This is a beautiful old house just outside Newport, very easy to get to from the motorway, and well…read moreworth a visit. For anyone who's a fan of BBC costume dramas, then this is the type of house that would make any Jane Austen heroine fall in love with even the most ruthless and cutthroat of villainous rich men. It packs quite a punch. Sitting in 90 acres of surrounding parkland, this is a lovely oasis of tranquillity. The house and gardens are open to the public during the summer months, and there are also countless festivals and seasonal events happening throughout the rest of the year. There is also a short avenue of arts and crafts shops which are open throughout the year. Here you'll find Busy Bees Patchwork and many other pottery, art and smithies. Pop along for a cultural afternoon.

Tanya is right on the money when she says this park is straight out of a BBC costume drama (don't…read moreeven get me started on their version of Pride and Prejudice - I know the whole damn thing by heart and that series is most likely the reason I moved to the UK in the first place). I used to work at the government building that's right around the corner, so a few lunch hours were spent walking around this park's stunning grounds. The park and woodland walk is open from 9 am to dusk. The House is open from Easter to the end of September, with house tours from Wednesday - Sunday. Tours last a little over an hour starting at 11am, then run hourly until 4pm. Events are held year round, and more information can be found on their website. Tredegar House is licensed for weddings and caters for conferences, although I'm happy just meandering around the park with the grand house serving as part of the background. If you're not a driver, you can get here via the number 30 and 36 Cardiff Bus, which I'd recommend instead of taking the train, as Newport Railway Station is a fair bit away.

I had a fantastic day out here last summer, and would highly recommend it for anybody to visit of…read moreany age! Despite it being a busy August day, the queues were not as big as expected and neither was the entrance fee! We weren't rushed to drive around the park and thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of the animals and being stopped in our tracks by a curious giraffe. After driving around the park we visited the grounds of the house and were able to enjoy a picnic and an ice cream next to a stream this ended the day wonderfully. If you're lucky enough to visit here when the weather is good, you'll have a fantastic time!

Longleat is a brilliant day out!!! It's not just for people with kids, I went with my boyfriend and…read morewe are in out 20's and had just as much fun!!! There is so much to see and do, starting with the safari drive which takes you through the enclosures with monkeys, lions, giraffes and lots more! Watch out for bits of your car going missing when the monkeys climb on your car and try and rip pieces off!! Don't offer them food as this encourages it!!! Then you can go to the big maze and get totally lost for an hour or so, it's good fun trying to find your way in and out! The gardens and house are beautiful and worth seeing but it's a lot to squeeze in in just a day. Best to get a passport ticket and you can go back and do what you can't manage another time! Don't miss the meerkats and the boat ride around the gorilla house, with sea lions in the lake too!!! Great day out.

Said to be one of Wales' best kept secrets, the castle at Caldicot sits on an ancient, attractive…read moreand strategically important site. Restored to much of its original outstanding condition, it is an attractive and interesting place to visit. The castle contains all the elements of the typical medieval fortress, and has been lovingly cared for by its present owners, who have opened it to the public. Founded by the Normans, developed in royal hands as a stronghold in the Middle Ages and restored as a Victorian family home, this castle has a romantic and colourful history. It was originally built on a site that had long been recognized for its strategic value. In fact the Romans already actively made use of the area in the early centuries AD, when Caldicot stood on the Via Julia roadway to Caerwent, the Roman town of Venta Silurum (ruins visible) just to the north. Caldicot's placement near the Bristol Channel allowed observation of the comings and goings of ship traffic and eased transport of supplies to the site. Its useful location was recognized by the Normans as early as 1086, and they built a motte with two baileys and a deep surrounding ditch to control this portion of south Wales. It is a surprisingly pleasant find in the Welsh countryside, so close to the modernized, industrial sector of Wales, yet so isolated from it. The castle is now owned and operated by the local authority, and is open to the public. The great gatehouse is now home to popular medieval banquets, a lavish and appropriate setting for such whimsical entertainment. Indeed some of the official website makes it almost sound like Disneyland in my opinion, but there are indeed some aspects that also make it fun for those with children so don't let that put you off visiting when in the neighbourhood of Newport/Chepstow. For the full history, go here: http://www.castlewales.com/caldicot.html If you want to stay over (within walking distance), try here:http://www.qype.co.uk/place/754362-The-Lychgate-Caldicot

Only a short car ride from Chepstow or Newport this is an ideal day out for any family with…read morechildren of all ages. Plenty of space (over 50 acres), yet you get a feeling that everything is close at hand. The castle is open and you can enjoy an audio tour at your own pace, so if something catches your eye you can spend that extra time there. Any-one for chess? Play on a giant out-door board with 2ft tall figures. Like knights and heraldry? See the armor worn by your forefathers; could you see yourself in combat wearing this kind of battledress? Pity the poor horses that carried armies in those times! There are gentle paths for strolling, with several picnic tables spread about the grounds, and unusually, there are barbecue hearths for a really splendid family meal. All the lawns and paths by the castle are level which makes it ideal for those with any mobility problems. Tours are availble for those with impaired hearing. A visit to the shop will end the peferct day; something for everyone & of all ages. Altogether a lovely day out, just a little off the beaten track, but more than worth the time you spend there.

I worked at Cefn Mably one summer and it was the best job I've ever had - despite the predictably…read morelow pay. It is a wonderful farm park just outside the city, in the pretty greenbelt area between Cardiff and Newport. It has come on leaps and bounds in recent years to offer visitors better facilities. There's now a huge indoor heated play barn, a children's outdoor play area, a big sand pit, picnic tables, pony rides, and hands-on sessions when visitors can touch and hold some of the animals. From donkeys and ducks, to goats and geese, there's plenty of variety of animals - including a few less common ones such as the llama. And if you walk to the furthest area of the farm park you reach a lovely, peaceful pond area which is a good spot for wildlife-watching or sitting down for a picnic. I love animals, and I love farm parks - and I wish it wasn't considered odd to enjoy visiting them without children in tow!

My boyfriend is a born and bred city man, and I am a country bumkin so after being pestered for a…read morewhile about going to see some ickle cute baby animals I took him here! I did feel a little bit out of place being the only adults without children but it doesn't matter. Anyways it was spring time so there were lots of lambs and baby goats around to pet and feed if your lucky. Seeing a grown man coo over animals was defiantly worth the £4.50 entry fee! We took a picnic plus and had enjoyed lunch on a picnic bench in the sun, but there's a nice cafe too for afternoon tea too or some lunch. Would be fantastic place for kids as there can go on pony rides and digger rides and play on the park area. We sadly weren't aloud!

None other than an 18th Century mansion house set in acres and acres of wooded landscape, as…read moredescribed by Ms. Jane Austen herself. The 'Castle' part is actually a grassy hillfort upon which you can gallop to your heart's content. But there is a small Gothic Folly to explore, at the top of a steep hill or course. The mansion house has been lovingly converted into a museum of childhood (sounds a bit creepy - full of china dolls etc - but actually a great deal of fun, with costumes, old games and toys - will get your grandparents reminiscing and your kids learning - gotta be a good thing!) The adventure play parks also prove screamingly popular with little 'uns of all ages. With a regular ice-cream van, a coffee shop and a generous car park - for me Blaise is a proper 'day-out', without being miles and miles from the city.

I've been coming to Blaise since i was a child and my love is still strong for it!…read more There's free parking and lots of it, a great little cafe serving ice creams and such, a large kids playground, old house and museum And the most BEAUTIFUL scenery in Bristol. Acres of rolling hills and trees you forget your in a city after being there for a while. The land goes up hill and over some rocky path's to the top overlooking the Bristol valley, walking down past the house and further into the woods you find a lovely stream with stone bridge. It's a great spot for taking photos or having a romantic stroll. Great to be with Nature and there are no restraints to where you can walk, depending on how brave you are. There are walk ways and proper pathways or you can go into the woods themselves. It feels like a little magical place away from everything. Easily the best place next to the downs for a picnic and dogs are welcome to/ if you don't mind a little walk buses 76 goes there or driving can easily be 20 minutes or less from the centre. You can visit in the summer or even when it's snowing- it looks beautiful either way

What a fantastic day out. This place offers a lot for family's…read more Great value for £8 per adult and £5 for children over two, under twos are free ! The grounds are fantastic lots of open space for the children to wonder and explore and also paths that follow through the trees and gardens. There's a big adventure playground full of lots to explore, zip wire, slide climbing frame etc. There were also blow up slides and a paddling pool. There was a separate area with Wendy houses, trampolines and a climbing frame for the smaller children which was in a really nice relaxing area. You can get up close with pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs and chickens in Pet's Corner. There is 66 acres of beautiful gardens and woodland walks, the views across the River Severn and Wales and spectacular ! There's also a cafe and shop. The cafe is really nice I had a caramel latte with a cheese and chutney sandwich came to £5.50 wich Is good value. Plenty of parking available. Overall a fantastic day out which was really enjoyed by all.

Old Down Country Park is not your typical stately home. It is a farm/zoo/park/house. Great for the…read morewhole family too. They have large lawn areas for picnics, a café for those who didn't pre-prepare food, and lots and ltos of animals. Expect to find your typical farm animals. Goats? Check. Pigs? Check. Sheep? Check. Ponies? Check. Wallabies????check!!! Entry is only a fiver and you can spend the whole day there (weather permitting) walking along the Victorian walls and cooing at all the cute animals.

A hidden gem for all but knowledgeable Newport locals, head out of the city centre over the railway…read morebridge near the central train station and a short walk into the mainly residential suburbs to find this. It's worth the trek. The restored, beautiful old Llanthewy Road Baptist Church is home to the Burleigh Academy, a performing arts organisation set up by a former touring soul/rock singer to teaching dance and music. There are various spaces and studios, but the building's main area is Burleigh Hall, a 300-capacity room with a small, functional bar. An intriguing occasional gig venue covered in jazz memorabilia, unsurprisingly the smoother side of musical sounds are usually the staples of the programme, with regular jazz nights the main attractions. Although once in a blue moon, outside promoters provide intimate shows from rock-leaning acts. It also hosts wedding/civil partnership ceremonies, conferences, birthday and christening parties and theatre workshops.

Forget Ascot racecourse - this is an original. Everything is…read morewell worn and well used but that makes it better. The cafe is shabby looking but good food. The track is fine and the horses seem to like it. This racecourse if for proper horseracing and betting fans. There is no need to dress up in your finery and if you did you would look silly. This is a good racetrack and a good day out especially for families as there is a lot of area to run about in on a nice day. I recommend this racecourse as it is a proper racecourse and not fancy atall, so dig out your wellies and get down there.

Bath Racecourse is a distinctly average flat course and has ideas above its station. The racecourse…read moreis one of the highest in the country and due to its exposed position on the top of a hill the course drains quickly and is whipped dry by the wind. As a result the conditions are often quite firm, so you rarely get good quality horses here, though very occasionally you get some interesting maiden races with good owners/trainers represented. The stands and facilities are quite shabby, and if you go in the main grandstand on the popular meets it is really crowded and takes ages to be served at the bar. They charge extra for their 'feature' meetings, but these are just their popular meets on summer evenings/weekends, when they have a tribute band playing after racing, or it is one of their 'family fun days', or ladies evening. On the odd occasion that I do still come here (and I used to have annual membership) I go to a mid-week 'standard' meeting. However, my recommendation would be to hop on the train or zip down the M4 to Newbury. For £1 LESS than a Bath feature meeting (2009 prices) you can go to the Spring Trials Day at Newbury which includes Group standard racing, and one of the main trials races for the 2,000 Guineas and the food and facilities are much better too.