October Half Term Breaks
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October Half Term Hotspots
It seems children are barely back to school after their summer holidays before the half-term holidays loom. Mid to late October sees the kids with another week of free time and this time there is not the guarantee of fine warm and sunny weather to help.
Late October can mean rain, sleet and chilly winds with frustrated and bored kids stuck indoors or an Indian summer of late sunshine and warmth. Children do not have to be glued to the DVD player, the games console or the PC but can be out and about. The local cinema will probably be running a blockbuster or two but the overall interest level is short lived.
Many of the myriad attractions in the UK are free but some days out with the kids will bend the credit card a little.
Coastal and Seaside resorts at Half Term
The coast of the British mainland is littered with resorts large and small but for kids in October the ones with the most to do are probably going to achieve less sulks and more enjoyment. These are the places with promenades lined with games arcades, fast-food restaurants and even a mini theme park. Southend-on-Sea in Essex has all of this plus what used to be the UK’s longest pier and the rides of the Peter Pan’s Playground next door. Losing its tacky image is Blackpool where highlights are the Tower, the Golden Mile of amusement centres and the Pleasure Beach with 40 acres of thrill rides, shows and excitement for all ages. In a similar vein the east coast has Scarborough and Great Yarmouth while southern options include Brighton and Bournemouth. Thrill rides in Wales include Barry island and the Big Dipper at Rhyl.
Half Term Accommodation in Devon
Half Term Accommodation in Cornwall
Half Term Accommodation in Sussex
Half Term Accommodation in Lancashire
Holiday Accommodation in Norfolk
Sometimes the October weather is good enough for an interesting day out and Britons are spoilt for choice of some of the most picturesque coastal scenery in the world. The variety is huge from three miles of blinding white sand on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides to the sand dunes of Woolacombe in Devon. Compare the white cliffs of Dover to the bizarre stone pebble formations at Chesil Beach in Dorset or the rock pools at Yorkshire’s Flamborough Head.
Wildlife and Animals at Half Term
For those who like fluffy, swinging, roaring, crawling and snapping wildlife, there is probably a zoo or safari park nearby. Popular zoos include London, Chester, Bristol and Chessington while one of the world’s most famous safari parks for wildlife on the hoof is at Longleat.
Really abundant in the British Isles, it can be spotted in the New Forest of Hampshire, on the wild moors of Yorkshire, the mountainous Highlands of Scotland or the north Norfolk coast. Otters, deer, wild ponies, owls, soaring eagles and seals can all part of a British day out whatever the weather. Indoor nature can be found in the giant biospheres at the Eden Project near St Austell, Cornwall.
Historic attractions at Half Term
Britain is packed with it in the form of ancient structures, ships, country houses and castles. London’s Tower needs no introduction while on the south coast maritime history lies in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard or the Mary Rose. Prehistory’s mysteries remain unsolved at Stonehenge and the Avebury Stone Circle in Wiltshire. If it’s castles you are looking for, then you could include Windsor, Framlingham in Suffolk, Arundel in Sussex, Dunnottar in Aberdeenshire and Harlech in Wales. An insight into the lives of the aristocracy can be found at country housed such as Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Castle Howard in Yorkshire and Longleat in Wiltshire.
Adventure playgrounds at Half Term
Burning off youthful energy is one way of achieving a satisfactory half-term holiday – and adventure playgrounds are ideal for that. Ropes bridges, assault courses, chutes and aerial walkways can be found all over the country. They include the expanding Go Ape Centres of which there is one in Sherwood Forest, Bowood House in Wiltshire, the Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens, London and Harewood House near Leeds.
Theme parks at Half Term
Britain cannot match Florida for October weather or theme parks but satisfaction awaits the adrenalin junkies that most kids are. Blackpool Pleasure Beach highlights are Pepsi Max Big One – the tallest and fastest roller coaster in Europe at 70 metres high and with twists and turns at up to 87mph. Alton Towers has white-knuckle rides and new for this year is the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory river ride. Thorpe Park’s new highlight is Stealth, 0-128 kmph in 2.3 seconds but there are more-gentle rides for all ages.
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