With the family in Bristol: Wookey Hole Caves

Just under an hour from Bristol, buried on the southern edge of the Mendip Hills near Wells in Somerset, is the delightful family day out that is Wookey Hole Caves. There is so much to do, including taking in the new animatronic dinosaurs exhibit, that you can easily spend a whole day there and never get bored.

We started out by visiting the caves first and hearing about the famous legend of the witch that used to live there – which sure did get my seven-year-old daughter clinging on to us for dear life. The storytelling was great, and the light displays throughout the cave really did keep us all gripped. The guide was extremely thorough with his knowledge and kept the tour group moving at a steady pace. I especially enjoyed seeing the wheels of cheese and my husband enjoyed testing out his camera and capturing some beautiful images.

Stalactites at Wookey Hole Caves by Vikesh Jobanputra

We exited the caves back into daylight and were then faced with the Fairy Garden Walk, which was very tranquil and beautiful, before getting to the ‘in your face’ Dinosaur Valley. Roaring, hissing, blinking and stomping prehistoric beasts could be seen in this new attraction for 2018, and what an experience they were – the children in the area all squealed with delight as they moved.

Part of the Fairy Garden by Vikesh Jobanputra

These state-of-the-art animatronic creations have been specially shipped in from China and they really do give you goosebumps. The way they moved and made different noises kept us all captivated for quite a while. It’s fascinating to think that dinosaurs actually roamed Somerset’s Mendip Hills millions of years ago, at the same time that the limestone caves were being eroded hundreds of feet below.

A fully-grown Allosaurus, a brace of Velociraptors, an Iguanodon, a Triceratops, a Dimetrodon and a Stegosaurus have all been recently added to the static family of beasts that were already residing at Wookey Hole.

Dinosaur Valley by Vikesh Jobanputra

After this walk with a difference, my husband and daughter then went into the 4D cinema, which shows Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. They both described it as a lot of fun, and as this was my daughter’s first 4D experience, this trip will definitely be remembered. To give my little one a chance to blow off a bit of steam and have a run around, we visited the Wizard’s Play Castle, and had a sit down and enjoyed a cup of tea in the cafe as a bonus. The indoor soft play area was really extensive and you could feel the excitement as soon as we walked into the room – oh to be that young and carefree again.

After a good amount of time, we then walked amongst the old style traditional Victorian Penny Arcade before exiting through the gift shop. Just before the shop we got a real treat when we realised the Wookey Hole Witch was sat on top of a roof and smiling down at us. We thought it was a robot initially, but then she spoke and informed us she was real! It was a hugely fun day out at this popular Somerset attraction, and there was still plenty we didn’t get time to see, including the daily circus shows full of trapeze acts, unicycle riding, wire walking, silks, gymnastics and balancing acts, put on by performers from the local circus school. A great family day out for the whole family.

Children receive a free Easter gift with every visit until April 15 2018. Day tickets to Wookey Hole Caves start from £16.15 for adults and £12.75 for children when booked online, while holiday packages start from £129 including tickets to the attractions and an overnight stay with breakfast. For more information and to book, visit www.wookey.co.uk