0

Created at the site of Staffordshire's Apedale Mine, offering an underground mine experience, with informative museum, café and gift shop.

We are located in North Staffordshire’s Apedale Community Country Park in an area that was once an industrial powerhouse.

The Heritage Centre was founded in 2001 on the site of Apedale Colliery, which had closed a few years earlier in 1998. We are entirely run by volunteers and our main funding comes from our café, mine tours and donations.

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Cwmmau Farmhouse

Superb early 17th-century 'black and white' farmhouse with stone-tiled roof and vernacular buildings
Venue Type: 
Historic Buildings & Monuments
Overall Rating: 
0

Cwmmau Farmhouse is a timbered farmhouse boasting many original features, including stone-tiled roofs and vernacular barns.

Come and explore this quintissentially rustic English farmhouse on one of the eight days throughout the year when it is open, or stay for a long weekend when the farmhouse is open as a holiday cottage.

In the hazy summer days picnic in the gardens or amongst the wild-flowers in the adjoining meadow.

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Peak Cavern

Venue Type: 
Factory Visits & Industry
Overall Rating: 
0

The spectacular entrance is the largest to any cave in Britain. See rope making, the remains of an underground village and find out why it is called "The Devil's Arse"! Guided tours suitable for all ages.

Unusual rock formations, the eerie sound of running water and echoes of a bygone age await you.

Set in the middle of the picturesque Peak District village of Castleton, the approach to Peak Cavern is awe inspiring.

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