Picture this: it's summer...you're trapped inside the house by a thunderous torrential downpour which is a) soaking the washing you've just hung out b) causing Rover to bark repeatedly and skitter around the kitchen table in a frenzy c) making you curse yourself for not fixing the hole in the conservatory roof. To top it off, the school holidays have arrived. Which of course means your little darlings are wreaking havoc in every room with their half-eaten packets of crisps and sticky fingers whilst leaving a trailing cornucopia of Iggle-Piggle's, lost socks and Doctor Who action toys.
Simply turfing them out in the garden during such weather could possibly beckon social services to the door. Taking them all out for the day in the traditional sense does seem like a sure-fire way of wringing your bank account dry. Not really where you want to be with six weeks of entertaining to do. However fear not - there are ways to satisfy the relentless energies of your brood whilst keeping the pennies in check.
The Collection, a free-to-enter museum in Lincoln is an ideal place to take children for an hour or two. Walk through the intriguing timeline display of objects, many of which are finds from the Roman city of Lindum, now Lincoln as we know it. Highlights include a seven metre long log-boat and a Roman mosaic. There's also a fascinating selection of informative displays including coins, weapons, pottery and clothing. If you're still hungry for culture, the Usher Gallery next door houses Lincolnshire's premier art collection with pieces by Turner and DeWint.
Another fabulous free attraction with a strong focus on children's activities is The Hub at Sleaford. As the UK's largest centre for craft and design, this place is a multi-storey bevvy of ever-changing exhibitions, studios and events. For a few pounds per head, families can also book themselves into one of the activity workshops - check the website for specific dates and times. There's also an on-site shop, where you can pick up souvenirs and unusual arty gifts to take home. Also, if you need refuelling with snacks and drinks after absorbing all that art and craft, there's a cafe on the ground floor overlooking the River Slea.
If nature and the environment are a more popular choice the Whisby Natural World Centre on the outskirts of Lincoln might be just the ticket. If the day really is a washout, there's eco exhibitions and displays, plus a shop and cafe to keep everyone amused. However if you can brave the drizzle, a walk around the 375 acres of lakes woodland and ponds should present some life of the wild sort to entertain your offspring.
Escape the wet-weather at the North Lincolnshire Museum in Scunthorpe, where the kids can enjoy an interactive exhibition and step back in time to relive the People's War. Over in Mablethorpe on the coast Sharky's Family Entertainment Centre provides an indoor go kart track, inflatable slide and amusements for everyone to go wild on - there's a coffee shop for you to relax in too. CL
Friday, 17 July 2009
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
A trip to Belton House, near Grantham
Two weekends ago a friend came to stay from London. After a discussion over Sunday breakfast - Lincolnshire sausage sandwiches, naturally - we decided to hop on the A1 south to Grantham and take a look around Belton House, a 17th century manor which is now a National Trust property.
Our journey from Lincoln was uncomplicated; the house is well signposted from the A1, which leads to some pleasant undulating lanes before you enter Belton - a pretty little village of honey-coloured houses. Once you're through the gates and parked up there's plenty to see and do. The main house doesn't open its doors until 12.30, so we took a basement tour to get us started.
This eerie underbelly of the home is currently open on a trial basis by the trust, and is one of the most intriguing areas we saw. Amongst the wine cellar, nightwatchman's quarters and house chapel, each room tells a quirky story about the bygone era of the house. In stark comparison to the servant's quarters, the butler's room appears very comfortable, almost modern; plus, the old dumbwaiter is still in situ below all the house bells. We learnt that due to a kitchen relocation away from this area, a servant boy would have to push the hefty silver food trays quite a distance to reach the butler and his magic lift. This was achieved by wheeling each tray along on a metal track along an inclining curvy passage. And you do of course get to witness this quirky 'food track' - as well as the relocated kitchens - on your way back out of the basement. The range is something for even present day cooks to covet, and the wash-house a chilling reminder of a servant's plight.
We ambled back to the garden entrance and had a sunny stroll through the pretty grounds. With its follies, benches and bulbous box hedges, it is easy to fall into a fairytale daydream of having such an estate of your own. A trip to the Orangery is a little walk from the main house; it's packed to the gunnels with lofty flower and fauna that rises like a rainforest canopy. After a quick check on the time we realised the main house was now open and made our way around to the front entrance - watch out for the confusing signs to the house, we ended up looping a few times.
Inside the huge imposing doors up deep stone steps we scuttled through past the families stalling to rearrange buggies and offspring in the lobby. I say lobby, of course you can expect something rather more stately with the obligatory classical art and statues that would in any regular home seem eccentric. The tour takes you from one side of the house to the other, up and then down the two floors of sumptuous rooms and galleries - from the green dining hall adorned with paintings of grouse and game, to the bright silks of the Pink room. A firm favourite amongst our party was the Chinese Room, flanked with the most beautiful handpainted 18th century wallpaper. The silver collection is also incredible and spearheaded by a gluttonous wine cistern which hangs, rather humourously we thought, underneath a random painting of a bull.
Whether you bring a picnic or not, there's a shop and cafe, or like we did you can drive to a nearby village to grab some sustinence. We visited the Houblon Inn at Oasby - a gorgeous little pub with a rustic interior and a reassuring small menu of fresh, seasonal food. CL
Our journey from Lincoln was uncomplicated; the house is well signposted from the A1, which leads to some pleasant undulating lanes before you enter Belton - a pretty little village of honey-coloured houses. Once you're through the gates and parked up there's plenty to see and do. The main house doesn't open its doors until 12.30, so we took a basement tour to get us started.
This eerie underbelly of the home is currently open on a trial basis by the trust, and is one of the most intriguing areas we saw. Amongst the wine cellar, nightwatchman's quarters and house chapel, each room tells a quirky story about the bygone era of the house. In stark comparison to the servant's quarters, the butler's room appears very comfortable, almost modern; plus, the old dumbwaiter is still in situ below all the house bells. We learnt that due to a kitchen relocation away from this area, a servant boy would have to push the hefty silver food trays quite a distance to reach the butler and his magic lift. This was achieved by wheeling each tray along on a metal track along an inclining curvy passage. And you do of course get to witness this quirky 'food track' - as well as the relocated kitchens - on your way back out of the basement. The range is something for even present day cooks to covet, and the wash-house a chilling reminder of a servant's plight.
We ambled back to the garden entrance and had a sunny stroll through the pretty grounds. With its follies, benches and bulbous box hedges, it is easy to fall into a fairytale daydream of having such an estate of your own. A trip to the Orangery is a little walk from the main house; it's packed to the gunnels with lofty flower and fauna that rises like a rainforest canopy. After a quick check on the time we realised the main house was now open and made our way around to the front entrance - watch out for the confusing signs to the house, we ended up looping a few times.
Inside the huge imposing doors up deep stone steps we scuttled through past the families stalling to rearrange buggies and offspring in the lobby. I say lobby, of course you can expect something rather more stately with the obligatory classical art and statues that would in any regular home seem eccentric. The tour takes you from one side of the house to the other, up and then down the two floors of sumptuous rooms and galleries - from the green dining hall adorned with paintings of grouse and game, to the bright silks of the Pink room. A firm favourite amongst our party was the Chinese Room, flanked with the most beautiful handpainted 18th century wallpaper. The silver collection is also incredible and spearheaded by a gluttonous wine cistern which hangs, rather humourously we thought, underneath a random painting of a bull.
Whether you bring a picnic or not, there's a shop and cafe, or like we did you can drive to a nearby village to grab some sustinence. We visited the Houblon Inn at Oasby - a gorgeous little pub with a rustic interior and a reassuring small menu of fresh, seasonal food. CL
- More information on Belton House
- The Houblon Inn, Oasby - houblon-inn.co.uk
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)