~~~~~Thanks for all the reads and rates, all appreciated.~~~~~I call in from time to time but just ...
~~~~~Thanks for all the reads and rates, all appreciated.~~~~~I call in from time to time but just haven't had a chance to sit and write a review for a while.
Member since:08.06.2004
Reviews:134
Members who trust:45
We decided to visit the Deep last whilst on holiday in Yorkshire. It is situated on the Banks of the River Humber, which is in YORKSHIRE, no where near LONDON, as someone at Ciao thinks, my thanks to Silverback for pointing this out., anyway it's an area which is in the process of being built up.
We travelled by car and although we could see the building has some trouble actually getting to it. However this was a year ago and there was lots of roadworks at the time so maybe this has improved since.
If you travel by train you also need to get a bus. Or you can use the Park and Ride that goes to the City Centre. The deep is a short walk away from here.
A normal visit is meant to last around two hours so you could combine it with a shopping trip. There is a car park at the Deep, costing £3. If you present this at the shop or cafe you will get a £2 discount.
The opening times are 10am to 6pm every day. It is recommended you visit in the afternoon as it is meant to be quieter but the day we visited this was not the case.
We arrived just after 10am. There was a small queue so waited about 5 mins to get in. When we
came out at 2pm, it was an estimated two hour wait to get in.
We got a family of 4 ticket for £21. But I had £20 in vouchers so only really cost us £1. Individually Adults are £6.75, children £4.75, OAPs £5.25 and a family of 5 ticket is £24. Under 3s are free. Fast Track tickets are now available but not at the time of our visit.
Once you are in you take the lift right to the top, this is the start of your journey into the deep. If you are not quite ready here you will also find toilets and the Cafe.
To enter the tour you go through the turnstiles. As you begin the tour you realise you are on a downwards slope which takes you all the way to the bottom. All along the way there are computer screens with information, hanging objects, posters, etc all full of information. Unfortunately there just seemed far too much to take in. Not being very tall most of the screens were blocked by taller adults, this meant the children were getting very bored. As it was the first section, entitled the Big Bang is all about that. Now this has always been a matter of debate, and personally I am quite offended that someone things that I was once a fish, but the point here is that the way it is shown indicates it is a definite fact and not just a possibility. Since the children were off we skipped this section and moved on to the next, The Myths and Legends Gallery. Basically it was fish with strange names but again just lots of writing to read.
The idea of evoloution continues right down until you reach the bottom of the slope, and until now no sign of real fish.
You now get to the 10 metre deep tank, which is full of various sharks. There are a few other tanks about with fish from all over, also a coral tank which you can look at through a bubble inside the tank.
Talks are held in these areas throughout the day. Down at the bottom you now reach the Sub Station Deep Blue One. It is full of simulators, computers and lots of things to touch. You can pilot a submarine or see how long you would last on an expedition by making various choices. This area gets very busy and despite waiting some time we never got a chance to try any of these out.
You can now walk through the Kingdom of Ice where the walls are made of ice. There is also lots more info about what creatures survive in the sub zero temperatures. There is also a section of enviromental issues and how rising sea levels will affect the place you live. Also learn the results of over fishing and marine pollution.
You have now reached the Great Ocean Floor. Here you can walk through the Deepest viewing Tunnel in Europe. As you go through the sharks swim above your heads. Eerie but facinating.
The only way from here is Up either by stairs or in the Underwater Lift. We decided to take the stairs as there was quite a queue for the lift. You still get a very good view inside the tank, just get a little more puffed out.
Once at the top you are back at the toilets and Cafe. You cannot go back round the tour though as you will have had your ticket taken the first time.
We decided to stop for dinner. The prices were quite reasonable and there was a good choice on offer. The meals are ready cooked and kept warm in a servery. I can't remember exactly what we had except for the kids pizza but I know it was tasty. The puddings were particularly good too, though my two year old son ate most of my lemon meringue pie.
We decided to go outside to the viewing area after, which is up a small flight of stairs. I did not see any disabled access here. Here we discovered a smaller cafe offering sandwiches and coffee in a relaxed setting with big comfy settees. But we passed all this by to go outside. There is a free telescope here that allows you to see right across the River Humber. Unfortunately it has been designed for people over 6ft so only my husband was able to use it. Both my children and I were very disappointed at this. All that is required is a small box or stool. Maybe they have one by now.
We then took the lift back down to the entrance to go round the shop. Again very crowded. A good selection of products and good prices. Once we found the end of the queue we slowly made our way to the tills and paid.
We left at about 2pm, and as I said the estimated queue time was now 2hrs. Whether it is always like this or a one off I could not say. But I would reccommend going earlier just in case.
As for what we thought of it, Well the four children, all under 7 appeared to be thoroughly bored stiff. There was just too much information that had to be read and we all know kids prefer pictures. The tanks were good but no different to sea life centres. They were more interested in the Sub Station section but as I said far too busy to get to try any of it.
I would suggest if possible you do not go during holiday times to get the most from this place.
I'm glad we went and very glad we only paid £1. I would reccomend this place to adults and older children. It is a good learning place if you are prepared to read everything on display, which could take a while.
Pictures of The Deep - Hull
In the tunnel
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Great review, I like your picture, I remember seeing that fish ?, and my children at the time 1 & 5 were a bit scared of it. I agree though, it is a lot of money for what it is without discount vouchers. Helen
Soho_Black 15.05.2005 18:40
Someone at Ciao has evidently got there Kingston Upon Thames and their Kingston Upon Hull a bit mixed up! Thanks for letting me know you'd updated, re-rated for you.
Silverback 15.05.2005 13:25
Lots of useful stuff, pity Ciao think it's in London though! I think they've now opened a new section at The Deep, on 'the twighlight zone'. Paul
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Advantages: Price, more environmentally friendly option, price Disadvantages: tent pitches quite close together, VERY big site, so not much of a retreat
Jun 12th, 2004
(May 17th, 2005)
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