The Non Theme Park trip thread.

[Slugjc]

(please redirect to the correct part of the forum if needs be)

Hello Ladies, Gentlemen and to those who identify as other.

I love a good theme park. But don't really go. The cost, geographical location and life as a while stop me from really getting to these places. However, it doesn't stop me from visiting other places. This is thread, that allows the good folk of towersstreet ™, to tell of adventures that are away from the Theme Park's and similar attractions. I shall start.

Eden Camp, Malton, North Yorkshire.

For most, this will be a place that driven past on the way to Flamingo Land. An old prisoner of war camp built during the second conflict in 1942. It was built to house Italian prisoners who were seemed at low risk. Later,.it housed the polish army before being a final place for Germans, being prepared to be sent back to Germany after the fighting had finished. After being used for farming, in 1987 and nice gentleman bought the land and camp, to.start a crisp factory. When he was clearing the site, 3 Italians came to see the camp.they called home for a while and a new idea was born. To create a museum about the people of the second would war. Every hut tells the story of that period and other conflicts. In display cases. Plus some scenes of various aspects to the war. In recent times it has gone through a major rejuvenation and is looking and sounding amazing. It is a present way to spend 3/4 hours.

 

[towerwave]

I've passed Eden Camp loads but never stopped, good to know it’s worth a visit.
I’ll add Beamish Museum in County Durham. It’s all about life in the North East across different eras, with period buildings and streets. Easy to spend a day there. Looking forward to more suggestions!

 

[Alix]

Oo I missed this first time it was posted. We also love a theme park, but also love other things as well.

Bletchley Park is very interesting - all about code breaking, lots of stuff to look at, interactive displays, a shed full of radio geeks who will chat to you for hours about their passion, and a fantastic coffee shop. Gift shop is also good and sells bletchley gin - but at £60 ISH a bottle I've not bought any *yet*

National Space Museum - quite small, but like Bletchley tickets last for a year so you can pop back other times of the year. It's also close to another museum which we hope to visit next time (it was shut last time we went). The best bit is the dark ride/escape room combo. Included in the price, so I didn't expect much, however it was actually really good! The planetarium wasn't that great though sadly. Coffee shop was rammed so didn't get to sample anything, good gift shop though.

Aerospace Bristol - home of Concorde. Another annual ticket and right on my doorstep so we should go more often really. Plenty of flight memorabilia, decent coffee shop, gift shop is ok.

Anne Frank House - we did this on our Netherlands adventure to do Toverland and Efteling. It's very moving, I would recommend to anyone. Chimp had recently read Anne's diary so it was very interesting to her.

St Fagans - the museum of Welsh life. Brilliant outdoors place, they've collected lots of old buildings from around Wales and put them here with actors to help make it real. A bit like Beamish and the Black Country Museums. Excellent coffee shop.

Redwings Horse Sanctuary. We visited this on the way home from a week in Lowestoft doing PWH, GYPB etc. Free to enter, nice coffee shop, and you can wander about and smoove the rescued horses and ponies to your heart's content.

There's probably loads more I've forgotten. Good thread though! I'm always up for adding something else to a theme park trip.

 

[Burbs]

National Space Museum - quite small, but like Bletchley tickets last for a year so you can pop back other times of the year. It's also close to another museum which we hope to visit next time (it was shut last time we went). The best bit is the dark ride/escape room combo. Included in the price, so I didn't expect much, however it was actually really good! The planetarium wasn't that great though sadly. Coffee shop was rammed so didn't get to sample anything, good gift shop though.

Do you mean the National Space Centre in Leicester? I used to love it there, we’d go several times a year when I was a kid as we lived nearby and could easily pop in for an hour or so. They used to have a somewhat rudimentary 3D simulator so it’s cool to see they’ve massively upgraded this, looking at the images on the website. The museum next door is Abbey Pumping Station and well worth a visit next time you’re nearby.

 

[Poisson]

This sounds like an excuse to post trains and other nonsense transport. Prepare for nonsense.

Cite du Train, Mulhouse, France



SNCF backed train museum, with lots of record breakers and interesting exhibits. Recommended even though I know nothing about French trains it was good and there is apparently a car museum nearby but we were distracted by a Chance Toboggan and a Maccies.

Great Central Railway, Loughborough - Leicester



The UK's only mainline style heritage railway, with proper dual line running. The line is currently expanding to a hopefully 18 mile stretch and put on really good events taking advantage of the unique setup of the line including freight and non-passenger workings on events to enhance the feel of the line.

North Norfolk Railway, Holt - Sheringham



Less of an interesting line than others mentioned, it makes up for it with interesting stock and runs to Sheringham which is popular with re-enactors, plus they host a few events at Holt. Worth it if you're down that way.

Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall - Leek/Ipstones



One I am sure several members are familiar with due to location, this line runs through the Churnet Valley (surprising with such a name, I know) and features a large hill up to Ipstones. The pub behind the trees in shot, The Black Lion at Consall, is an amazing pub with these views. Can recommend sitting and watching with a pint of something you've never heard of before. Easy to pair up with Towers.

Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot



Didcot has a very short running line, but the bonus is the sheds are open, allowing you to wander up close and personal with all the exhibits. There is also an old signalling panel on site that volunteers run so you can use it as if you were routing trains. Another one worth it if in the area.

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Hythe - Dungeness



13.5 miles of small trains to a nuclear power station, 25mph running with no doors on the carriages. I cannot recommend enough. Even has the option of getting a +1 at Dymchurch. This is not a heritage service, just narrower gauge trains, having run since 1927 and even having a part in WW2. I would imagine 2027 will have a load of events.

Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster - Bridgnorth (Currently only Hampton Loade)



Probably the UK's best heritage railway, about an hour end to end. They have loads of their own beers, 2 good pubs, big hill for noise and chaos, views of the Wildlife Park (which has a +3) and lots of very interesting traction. The events are legendary for being ridiculous in scope and the amount of visitors, be it trains or people. Wouldn't recommend a gala for first visit as most services are full and standing.

Swanage Railway, Swanage - Norden



Probably the most picturesque line I have been to, running from the seaside (with a +1) to a destroyed castle and a museum about mining in the isle of Purbeck I am probably biased having been going for over 2 decades, but I'm always back when I can be. The line also has access to very rare stock too.

National Tramway Museum, Derbyshire



One of the few places to ride a heritage tram in the UK, I always enjoy a trip here. Definitely not an excuse to post a picture of the wreck I own getting me free entry to the place as well.

 

[Slugjc]

I've passed Eden Camp loads but never stopped, good to know it’s worth a visit.
I’ll add Beamish Museum in County Durham. It’s all about life in the North East across different eras, with period buildings and streets. Easy to spend a day there. Looking forward to more suggestions!

I went there in April and loved it. That place is run with such care and attention.

What that place has achieved, by moving building brick by brick is staggering. The new 1950s bit is coming along.

 

[Squiggs]

I'd second a trip to Crich (the National Tramway Museum).

I'm not that much of a transport person, but still a delightful day out and offers a 'step back in time'. Also, I suspect a mecca if you like old Blackpool Trams. So... many... Blackpool.... Trams. And trams in general. But it is like a retirement home for Blackpool Trams.

Also famously, the trains at Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway are perfectly safe. Though, Don't Look Down on the Atlantic Coast Express...

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway, Hythe - Dungeness

 

[John_P]

I visited NASA Johnson Space Centre in Houston a few years ago which was just amazing, a highlight was getting to go in the old mission control which they'd renovated back to what it looked like at the time of the Apollo missions.

Saw The Alamo the same day as well.

 

[Matt N]

Today, I ventured on my first ever trip to Scotland with my family. We’re staying for a week in a rural village within the Trossachs National Park in central Scotland, but on our way up, we stopped in to see The Kelpies in Falkirk.

In essence, they’re two massive metal horse statues. You might have seen them in the intro to BBC News, and they’re a similar sort of thing to the Angel of the North (as I understand it… I’ll admit I haven’t actually been there). They’re really impressive structures, and they’re set in a lovely park called Helix Park! You can pay to have a tour and climb The Kelpies themselves; we didn’t on this occasion, but it did look like you could have a fairly comprehensive tour! There’s also a visitor centre at the side with a cafe and gift shop, and to get back to your car, you can also walk alongside a nice canal.

It’s not exactly a full day visit, but for a stop of 45 minutes or so on our long drive up to the Trossachs, it was a nice stop and I’m glad we went to see these impressive structures. Here are a few photos I took from various different angles:

I also took a few other picture highlights from the drive up. Firstly, I took a picture of the Scottish flag as we passed the Scottish border for the first time on the M6 (I apologise for the blurriness… it was hammering down with rain when we drove into Scotland):

I also took another angle of The Kelpies from the M9 motorway, as well as a very blurry picture of Stirling Castle that can just about be seen in the background. This was apparently where Mary Queen of Scots grew up, and from a distance, it actually looked like a very nice castle:

I also photographed our first seen loch of the trip, Loch Lubraig. For what my mum referred to as a “small loch”, it was surprisingly long!:

Scotland may lack major theme parks, but on first impressions, it looks like a beautiful country! As a comparison, the area we’re staying in looks a bit like the Lake District, but more wooded compared to the rocky landscapes of Cumbria. It should be a nice week, and I’m interested to see what the slice of the UK above Hadrian’s Wall is like for the first time!

I’m not sure I’ll be visiting M&D’s while I’m up here, though…

 

[John_P]

As part of my recent coaster trip I did make the time to visit two places of interest that weren't coaster related.

Firstly Niagara Falls, had actually been in Toronto at the start of the holiday, but was on the American side. Did take the opportunity to walk over the Rainbow Bridge back into Canada to get the better view. First time I've ever crossed an international border on foot as well.

Just a stunning natural wonder to see.

Obviously I also rode the Burger King coaster as well, Canada's only rooftop Rollercoaster.

And then the next day flew into JFK landing about 7am and headed to Times Square for a look around for the first time in over a decade, went into Central Park as well. Just a cool place to visit any time of the day.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

Great idea for a thread... I hope I’m allowed to do a TR from April this year. There’s not much I enjoy more than a village-to-village walk, and I had wanted to do one from Newport for some time (Newport in Essex, near Bishop's Stortford), to the village of Wendens Ambo.

The only trouble is, I knew it was going to be a long one. I like to keep my walks between 5 and 6 miles, which is the normal length of a circular walk between villages. The problem here was that there is a huge estate in between - Shortgrove Park - and so this was going to be longer. About 7 miles, which is not an enormous trek, but there were absolutely no shortcuts available.

Nonetheless, I decided to do it. Newport Village Hall was kind enough to allow me to park there, and so I set off down the extremely historic High Street. West Essex is an amazing part of the country, full of stunning villages. It’s a disgrace that Stansted Airport was allowed to be built there, in my opinion.

01)Newport_Church by East Coastering, on Flickr

After a look in St Mary’s Church, it was time to truly begin my adventure. There is something I love about churches - all that history and culture, combined with a great sense of peace. They are often the biggest building in a village, like a mini castle. On walks, they are a sanctuary where I can shelter from the weather and eat my snacks in the porch.

But I had a long walk ahead of me, so it was time to press on to Wendens Ambo. I walked north along Whiteditch Lane, then along the Saffron Trail through farmland. And before long, I was on Rookery Lane.

Here, I had to join a footpath. The trouble is, it’s not all that clear on Ordnance Survey maps exactly where you join this path. To the untrained eye, it looks like a long, unimpeded lane. However, about 10m of it is private land (no fences, gates or signs though), and you technically have to go round it on a very short east-north-west route. I didn’t know this, and just walked down the lane, prompting the woman who owned the house to come out and berate me. I quickly dashed to the public bit so she couldn’t turn me back!

02)Wendens by East Coastering, on Flickr

Through some fields, I joined Duck Street and walked along the lane. There is a building called Frenchman’s Hole, which I thought was a bit strange. I then joined Church Street, which is really quite a stunning array of cottages.

Finally, I had reached Wendens Ambo and the Church of St Mary. I came here once before, and it really meant a lot to me to return. Sitting on a bench by a tree, eating my snacks, I prepared for the rest of the walk. A friendly lady approached and told me the history of the place. It used to be two separate villages - Wenden Magna (Great Wenden) and Wenden Parva (Little Wenden), with “Ambo” meaning “both”. She kept trying to get me to go to the pub, but I’m afraid I’m not one for having a beer when I’m walking! (And certainly not driving, it goes without saying.)

03)Wendens_Church by East Coastering, on Flickr

Trying to keep the walk as short as possible, I went along the Royston Road and London Road, rather than use the footpath (which really would have extended my journey). Thankfully they both had pavement. Joining the Wenden Road, I walked along and the terrain became less built-up again. Hearing the toot of a steam train in the distance, I knew I was near Audley End.

It was finally time to begin the return journey - a very long straight section of well over 2 miles with no real branching paths (or at least none that would be useful to me). I turned south and headed down Beechy Lane. This pleasant track lived up its name, with plenty of small/medium Beech trees. I wonder if it was planted as a horse “ride” between Audley End and Shortgrove Hall? With the latter to the west, and no public access to it, it would have to remain a mystery.

I continued south through Brakey Ley Wood and onto Harcamlow Way. I was enjoying my walk, but there was only one problem - it was becoming very hot. Struggling up the hill and very much exposed to the heat, I headed for the shade of Rosy Grove. Here it was indeed cooler. I also ducked under a large Ash tree that had fallen across the path.

Finally back into familiar territory, I crossed Debden Water and made my way through a wooded valley. Soon, I was back in Newport. It had been a great walk, but the heat had almost caught me out at the end there. Back at the Village Hall, I was treated to the spectacle of a huge Red Kite flying by. Looking at the car thermometer, it said 27-degrees, which was a lot warmer than forecast. So, in the unlikely event it’s ever disputed, I am willing to testify in court that (at least in some places) it was 27-degrees in April this year!

I got some more snacks out of the car and sat in the park eating them. It had been a great adventure. There’s something I love about the scale of Old England. You can easily plan a circular walk between two, or even three, villages. This, though, had been one of the better ones, and I hope to be able to do many more like it.

 

[Slugjc]

Keep any trips coming in. Big or small.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

I thought this might be a good place to put the rest of my recent Isle of Wight holiday. Any place that had an actual ride, I’ve done a separate TR, but I enjoyed some of the other things just as much.

Day 1​

00)D-Day by East Coastering, on Flickr

Getting myself down to Portsmouth, the first thing I did there was visit The D-Day Story. My grandad was the electrician on a landing craft in the Royal Navy. He landed on Gold Beach on D-Day and evacuated American troops from Omaha Beach. The museum has a video clip of him in the engine room of their own landing craft, as well as a life belt donated by him in another part of the museum. It was strange to see him on screen, and watch these anecdotes that I have heard in person.

After that, I had an agreeable visit to Clarence Pier, then I boarded the Victoria of Wight ferry and set off across the Solent. Climbing up onto the top deck, I watched as the hovercraft went by, and viewed the forts used in 1970s episodes of Doctor Who. Fishbourne appeared on the horizon, and the leafy shore stretched to the east and west. I had not been to this island for a long time, and so was eager to see what it had in store for me.

03a)Spinnaker by East Coastering, on Flickr

Day 2​

05)Appley by East Coastering, on Flickr

After a hot and stuffy night in Newport (very close to where they hold the Isle of Wight Festival nowadays), I needed some fresh air, so I headed to Ryde. There used to be a tiny Schiff roller coaster here, but today I wanted to see Appley Tower, a folly built on the promenade circa 1875. I had to wait a while for the tower to open, but before long I was climbing up the stone steps and surveying the neat, sandy beaches.

After that, I headed to Godshill, which is a stunning village set up as a tourist attraction. Parking at The Old Smithy, I was pleased to see they still have the Fairy Garden behind it, which is full of gnomes and suchlike. However, the main attraction here is undoubtedly Model Village Godshill, which I duly entered.

A colourful array of plants and shrubs greeted me, which framed the various scenes. Set in the gardens of the Old Vicarage, the model village makes brilliant use of the available space. The lower part is a replica of Godshill itself, whereas the upper bits represent Shanklin Old Village. I was particularly impressed with the model railway and replica of Shanklin Chine. I found Model Village Godshill to be a very friendly, family-run attraction that I highly recommend if you’re in the area.

08)Cottage by East Coastering, on Flickr

09)Church_Hill by East Coastering, on Flickr

After that, I trekked up Church Hill and took a photograph of All Saints Church with the cottages in front of it. It was a hot day and I had forgotten my sun hat, so I decided to take it easy. I walked back down the hill, got in the car and headed to Shanklin (the real one!)

10)All_Saints by East Coastering, on Flickr

Arriving at the resort, I had a look at Pirates Cove Fun Park. It is home to the “Captain Jack’s Runaway Train” coaster, which did actually look quite good, but was currently closed. Instead, I got some food and ate it on the seafront, with a view of the cliffs toward Luccombe. To me, Shanklin has just the right balance of entertainment and beauty. The evening approached, however, so I headed to Bembridge Bay, which would be my base for the week.

Day 3​

16b)Chine by East Coastering, on Flickr

Returning to Shanklin the next day, I decided to visit one of my favourite attractions - Shanklin Chine. I entered from the seafront and began the steep ascent. A chine is a term used in Southern England for a steep-sided gorge formed by water flowing to the sea. And, make no mistake, Shanklin’s is one of the best. I made my way up past the greenery and cascades until I was in the presence of the waterfall beside the upper entrance. Passing through the booth, I then emerged at Shanklin Old Village. After a quick look in Rylstone Gardens, I walked back down the chine and to the seafront.

Captain Jack’s Runaway Train was still closed, but there was much of the day left. Therefore, I got in the car and headed west across the island. Following the southern cliffs, I headed towards Freshwater. On the way, I saw an enormous shape in the air. It was something I really wanted to see - a White-tailed Eagle!

17)Oratory by East Coastering, on Flickr

I could not resist stopping at Blackgang Chine and walking up to St Catherine’s Oratory. As I climbed, the views over Freshwater Bay were incredible. I reached the top of the hill, where sits the Ordnance Survey trig point and the Oratory itself. This stone tower was apparently once used as a lighthouse, but was unable to prevent the wreck of the Clarendon in 1836. Thus, St Catherine’s Lighthouse was built nearer the cliff. On the way down, a herd of cows had blocked my way. They can sometimes be dangerous, so I sought an alternative route. Thus, I headed down the hill to Blackgang Chine and made the ascent to the car park.

19)Longstone by East Coastering, on Flickr

Rather foolishly, I then made my way to Mottistone Gardens and walked up to the Longstone. This is a hilltop Neolithic monument that I didn’t know existed until recently. The climb was very steep in the heat, but I did at least select the route through shady woodland. Frankly, I bit off more than I could chew today. Three steep climbs in the heat is not a good idea. Nonetheless, I was pleased I’d done them, and thankfully had plenty of water, both in my rucksack and in the car.

The sun setting, I headed to Freshwater Bay and located the statue of Jimi Hendrix at Dimbola Lodge. In the summer of 1970, Hendrix played the Isle of Wight Festival, and All Along The Watchtower rang out over the island. I can only imagine how cool it was to be there at that moment in time.

...​

Days 4 and 5 were spent in Robin Hill and Blackgang Chine respectively, and they took up most of each day. I returned to the car after Blackgang, and the sky started to grey over, almost as though the weather knew my trip had come to an end. I had enjoyed a perfect holiday full of theme parks, friendly people and spectacular scenery. All I could do was to head on home, and hope I could one day return to this island like no other.

 

[Matt N]

Half way through the week, we’ve really been getting around central Scotland! I don’t think I’m going to do a full park day-style trip report of any of our days, but I’ll provide a few highlights, if anyone is interested in hearing about my first Scottish trip.

On Saturday, we headed for a 10km(ish) walk around the village where we’re staying (Killin), taking in Moirlanich Longhouse, the ruins of Finlarig Castle and the southern bank of Loch Tay as well as the Falls of Dochart. There is something I find strangely peaceful about water, particularly waterfalls, and this was a nice walk that took in lots of different sights. The area we’re staying in is lovely, and there are some beautiful landscapes! It was also a reasonably flat walk, which is good if you’re concerned about inclines when walking:

On Sunday, we headed west to see Loch Lomond. We firstly stopped at the Loch Lomond Shores complex in Balloch, which I’ll admit wasn’t anything to write home about. There was a historic steamboat undergoing restoration, which was pretty cool, but other than that, it was a pretty generic shopping centre. I must admit, though, that I didn’t know that Merlin operated a SeaLife centre in Loch Lomond, so that was an interesting surprise to see while walking around (I didn’t go in, seeing as we went to what feels like tons of SeaLife centres when we owned Merlin passes)!:

After that, though, we headed to the village of Luss, which was much nicer. With the almost fairytale-style houses and the views of Loch Lomond, it was an absolutely beautiful village that was well worth a stop at; it almost looked like something out of a postcard! As we were walking down the main street, we could even hear a bagpipe player in the background; we only needed somebody wearing a kilt and it would have felt like the most stereotypically Scottish experience we could have had:

On our way back home, we stopped in at the Falls of Falloch, a waterfall in Inverarnan. This was a lovely detour, and it was quite an impressive waterfall as waterfalls go!:

On Monday, we headed north into the Cairngorms to visit Blair Castle, near Pitlochry. Now I’ll admit that I don’t go overly nuts for castles, stately homes and the like, so this wasn’t a day of the trip I was most enthused by, but this was nice enough as castles go and it was an enjoyable visit. The former occupants of this castle definitely enjoyed hunting, as there was an almost perturbing amount of deer antlers and guns displayed around the castle! We also saw some nice gardens and an interesting wooded area with some ruins and some of Europe’s tallest trees, standing at up to 46m tall. That’s the sort of tree Alton Towers needs to plant! As with Luss the previous day, there was also a bagpipe player out in the main courtyard; walking towards the castle with the bagpipes playing and seeing the Scottish flag flying on top really did enhance the feeling of Scottishness! On a side note, the gift shop also sold some children’s books written in colloquial Scottish, and I’ll admit that trying to read through the likes of The Gruffalo’s Wean was interesting, to say the least:

Today, we headed on another walk around another waterfall, visiting the Burks of Aberfeldy. This is a waterfall in a forest, probably best known as the inspiration for the Robert Burns poem of the same name. It’s a nice enough waterfall and I thought the walk was nice enough, but the walk is quite steep with quite a lot of steps, so maybe not one for if you don’t like steep inclines and steps when walking (my mum struggled a bit). On a side note, there’s apparently a statue of Robert Burns, but we couldn’t find it anywhere…:

On the way back, we also stopped to take in the views at the northernmost bank of Loch Tay, in the village of Kenmore:

So far, then, it’s been a nice week. I have enjoyed seeing Scotland for the first time; this means I’ve now visited all 3 countries in Great Britain and am only missing Northern Ireland within the wider United Kingdom!

Don’t get me wrong, I definitely wouldn’t visit for the creds. Our nearest is a go-gator at Blair Drummond Safari Park in Stirling. I thought adults couldn’t ride those, but 42 people on Coaster Count have apparently ridden it… can any Scots or kiddie cred seekers from elsewhere in the UK enlighten me?

But if you’re a fan of walking and pretty landscapes, Scotland is an undeniably beautiful country! I’ll admit I have been surprised by how much we’ve had to drive (it’s almost been like one of our trips to Florida in that most days are punctuated by a drive of 30 minutes minimum each way to do our activity of choice), but looking at the map, we have covered a surprising amount of central Scotland within one week! We’ve been to Loch Tay, we’ve been to Loch Lomond in the west, we’ve been to Falkirk further south, and we’ve even briefly been up into the Cairngorms!

We’re off to the Scottish Crannog Centre tomorrow before taking a boat safari on Loch Tay, which should be interesting…

 

[Poisson]

Adults can ride Go-Gators, it seems to vary if parks will let you. I did the JJ Rose one in Clifton Park.

 

[East Coast Mariner]

Very nice report, @Matt N. I'm with you on the waterfalls, and the Scottish castles are indeed very "fairytale", aren't they?