UK holiday for families with cultural stuff and beach

[Fossilspartnersphone]

We're looking for a family holiday (maybe somewhere with a pool, kids activities for almost one year old) near a beach and walking and cultural stuff. Two adults and a current ten month old. Any recommendations please?

What kind of activities would you be looking for for a ten month old? I would have thought a pool and just being somewhere new and exciting could be enough, thinking back to when mine were young. Margate maybe? My DDs liked it.

Although not much cultural stuff apart from the Tate.

Butlins Minehead, activities, pool, beach, walks on exmoor, Dunster Castle nearby.

Northumberland has fabulous beaches and lots of castles.

Try Llandudno. Lots of castles, walking band beaches near by

Agree with Northumberland.

Also North Wales - castles at Harlech and Conwy, Port Merion, Llandudno.

Thank you. I love Northumberland but we go there a lot. Castles and a beach would be ideal. Might look at Llandudno

Barmouth? Castles, beaches, Snowdonia, etc nearby?

When my kids were in primary school we did a lovely holiday in Kent. Stayed near Camber sands so had the beach - and the wonderful Rye and did fantastic day trips to Hever Castle, Leeds Castle, Dover Castle, Battle etc.

Guernsey! Great castle, lovely beaches.

I think I'd do my best to ignore the 10mth old other than ensuring accommodation was suitable and enjoy doing a last holiday doing largely what you want to do before you have to focus too much on the children's activity side of things. Most places will have a playground with some toddler swings and anywhere you go will have a novelty factor.

Swanage has a lovely beach, great walks nearby and a stream train to Corfe Castle ( or you can walk over the hills) There is Studland beach, a boat to Brownsea island to find red squirrels, Lulworth Cove, Fossil hunting at Kimmeridge, the giant globe at Durlston Head, Bournemouth for shopping etc

Edinburgh, or the outskirts of……cultural stuff aplenty and a lovely beach at Porotbello. Or you could stay somewhere like north Berwick or Dunbar and get the train into the city.

Llandudno and the surrounding areas are great.
Plenty to see and do for all tastes and budgets some ideas here, Conwy is a very nice historic walled medieval town a short drive from Llandudno
http://www.donthibernate.co.uk/route-1-llandudno-from-m62-m56/

http://www.donthibernate.co.uk/conwy/

http://www.donthibernate.co.uk/

llandudno has 3 beaches, all different but all good, Two are basically either side of the town. Morfa Beach is very big and quiet, a short 10 minutes drive from Llandudno, just toilets and occasionally an ice cream man, no Fish, Chips and Bingo here
https://www.visitconwy.org.uk/things-to-do/conwy-morfa-beach-p293451

Other stuff
Aber Falls
http://www.donthibernate.co.uk/waterfalls-of-north-wales/

St Ives, Tate gallery, Barbara Hepworth sculpture Gardens, St Michael's Mount, Tin mines. Minack Theatre.

One of my holiday regrets is thinking we had to book a holiday park type of place when DS1 was that age "because that's where families go". I booked a chalet at a Haven in Cornwall and it was so disgusting (literally had fleas jumping in the carpet, plus the whole camp just felt unloved and old) we came home early and I was so upset that I'd wasted the money when I could have booked a lovely (and cheaper!) one bedroom cottage somewhere on a far nice farm type of place which had animal feeding, indoor kids playroom and swimming pool. We didn't even go in the pool at the Haven - it was far too crowded and noisy and was quite grubby. We basically used the chalet as a base for a few days and went out every day before we couldn't stand it anymore and drove home early!

So please think about what you'd like to do yourselves when they're that age. Any new experience is nice and stimulating for them. Mine did like a trip to the zoo at that age, they did like the animals. They liked little kids' train rides too, or going on a rowing boat while their dad rowed and I had a nice cuddle with DS1 in the sunshine. And a soft play place when they were crawling. They don't tend to like to stay on the beach for long at that age I don't think. Maybe just splashing their feet in the water etc.

Basically, book somewhere mainly because YOU like it, and that has lots of new experiences for baby.

@Coronationstation haha we live there. It is lovely though.

We thought maybe near Brighton so we can combine it with a visit to friends first but don't know that area at all

Thanks for all the advice about not looking for too much stuff for ten month old. Maybe we should just get a lovely cottage

I like the Kent suggestion, always interested in Hever castle because of Anne Boleyn

Llandudno looks lovely too, although we don't drive which might make it harder

Ha well have a staycation cos nowhere will be as good ;)
not driving adds a different element to this! Have you been to York? There’s a good couple of days of things to do in the city, you might like a day at Castle Howard and you could then head to somewhere like Whitby for the seaside.
Brighton isn’t my favourite place if I’m honest, it’s quite grubby round the edges and the beach is stoney not sandy.

You could go almost anywhere. We had lovely relaxed holidays in North Norfolk and Pembrokeshire around that age. We used to book a luxury cottage through Premier Cottages. Sadly can't afford those these days now we're tied to school holidays!

Llandudno has a train station, thats what made the town grow, the Victorians got then train to it. Conwy is a short bus ride away, Normal route is fine but best to take the Scenic route on the vintage bus around the toll road for its spectacular views at least once
https://www.visitconwy.org.uk/things-to-do/marine-drive-toll-road-p277321

https://www.visitconwy.org.uk/things-to-do/great-orme-marine-drive-tours-p277421

how about heading across to the kingdom? Elie is nice, with good beaches, you can walk or bus along the coast to the fishing villages, St Andrews is worth a couple of days, and even though it’s not exactly fancy, Dundee has plenty to see and do in the culture side. And you don’t waste two days in the car!

Isles of Scilly are great for beach, culture etc and can get there from Penzance which is on the trainline and then by helicopter or plane (or if brave the boat). Tresco has a lovely botanical garden with red squirrels. But it can be a long journey to get there if not in the south west and can be expensive.

Pembrokeshire was lovely though we drive so not sure of ideal place without car.

I'm a big fan of Wales lots to do and not to far to drive to beaches, railways or castles.
Cledan Valley is a hidden gem glamping site in mid Wales with lots of different options which aren't too expensive and they have lamas!

Pretty much anywhere in Devon or Wales!

Hever is beautiful from the outside, and the water maze is brilliant on a hot day, but inside it’s a bit odd. Basically fake Tudor. I found it unsatisfying!