Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Educational as well as great fun, with something to interest all ages . |
| Disadvantages: |
The long queues at peak times but they are worth it ! |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
I am afraid this is going to be a very long review. There is just so much to cover and I am sure I will have more I wanted to say on top of it all! I am going to go through all the different attractions there are packed into this fantastic place one by one and try and make it so that if there is one part you are more interested in than the others then you can then just read that section (BUT PLEASE READ ABOUT THE PASSPORT TICKET DO NOT JUST LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL PRICES, A PASSPORT WORKS OUT A LOT CHEAPER!).
Longleat has been a huge attraction in the southwest of England since the house was opened to the public in 1949, a lot has changed there since, with the addition of a safari park and other attractions. The park still gets added to all the time and really does have something to interest everyone, young and old alike.
I am sure that you will have seen the programme on BBC1 Animal Park with Kate Humble and Ben Fogle following the day-to-day running of Longleat. They only show a small amount of what is there to see, but you will have a good idea from the programme not that it is anything like actually being there just a few feet from the animals.
Apart from two years when I lived in Essex I have always lived within a thirty minutes drive distance of Longleat so I have visited on rather a lot of occasions and in the last three years I have been there four times, going round the safari park twice in that time. So I should know the place rather well by now!
Before getting to the gate you need to know what you would like to visit within the grounds, as this is where you pay. That said on our last visit they did not do this it was that you parked and went to pets corner and paid there. I think they do this at the busiest times (otherwise the traffic blocks up the main road!) The queue takes rather a long time! If you can avoid peak times do! Easter, summer holidays and Saturdays are the worst times!
When you pay you get asked if you want a guidebook, from memory these were £6 I think. A glossy book which is very informative about the different parts of the parks especially the animals but with the tape (I think they also offer it on CD) the supply and the other leaflets you don't actually need it, so unless you want it as a keepsake save your money and use it for something else!
I will go through each attraction and give a bit of an explanation about it, my opinion, how good the disabled access is, roughly how much time I recommend you allow for each and the cost.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Longleat house~~~~~~~~~~~~
This really is amazing to see both inside and out. I appreciate this is not everyone's cup of tea, to some it is just a massive old house but the history contained within its walls really is amazing. It has been used as a hospital during the war and had royal visitors down the years.
The building work was completed in 1580. The family of Thynne has always lived there, Alexander Thynne or better known as the seventh marquise of Bath still lives there. He is a very colourful character and has been known to come out from his private residence closed off from the public and talk to and show round visitors.
There are some amazingly decorated rooms with old furniture and displays not to be missed. There are displays of old clothing which to me is interesting, as you don't see it every day.
The house is lovingly cared for and constantly restored to it's original state.
Royalty has visited on many occasions and there are some of the gifts given to the Thynn family by royalty on display. The displays are changed every so often so even if you have been before there is always going to be something you haven't seen before.
There is so much to see here it is hard to take it all in. The décor in some of the rooms is heavily influenced by the French and Italian input of two hundred years ago.
I found the most impressive place to be the staircase, one of the more simple of the rooms. It is so grand and you can imagine the well to do sauntering down the steps.
This part of the park is not one the children will enjoy to be honest. I remember visiting as a child and being bored rigid.
Even if you are not a lover of architecture you will still be in awe of the size and splendour of this historic building, it really is worth a visit if you are already in the grounds.
Special tours are done at certain times and on specific days there are even tours of the marquises private quarters. Should you be interested in these I would recommend contacting Longleat in advance (contact details at the end of this review) to find out when they are to plan around the times.
Around the house you can see some of the present marquises artwork, portraits of the family. He has a very modern style and many say his work is completely out of character hanging on the walls of this old house. I don't know how I feel on this, as I don't see it makes much difference. It is up to him at the end of the day and it just adds more interest to your visit but it does look odd with all the antiques to have such modern works on the walls.
At the back of the house is Lady Baths gift shop, the prices are high but there are some high quality items you may find rather nice and not be able to resist. It is worth a look but there are a few gift shops so you could end up spending a small fortune.
Longleat does hire out rooms for private functions and is licensed for weddings but be warned these are rather pricey! We had a look and decided we weren't prepared to pay what they are asking but if you want a large wedding it would be a fantastic and very memorable venue.
You should know that stiletto heeled shoes are not to be worn in the house as they cause damage and flash photography is also a no no as all the flashes would end up damaging the old articles in the house.
DISABLED ACCESS - This is only via another entrance as the front of the house is a flight of steps up to the entrance. Within the house accessibility is limited. Wheelchair users must be accompanied by two adults at all times in the house.
DURATION OF VISIT - Around about an hour but you could spend longer or if you find it isn't your thing you could hurry it along.
COSTS - This is one of the most expensive attractions. If you are not getting a passport to all attractions I do not think this is worth it. (Passport explained towards the end.) If paying separately the house and grounds costs per adult £10.00 for children between 3-14 £6.00 and OAPs £6.00. Under threes go free.
MY RATING - 7/10 - not for kids and costly but very interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Gardens and grounds~~~~~~~~~~~~
The whole estate covers a rather large 600 acres. I know it is hard to imagine isn't it. There are forests, lakes and gardens as well as the areas covered by the various attractions.
The forestry is open to the public. They sell their wood by the tonne, along with natural garden sculptures. Could make a nice alternative to a fluffy toy from one of the parks gifts shops!
If you are interested in the forestry contact them on the details at the end of this review or check opening times on the Longleat website.
The gardens are really spectacular, obviously they are far nicer in certain months. They are famous for their rhododendrons, which really are beautiful. They flower in June, July and August so if you would like to see these in full bloom make sure you visit during this period.
There are well set out separate gardens. One of these is the 'love garden' with statues and I think from memory there is a mini maze. Some of the statues are a little out there!
Among the grounds there are also lakes some of which you can fish on. To do this you need a special license from Longleat so make sure that you get one prior to getting out your rod. There are bailiffs, which do come along and check.
One of the lakes is called half-mile lake, I am sure its name doesn't need any explanation. In the centre of this lake is an island where two gorillas live. I will talk more about this lake when I get to the boat safari.
DISABLED ACCESS - For obvious reasons is limited but most of the grounds and gardens are flat.
DURATION OF VISIT - Unlimited. You could spend all day just in the gardens walking around. It is nice to take a picnic and sit and enjoy.
COSTS - For just this attraction it costs £3.00 for adults £2.00 for children between 3 and 14 and £2.00 for OAPs.
MY RATING - 9/10 - reasonably priced and very enjoyable, better at certain times of the year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Pets corner~~~~~~~~~~~~
This area contains small animals, tortoises, marmosets (very small monkeys), lizards, bugs, ferrets and the otters, which I love but are a little smelly. You can get really close.
This area is aimed at the younger children but as an adult I still absolutely love it!
This is a great attraction that at times can be very interactive as some of the animals get brought out for children and adults to touch should they want to. Millipedes, snakes as well as ferrets (these are the only ones I have seen out they might bring out others though) are sometimes out with one of the park staff. How daring are you would you hold or touch one? These little face to face meetings with the creatures can be really informative and be a great learning experience for young and old.
Several times a day there is a show put on where a member of the staff and some of their macaws will talk and educate about the birds. This really is great and kids over about five will find this riveting. You are shown the skills the parrots have from talking to using a special set of small roller skates, yes you did read that right, roller skates. The skates show the point being made about their feet. This talk and show is very educational and will involve the subject of recycling with one of the parrots putting their rubbish in a little bin. Very young children may be scared by the noise of the birds (they can be very loud and shriek) and not be able to sit through it all without getting bored.
Dotted around this area there are small guess activities on walls to educate and make it a learning experience with fun mixed in.
DISABLED ACCESS - This is all on level ground and accessible to all.
DURATION OF VISIT - I would set aside at least forty five minutes but if you include a parrot show and look around slowly as long as an hour and a half.
COSTS - When paying separately it costs £3.00 per person over the age of three. I think this is a bargain. Under threes go free.
MY RATING - 10/10 - this is informative, reasonably priced and kids will love it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~Adventure castle and blue peter maze~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have never been in this area as it is for children and was not there when I went as a child. It is for under fourteens and adults can only go in when accompanying a child.
The Longleat website says about the castle "Imagine a long lost medieval castle which has been discovered by children who have added their favourite play ideas - bridges, nets, slides and swings, things to climb through and crawl under - then you might have an idea of what the Adventure Castle is all about!"
The maze was designed as part of a Blue Peter competition and was added in 2002.
The newest part of this attraction was added in 2006 and is a large floor made of non-slip rubber made to look like a medieval shield with interactive water jets and fountains. The site warns that you may want to bring a towel, as your children may get wet. I think a change of clothes may be a good idea too!
It is a great attraction for the kids it might be a good idea to visit here before or after the safari to use up some energy. Sitting in the car for a long time can mean that they may want to run around after.
DISABLED ACCESS - Is limited.
DURATION OF VISIT - All depends on your children and if you can get them out I guess!
COSTS - This is free for an adult who is supervising and £3.00 for each child between 3-14.
MY RATING - As I have not been in this area I cannot rate it. I do think it is a great idea though.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Butterfly garden~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is like a massive green house! In the summer this gets extremely hot! You walk through a little shop and go through two sets of plastic flaps (these are to stop the butterflies escaping). You walk around a horseshoe shaped pathway to a door back into the shop. There is a pond over which is a bridge you walk over.
There are butterflies everywhere and not the types you would see in your garden some of them are very large and they are all very beautiful.
You should not touch the butterflies as it will damage them they are very delicate.
Some times the butterflies may land on you. If you would not like this or your children would panic I would suggest not visiting this area. If you visit and it is busy you cannot get out any sooner than everyone else gets out as it is a narrow pathway.
There are cabinets of the cocoons turning in to butterflies and you may be lucky enough to see one hatch. This is rather educational for children to see.
The shop has lots of butterfly themed gifts and toys also garden ornaments.
DISABLED ACCESS - this is level in the shop and butterfly sections but has two steps up into the shop so is OK if you are in a wheelchair and can be helped up the steps or if you can manage the two steps.
DURATION OF VISIT - This area is only small and if it is not busy you could pop in and walk around in just a few minutes if butterflies are not your thing. When this area is busy it can take a good twenty minutes to walk around as effectively you are in a queue.
COST - The butterfly house costs £2.00 per person over three years and is free for those under three.
MY RATING - 7/10 this is interesting and a joy to see but it is hot and you have to go at everyone else's pace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Longleat Railway~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a great part of the park and means you get to see the place in a different way.
This is a mini railway with a dinky train and carriages. It travels very slowly round the park. Skirting half-mile lake where you may see sea lions jumping out the water while swimming along next to the train (do not worry there is a fence in-between the train and the lake).
Along the way there is artwork that is by Lord Bath and it is rather eccentric like the man himself. Not what you would usually associate with sculpture. Large colourful wooden cut outs which are pictures of people and rather odd. Not what I would say are in keeping with the rest of the landscape.
From the train you can see some of the safari park.
The train whistles as you go round and being a good old-fashioned steam train is a nice opportunity for older visitors to reminisce.
This can be very busy at peak times and a queue is almost always there! The train goes all the time so don't be put off by a queue as you wont have to wait all that long.
They have a small gift shop selling train toys in the main.
DISABLES ACCESS - The Longleat site says "Restricted availability for wheelchair users - there is a specially adapted carriage which can accommodate one wheelchair user and their companion at any one time. Please enquire at the Railway Ticket Office on arrival at Longleat for availability, operating times and to reserve your place."
DURATION OF VISIT - The train ride itself is only about ten or twelve minutes but is well worth it. The queue may mean a wait of around half hour at busy times.
COST - This is per person again but under threes are free again. £3.00
MY RATING - 9/10 if it wasn't for the queue I would give it a ten! It is fantastic fun!
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Old Joe's Mine~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you have never heard of this part of the park you must be wondering what this is as its name doesn't really explain it. This is a dark area meant to be like a mine where they keep bats! I liked this area and went through for the first time last summer, as this is a rather new attraction.
You go through a little tunnel where there is information and cockroaches but don't worry they are in tanks and if you hate them that much you can just walk on the other side of the walkway.
You go through into a large black rather dark room where the bats are hanging from the ceiling and flying about overhead.
I went through with my other half and his brother and sister. My other half and his sister were rather scared but went through all the same and are glad they did. We didn't spend much time in there because of them being a little bit spooked by the bats. I liked it and don't see the fuss. They are fruit bats and not bothered about you.
It is interesting and as we all know seeing bats this close isn't something you usually get the opportunity to do.
This area is not for children who are afraid of the dark! They will be too scared.
I should point out that there must be a risk of getting pooped on! Could cause a lot of laughs but may put some people off of visiting the area.
DISABLED ACCESS - This is accessible to all.
DURATION OF VISIT - It all depends how long you want to stay and watch them really. We were in and out in about ten minutes but I could have happily stayed and watched for another ten minutes.
COST - It is £2.00 each for anyone over three years old and under threes are free.
MY RATING - 8/10 a great way to see bats but you could get pooped on and it isn't for kids that hate the dark.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hedge Maze~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a huge maze! The paths add up to 1.7 miles! The maze is made of yew trees and the Longleat website says that there are over 16,000 in it's hedges!
There are a couple of bridges in the maze which means you can have a look at where you are trying to get to and how! If you want to cheat that is!!!! There are hints around the maze if you are getting stuck or have been in longer than you want. They are directions under flaps so that you don't see them unless you want to.
This can be great fun but not really something you want to do unless the weather is nice.
This is well designed and something different from the rest of the park.
DISABLED ACCESS - This is not suitable for wheelchair users and those who cannot walk far.
DURATION OF VISIT - Now this all depends on if you are good at mazes or if you get lost! The Longleat website says that visitors complete the maze in an average of 90 minutes. We only took an hour, is that our genius and great sense of direction or just pure luck? I think I will leave that up to you!
COST - This is £3.00 for anyone over the age of three and under threes are free.
MY RATING - 8/10 a great way to spend an hour or maybe two but is no use in bad weather it would just be miserable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Motion Simulator~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are two of these and I am not a big fan of them. As I remember when we visited last summer there was one, which had something to do with gorillas.
We didn't have time to fit these in to our action packed day so I cannot comment.
The queues can be very long for these so you may have rather a long wait if you want to have a go on them.
DISABLED ACCESS - Not accessible for wheelchair users. There are steps up to these equivalent to a flight of stairs.
DURATION OF VISIT - The queue if there is one is what will take longest. The ride itself is less than ten minutes.
COST - £2.00 per person over three but there is a height restriction of 1.2 meters (4 feet) so I can't see any three or four year olds being able to go on!
MY RATING - 5/10 I did not go on the Longleat ones my rating is based on the fact that I just think they are rubbish in general!
~~~~~~~~~~~~ Postman Pat Village~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is another area for the under fourteens. That said I cant really see any child over the age of ten being very interested in this area. It is for the very young. Adults are only allowed in when supervising a child.
I have never been to this area of the park and the Longleat website doesn't really make clear what the attraction actually is. All I know is it is indoor.
If your children like Postman Pat then it is worth a go.
DISABLED ACCESS - Is limited.
DURATION OF VIST - I have no idea!
COST - This is free for supervising adults to accompany their children and £2.00 for any child between 3-14 and free for under threes.
MY RATING - I cannot give a rating, as I have not been in here. I think this is a great idea if you have very young children it must be worth a look.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Boat safari~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was one of my favourite parts of out visits. I only did this for the first time on our last visit and now will want to do it again, probably this summer at some point!
There is rather a long queue at peak times but there is something to look at while you wait! Pigs! When we joined the queue we were by the pen of two rather cute potbelly pigs. Enough to keep the kids interested for ten minutes or so.
The train goes past which does add a little interest too.
Round a little from the pigs you come to a shop and here you either pay or show your passport (details towards the end of review) at this window they also sell sweets and teddy's among other things.
Then there are the Meerkats these are in an enclosure with a mound and little stream of water running around and are great fun to watch but they are not always visible as at times they are around the other side of the mound.
The wait was rather long we stood in the queue for about forty-five minutes, which is a long time with nothing to do and would not be very nice with small children.
When it is your turn you get on one of two boats one is called the Lady B. they are not the best looking of boats and the seats are far from comfortable.
You do a tour or the lake, it really is beautiful on a warm day but in the cold would be less pleasant. The sea lions follow alongside the boats as you can buy little cups of fish to throw to the waiting seals. This was amazing fun! You do not have to touch the fish if you don't want to you can just fling it from the cup like we did. A cup of fish was less than 50p each but I cannot remember the exact amount.
There are hippos in the lake, which they try and stay away from as they can be very aggressive but they are great to see. When we were there they were on the bank and we saw them quite close up.
There is an island in the centre that is the home of the gorillas, Nico and Samba. We were lucky enough to see them out walking about.
There is a talk while you are going along so you learn about the animals at the same time.
This was a really great part of our day and I would highly recommend going on the boat safari, it really isn't to be missed!
DISABLED ACCESS - The site says it is unsuitable for pushchairs but doesn't mention wheelchair users. So I am guessing that they would not allow wheelchairs on the boat.
DURATION OF VISIT - The queue at peak time is likely to take a while. The boat trip itself is about fifteen minutes.
COST - £3.00 each for anyone over the age of three and free to those under. I think that is very reasonable!
MY RATING - 9/10 the only things stopping it getting a ten are the queues and the fact the weather being bad could make it less enjoyable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Safari park~~~~~~~~~~~~
The part you have been waiting for no doubt or skipped straight to!
This is what Longleat is most famous for. This all started in 1966 as the first drive through safari with lions outside of Africa, things were rather different back then! It all started with the lions and now it has two prides and lots of other animals have been added over the years and they are still adding to their animals now.
When you pay for the safari park you get given a free information tape to play on your way round that can be paused and go at the pace you wish. This is brilliant! The voice gets very boring and rather annoying at times but it tells you about each of the animals and where they originate from and how endangered they are.
There are gates between each part and with the dangerous animals there are two gates to go through where you get shut in between the two sets of gates so that only one gate is open at a time. Safety is very important to Longleat and they do everything possible to make sure you stay safe.
In each enclosure there are signs to tell you if it is safe or not to have your windows open, yes some people are that stupid they need telling to keep their windows shut whilst driving through the home of lions! You may think it's a strange idea going through any of the enclosures with the windows open but some of them are completely harmless and in the case of the deer you can feed them too (this is only at certain times of the year because of the breeding season) the food is available as you enter that part of the park.
The animals will do what they want and completely ignore you (the monkeys are an exception to this rule as I will explain in a moment) at times they will walk in front of the car or even sit in the middle of the road making you wait for them. Patience is a part of this trip around the enclosures. In busy periods you could be in a constant traffic jam of sorts where you creep round at a pace dictated by the traffic. It is not that bad as you get to see the animals slowly but when there is nothing to look at this can get a little boring.
There are a couple of opportunities to get out of the car around the course of the safari, to see the giraffes at the looking post at the start of the safari where there is a shop and toilets. There is also the enclosure of the fimbles, no they aren't called that but to me it looks as if the fimbles were based on them, young children will love them for it too. They are actually called, Tapirs.
The monkeys have rather a bad reputation for pulling parts off of cars and ruining everything they come into contact with, this is not strictly true but not far wrong! If it is loose they will pull it! They bent our aerial a little when we went through last but does that matter, not really. They jump all over the car and you end up with little foot prints everywhere. They are great to watch and I would say one of the best parts of the drive around the safari. Those who do not want to put their car at risk can miss out this area with no problems, so you can do the safari and just skip the monkeys.
The lions are fantastic to watch stroll around and the tigers! There are wolves too. In these enclosures there are always staff in clearly marked four wheel drives, you cannot miss them they are done up in zebra stripes. They are there to keep an eye on you and the animals to keep everyone safe. If you were to break down they would come to you and the signs advise you to beep if you have a problem. AT NO POINT GET OUT! There is a tractor adapted to deal with the rhinos in with them to make sure you are safe within that enclosure also.
At certain times of the year you are lucky enough to see the baby animals out and about which adds even more interest to what is already a fantastic visit.
This really is far better than seeing animals in any zoo! You get to see animals that are obviously happy and completely at home and you can see they are very well cared for. I am one of those which is not that keen on zoos as the enclosures are not usually anywhere near big enough, if you share this view and are thinking this is anything like that then don't worry it is not, the animals have lots of room and at times that means they are not as close to you as you would like but they are free to go where they want.
I could give you a long list of every animal they have but what would be the point of removing every surprise for you. I bet you think I have named everything already but I haven't.
DURATION OF VISIT - The queues at peak times may dictate your speed I would set aside at least an hour and a half for the trip around if it is very busy this may well take up to two and a half hours like it did for us last Easter.
COST - For adults this is £11, children between 3-14 £8 and OAPs pay £8, those under three go free. I know this sounds expensive but I think it is well worth every penny!
MY RATING - 10/10 even queues cannot spoil this one bit. It really is a star attraction and I can see why people travel from all across the country to visit. It really is not to be missed!
~~~~~~~~~~~~Safari Bus~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you do not want to drive around the safari park so you don't need to concentrate on driving rather than the animals or if you travel to Longleat by another form of transport there is a great service offered by bus. It means that everyone can see the safari animals!
This is first come first served so some may be out of luck. It can be booked at pets corner and costs an extra £4 on top of the usual safari fees for anyone over three.
DISABLED ACCESS - They cannot accommodate wheelchairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Summer shows~~~~~~~~~~~~
On certain dates in the summer there are extra reasons to visit contact Longleat for details and prices.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Events~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every year Longleat holds extra events throughout the year. You have all heard of the Red Bull air race, which was held at Longleat last year and possibly the year before too, I can't remember. They hold different events and they can be checked on the website for dates. They are worth looking up, as there might be something that interests you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Other attractions~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are other far smaller attractions dotted throughout the park that are free! These are King Arthur's Mirror Maze, Tea Cups, Life and Times of Henry Lord Bath, Family Bygones Exhibition, Scale Model of Longleat House, State Chariot, Mystical Garden and the Pleasure Walk.
They are all worth a look if you have the time as there is just so much to do and see! They are a great alternative to some of the costly attractions if you are on a tight budget.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Refreshments~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are lots of places around the park where you can buy sandwiches hot food, ice creams (there is a great organic ice cream shop!) and also a restaurant if you want to sit and have a meal. All of these sell drinks. These are expensive! I would recommend taking your own food and drink if you are on a budget.
There are picnic tables dotted about all over the place and of course there is always the option of sitting on the huge expanses of grass everywhere to sit and eat
~~~~~~~~~~~~Toilets~~~~~~~~~~~~
We all hate public toilets don't we! The toilets at Longleat I have never found to be dirty or stinky but I can only really comment on the ladies loos and they tend to be left in a better state than the gents anyway. They are dotted around and in my opinion are not bad but could be better.
There are disabled toilets around the park too as well as baby changing facilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~The staff~~~~~~~~~~~~
They can be easily picked out in a crowd with their dark green tops with the yellow Longleat motif emblazoned across the front and back. They are happy to help and if you need directions, first aid or just have a question about one of the animals they will help, find someone who will or point you in the right direction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Passport tickets~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a ticket that covers every attraction in the park. It means you can visit everything once. You can come back to Longleat as many times on as many days as you like but only visit the attractions once. This saves a lot of money! If you were to pay for everything in Longleat separately you would pay a whopping £42 per adult, £39 per child and £34 for each OAP. A passport ticket costs just £20 per adult and £16 each for OAPs and children. This is a massive saving and well worth doing as just paying separately and doing the house and safari costs more than a passport ticket does!
~~~~~~~~~~~~Parking~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is of course disabled parking set aside closest to the entrance of the park by pets corner, be warned I have always noticed this being full!
There is lots of space in the car parks but if the spaces all go they open up overflow parking, which is on the grass.
All the parking is of course free.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Extra information~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dogs are allowed in the grounds but are not allowed in any of the attractions. They do offer a kennelling service while you are going around the safari park (only for the duration of your drive around the safari area) this is completely free so very handy. This is at the start of the safari.
There are gift shops everywhere and although they do sell some lovely bits which are a great keepsake of a fun time there is also a load of tat aimed at children and you could end up spending rather a lot on this. They do have a great shop that sells photographic prints. I am unsure of how much they cost but they have some fantastic pictures, I think this would end up being a good investment if it is your kind of thing. I have a favourite mug in the cupboard that I always use, it is a china mug from Longleat with a lion on it. Certainly gets well used for the five pounds I spent on it!
~~~~~~~~~~~~Other local places to visit~~~~~~~~~~~~
Longleat is in Warminster and not very far from Bristol and Bath so has lots to see in the local area. Bath is a historic city with fantastic architecture and museums to visit. The Roman Baths being another major tourist attraction in the south west of England.
There is a lot to do and in a week's holiday or long weekend you would find it very easy to fill your days, with something for everyone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Where to stay~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is a Travelodge in Warminster in services, which is very close to Longleat. Local towns have bed and breakfasts and in bath there are hotels and another Travelodge.
Should you want to stay even closer, right next to Longleat is Centerparcs (contact them for details, contact details bellow) set in amongst the Longleat forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~How to find Longleat~~~~~~~~~~~~
Longleat is well sign posted and hard to miss. It is easily accessed via the M3 and M4. Check your route before leaving, there is nothing worse than getting lost is there. Follow signs for Warminster then the Longleat signs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Photographs~~~~~~~~~~~~
The photographs I have added are all from the visit we made last Easter. I hope they will give you a little insight without being professional touched up shots. I just wish I could upload more than seven as I have so many!
~~~~~~~~~~~~MY OVERALL OPINION~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is somewhere I think everyone should visit at least once. With a passport ticket it works out as great value especially as you can return to the grounds as often as you want. Doing it this way is great for us as we live nearby now.
Children will love every minute of this place, well maybe not the house that is more of a grown up part of the park.
This is an educational and fun place, which has great breeding programmes and tries to do their bit for the environment and animal welfare issues.
I think you may have realised by now that I love this place and cannot recommend it highly enough.
My only warning is to leave lots of time and try and avoid the crowds by going when it is not school holidays if you can help it.
The amount to do means it is hard to pack all of it in to just one day I recommend you stay in the area overnight and make a weekend or short break of it.
I am giving this a full five stars on Ciao as altogether it makes a great place to visit, if some of the attractions were on their own they wouldn't come as highly recommended but having them all in one place is fantastic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~Contact details~~~~~~~~~~~~
LONGLEAT-
The Estate Office
Longleat
Warminster
Wiltshire
BA12 7NW
Tel: 01985 844400 Fax: 01985 844885 Email: enquiries@longleat.co.uk
FORESTRY- tel: 01985 213507 Email: forestry@longleat.co.uk
Their website is packed full of information and can be found at www.longleat.co.uk
CENTERPARCS - Their website may be of use www.centerparcs.co.uk or their reservations telephone number is: 0870 0673030
TRAVELODGE - website www.travelodge.co.uk
Warminster - Tel: 01985 217297
Bath city centre - Tel: 0870 191 1718
To plan more in the area have a look here for more ideas of what to do in the area. www.enjoyengland.com
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The Otters in Pets Corner. |
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