The castle is lovely and grounds are absolutely stunning. Although the structure and landscaping…read moreare lovely, our tour guide felt the need to weave her strong political views into most topics. Examples would be regarding a pitcher/jug that is displayed in one of the glass cases. She said the pitcher "should not be here" and if she had her way "it would be returned" because it was "stolen from a masque." She also said when referring to Dr. Edward Jenner being the first to develop a successful vaccination for small pox that "it really is a question if he were the first." She said he barely beat Africa and Turkey in this world altering vaccine. To which doctors to whom was she referring to in Africa or Turkey? She made a comment of, " My grandfather always said, 'Whatever horrible acts done have been done have been done by the English first.' and I firmly believe this." She was also railing against the decisions of the monarchs before the addition of the parliament. Then she went on to say she wished she could get rid of the current government. A guide should concentrate on the facts and remove biases. It is quite distracting and unnecessary.

What can you say about one of the oldest inhabited castles in the world which is still owned by the…read moresame family from 900 years ago. You have to go. Its where Edward II was murdered with a red hot poker up his fundament .

Gayle and I arrived at the very cool Broadway Tower as we hiked up from town and then on our way to…read moreChipping Campden. It was built in 1798 on the second highest point in the Cotswolds and a very cool scenic place to take it all in. It's also a folly - a building that looks like it has a useful purpose (in this case, a strategic lookout), but is really just for decoration or personal enjoyment. In this case, it was commissioned by the 6th Earl of Coventry as a token of affection for his wife Lady Barbara.

This place was great- we were just going to drive by and then were enticed inside where we found a…read moredelightful gift shop and cafe. We purchased cute greeting cards and two lattes- delicious. They can make one mean mocha! Cute holidays ornaments, builder sets & more. Outside there are nice tables and cute kids play toys like a teepee to go into etc 2nd cafe & shop had lovely clothes and bags... We ended up doing the loop hike and saw so many cute sheep and a herd of deer with a magnificent buck; many places to rest and take up a view of the valley on a comfy bench...the tower tour came w listening device with history..: view from roof was amazing. There's a small shop at the bottom of the tower stocked w similar to first shop. My 75 year old mom was a little tired going up some of the hills but crushed it; I was just as tired ha ha

We enjoyed a nice visit to the garden. They offer timed tickets you can pre book which makes it…read morequick to get in. There is a large garden you can walk through to see the plants and trees and also some glass houses that contained interesting plants such as poisonous plants, cactus, and more. Most plants were labeled. There were a number of trees and some seating that was in the shade. It was a pleasant place to spend a couple of hours.

What a beautiful place to walk and listen to the birds as you walk your breakfast off…read more Really peaceful and despite not having all the flowers and trees in bloom, it was such a lovely couple hours spent here. I can just imagine what it would be like in summer. I really liked the green houses as well. Our favorite was the rainforest one. A small gift shop at the entrance/exit. The staff was really friendly and helpful but that's just all the people in Oxford so far.

Continuing my evening stroll took me Montpellier Gardens. There's plenty of grass for a picnic and…read moreplaying a sport with friends. There's also a little cafe with some a children's play area. What impressed me the most was a bouldering place, where you can climb over and around. Really soft matting and a structure to test the best of climbers to improve their smaller manoeuvres.

One of Birmingham's lesser known parks, and all the better for it, if you ask me! We really are…read moreblessed / spoiled over in the south of the city when it comes to parks - there seems to be one every few hundred yards - from large, countryside-equse open spaces like Warley Woods and the Lickeys, to ornate urban parks like Cannon Hill Park. This place is a little of both - the large open space that dominates it provides a lovely respite from the bustle of Harborne, and the gardens that border it are well kept and a legacy of the park's Victorian roots. A great little park - much recommended!

Queens Park is one of Birmingham's best parks in my opinion, its very secluded and not very known…read moreabout and all the better for it! We don't have many great outdoor spaces in Harborne so its a great place for young children, teenagers and adults too. Its has a great open large space, people come here to play football, tennis (has 2 tennis courts), basketball (has a basketball court). Has a playground area for young children. Very popular with dog walkers, joggers and cyclists. Ive been here day and night and never had any trouble, the gardens are well kept and very pretty in every season. There is 2 car parks available on site which is free, space available for disabled vehicles too. A great little park!

Streamleaze road park is great for the little ones ,some swings ,a slide , rope climb etc all…read moreenclosed and gated

Nice park for a leisurely walk or coffee. Good cafe with outdoor seating, coffee, tea, cakes and…read moresuch,sandwiches, soup, ice cream, etc. It gets busy when the weather is good

An excellent place for a half-day out. The Hedge puzzle is worth the entry fee by itself -- a great…read moremaze with an easy way out once you've found the middle, and with good viewing platforms so that you can laugh at other people struggling away. But there's all sorts of other things there as well: the proprietors are clearly into mazes and puzzles in a big way, and they've put together a very entertaining collection of such things to keep you (and/or the kids) occupied. We were made to feel very welcome when we went, with some zany staff making a good job of entertaining our two children. There's a Butterfly Zoo next door (qv) but we preferred the Maze -- a very good morning out.

This course is as good as the one in Bath, and a great leveller - the best and worst players won't…read moreget too far apart. Nine holes is always too small for me, and eighteen too much for children, so this twelve-hole course is great for families, and there are small clubs for infants. There are some crazy-golf novelties like the spiral, but the theming is more restrained than most. The design is original, with a Roman theme a bit like Pompeii and one particular feature which makes everyone smile (I won't tell you what!). The countryside around is lovely. The playing surface is artificial turf and I have seen wheelchairs on it. It's quite cheap, and half-price for extra rounds or if you visit the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo or the aMazing Hedge Puzzle, which are both next door to it. Parking is free, which makes a change.