When I look back to my childhood I can see that I was fortunate growing up, I didn't realise it at the time of course, but now that I'm older and I think about past days, I know me and my siblings was very lucky to have the childhood we had. I come from a very large family, I have six siblings - three brothers, and three sisters, but it can get complicated when I start explaining we don't all have the same parents. You see, my dad had three children with his first wife, then three children with my mum (his second wife), and then my mum had another child with her current partner (they've been together 17 years).
I never say to people I have half brothers and sisters, they're not half to me at all, they're all my full siblings even though biologically they're not. All of us just refer one another as our siblings, and I thank all parents involved for allowing us all to be so very close growing up. My dad worked endlessly to provide us all with a childhood that we now look back on fondly as adults, he'd get in as much overtime at work as he can - which we all hated, but we reaped in rewards. We visited places some of our friends only dreamed of, and we've seen sights all over.
Strangely though, it wasn't the exotic holidays abroad that brings back the fondest of memories to me, for me it's the nature trials we participated in, the mazes we visited to find ourselves a way out, the picnics we had in beautiful parks, the hiking we done (even though I hated my walking boots and vowed if a friend ever saw them I'd run away!), the country houses and castles we explored, and the natural beauty we see, many of these activities all thanks to the National Trust Passes our dad would buy for us annually.
The National Trust is a charity, that was founded in 1895 by three people who saw the importance of our nation’s heritage and open spaces and wanted to preserve them for everyone to enjoy. More than 120 years later, these values are still at the heart of everything they do. They look after special places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for ever, for everyone.
They look after coastline, forests, woods, fens, beaches, farmland, moorland, islands, archaeological remains, nature reserves, villages, historic houses, gardens, mills and pubs. They restore them, protect them and open them up to everyone. For the Trust, conservation has always gone hand-in-hand with public access. They welcome everyone to explore: 775 miles of coastline, over 248,000 hectares of land, over 500 historic houses, castles, ancient monuments gardens and parks and nature reserves.
Have you never been to a National Trust location?
Chances are, you've visited at least one National Trust property/park/coastline, they own so much throughout the UK I'm pretty sure everyone would've visited at least one place belonging to them! However, if you're really really sure that you never have, and would like to visit one of over 500 destinations, then your luck is in because Nomow are giving you the chance to win a 12 Month National Trust Family Membership worth £111!
The membership will entitle two adults (aged 18+) living at the same address, and up to 10 children/grandchildren (17 or under) to over 500 fascinating National Trust locations for FREE! What's more is under 5s go free, so potentially you could take more than 12 people in on one pass! The cost of a individual pass is £63 a year, so the benefits are huge when you've got a family pass, oh and did I mention that dogs are welcome to some National Trust locations too? Everyone's a winner as our canine friends can have a nice stretch too!
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| Ham House Surrey - Image Source. |
I've posted below just some of the places that are family friendly, of which you can visit with a pass, out of over 500, I thought it would be good to pick out my favourite top five.
1. Dyrham Park, near Bath - Dyrham’s gardens are perfect for little explorers with its balancing beams, stepping stones, mini maze and a much-loved tractor to play on. Build dens in the wood, or take the Journey of Discovery trail and see what you can find.
2. Dunster Castle, Somerset - Commanding the wooded hill it sits on, a castle has existed here since at least Norman times, with an impressive medieval gatehouse and ruined tower giving a reminder of its turbulent history. Home of the Luttrell family for more than 600 years, the present building was remodelled in 1868–72 by Antony Salvin. The Tor at Dunster has been home to a castle for more than 1000 years. During Saxon times, the spectacular hilltop location served as a frontier fortress against Celtic and Viking raiders. It also has its fair share of ghosts and secret passages if you feel brave enough to find them.
2. Dunster Castle, Somerset - Commanding the wooded hill it sits on, a castle has existed here since at least Norman times, with an impressive medieval gatehouse and ruined tower giving a reminder of its turbulent history. Home of the Luttrell family for more than 600 years, the present building was remodelled in 1868–72 by Antony Salvin. The Tor at Dunster has been home to a castle for more than 1000 years. During Saxon times, the spectacular hilltop location served as a frontier fortress against Celtic and Viking raiders. It also has its fair share of ghosts and secret passages if you feel brave enough to find them.
3. Belton House, Lincolnshire - Belton House’s indoor adventure play area has tunnels to scramble through and a mini Belmont tower to climb. Kids can run off some energy whilst parents enjoy cupcakes and coffee at the café. Open all year round, there's something suitable for kids of all ages to enjoy while letting off a bit of steam. Look out for the different events and school holiday activities too.
4. Jurassic Coast, Dorset - As I've mentioned many times here on Unique Young Mum, one of my favourite UK holiday destinations is Dorset and part of that reason is because of the Jurassic Coast. The Jurassic Coast is 95 miles of Devon and Dorset coast with great walks, beaches, cliffs, hills and villages, there's something for everyone to enjoy!
5. Mount Stewart, County Down - Voted one of the world's top ten gardens, there are lots of different areas to explore with your family. Don't miss the mythical animals on the Dodo Terrace - see if you can count them all.
Don't forget, I've only featured five locations, but the National Trust cover over 500 places in all different locations, so be sure to check out their website for the full list of places to visit.
Until next time,
Jada x
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