Amazing Moments

Words: Rebecca Lowe

BEST FOR ROMANCE

►Get an out-of-hours visit by booking the Stone Circle Access visit at Stonehenge and rising early to be inside the stone circle before it opens to the public. You still can’t touch the stones, but you will get some great pictures of them.

►Soak in the UK’s only natural hot springs at Thermae Bath Spa – home to a rooftop al fresco pool with views over the city’s ancient rooftops. You might want to upgrade your experience by booking exclusive use of The Cross Bath, a more intimate open-air thermal bath, located just across the street from Thermae Bath Spa.

Rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s only natural thermal spa, Bath

►For the ultimate in romantic experiences take a (Bailey) Balloon flight and fly high above Bristol and Bath.

►Sip Champagne while enjoying Afternoon Tea, one where homemade scones and cakes star and the tea itself is endless. Most five-star hotels do a great one, including Whatley Manor, The Langley and The Royal Crescent.

►Enjoy an al fresco theatre performance under the stars at Dyrham Park. An enchanting, fast-paced production, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the open air on two summer evenings (2-3 August 2019). Booking is essential.

GREAT FOR HERITAGE

►Climb the mighty ramparts for views over the Wiltshire plains and imagine the once thriving town of Old Sarum. Stand in the footprint of Salisbury’s original cathedral, conquer the royal castle which stood high on the motte, and discover the awe-inspiring Iron Age hill fort where it all began. Unearth over 2,000 years of history and find out how the Romans, Normans and Saxons have all left their mark on this impressive landscape.

Old Sarum

►In a country renowned for its industrial heritage, none is more exciting or glamorous than Concorde, the iconic supersonic passenger jet that was a testament to British (and French) engineering. At Aerospace Bristol, the site that built every British Concorde ever made, visitors can climb on board the last one built.

British Concorde at Aerospace Bristol

►Visit the super-elite school that educated Princes William and Harry – as well as 19 British Prime Ministers - with a tour of Eton College, including the School Yard and College Chapel.

Sign in Eaton

►Haggle for antiques in Hungerford, a picturesque Berkshire town. Head to Hungerford Arcade Antiques, home to more than 100 dealers in everything from jewellery to pottery.

►Visit Reading Abbey, the ruined medieval church which Henry I spent the equivalent of half a billion pounds on building before being buried there.

►Salisbury Cathedral just 9 miles from Stonehenge has Britain’s tallest spire, and best preserved original Magna Carta, or still within easy reach of the route is Wells Cathedral, the first English Cathedral built entirely in the new Gothic Style.

Salisbury Cathedral

BEST FOR ADVENTURE

►For thrill seekers, flying down mountain biking trails that weave through ancient woodland in Swinley Forest is sure to get your adrenaline going! The 13km Red route is not for the faint-hearted – expect jumps, drops and twists all the way!

►For the ultimate experience take a tandem 13000ft skydive with military instructors from Skydive Netheravon! From the thrill and anticipation of your first jump, right through to the exhilaration for those who take it to the extreme with Wingsuit flying, this sport has it all.

►If heights are your thing then you’ll love the experience of climbing the rigging of Victorian ship, Brunel’s SS Great Britain, reaching heights of more than 25 metres above Bristol harbour! If you’re feeling really brave you can even walk out along the main yard.

►See Bath’s beautiful cityscape from a different angle by taking to the water on a stand up paddleboard with Original Wild - they will teach you how to gain your balance and paddle before leading you on a unique tour of the city. Or see the exciting waterways of Bristol Harbourside with an expert SUP Bristol instructor to show you the ropes. It’s no wonder stand up paddleboarding is the UK’s fastest growing watersport.

►Peer down from steep cliffs into England’s largest gorge before descending beneath this dramatic landscape on a caving adventure at Cheddar Gorge & Caves.

Cheddar Gorge & Caves

►Go wild swimming in the Thames at Cock Marsh near Cookham, where you’ll find sandy beaches to paddle out from and clear, clean waters.

►Climbing a 120-foot Neoclassical tower built for Europe’s wealthiest man at Beckford’s Tower just outside Bath is an experience you won’t forget!

Beckford’s Tower

►Mix heights with beauty by learning the ropes on a rock climbing lesson at the high limestone cliffs of Avon Gorge. There are 750 climbing routes here, some of them so physically and mentally challenging that they’ve only been climbed once.

►Take in the wonderful view of the Great West Way from the skies while soaring like a bird above the Wiltshire Downs on a paragliding lesson.

►For motor enthusiasts it doesn’t get much better than taking the wheel of a Formula Ford 1600 or Lotus Elise on a lap of Castle Combe Circuit race track. →

Castle Combe Circuit

BEST FOR ANIMAL LOVERS

►Meeting some very mischievous monkeys at Longleat – as you drive through their habitat expect them to clamber onto your car (you can always bypass them if you prefer to).

Children having fun with rainbow lorikeets, Longleat Safari Park

Monkey at Longleat Safari Park;

►Stepping behind the scenes in a daring, hands-on Lion Feeding Experience at Bristol Zoo Gardens! Help prepare the lions’ meat before heading over to their enclosure and being introduced to these majestic animals. Then steady your heartbeat and get ready to hand-feed a lion with only the enclosure railings between you.

►Taking a day out to visit the giraffes, lions, rhinos and more at Cotswold Wildlife Park - or meeting the adorable Aldabra Giant Tortoises with one of their 30 minute animal encounter experiences.

Rhinos at Cotswold Wildlife Park

Lion at Cotswold Wildlife Park

GREAT FOR SPORT

►Betting on the horses at Ascot and Newbury Racecourses, which have racedays year-round.

►Enjoying an immersive Archery Experience in Somerset with Hood Archery. Travel around the world and through time, under the guidance of different historic characters, until you are fully trained and ready to save the world!

►Seeing what’s biting in the Kennet & Avon Canal – home to some of England’s most bankable angling spots. Fishing is permitted along much of the towpath here, but two of the best places for a bumper catch are Bathampton near Bath and Hungerford in Berkshire. Contact the local angling association for a permit.

►Having a go at clay pigeon shooting in the grounds of Donnington Grove in Berkshire.

►Watching a professional rugby match or taking a tour of Twickenham Stadium (also home to The World Rugby Museum). Or you could visit other Rugby Premiership teams including Harlequins, Bath and Bristol - also on the Great West Way.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

►Taking a dip al fresco at an outdoor lido. There’s Thames Lido in Kings Meadow, Reading, a beautiful Edwardian swimming baths offering non-members swimming sessions every weekday from 1-4pm. The same company operate Bristol Lido in Clifton, Bristol, which dates from the Victorian era, and has been reborn as a gorgeous 24-metre outdoor pool, complete with adjacent restaurant.

►Seeing the cave where two giants, Goram and Ghyston, are said to have once made their home. You can walk to this small cave overlooking Avon Gorge in Bristol from the Observatory above it, through a tunnel carved in the nineteenth century by artist William West.

►Learning how stop animation works in Bristol, home to Aardman Animations, the Academy Award winning studio who brought the world Wallace and Gromit. We The Curious science centre is home to Animate It! where you can meet your favourite Aardman characters, draw your own and create stop frame animations.