Family fun - Priceless England

You might not appreciate the sheer number of attractions that England has to offer for free. You just need to know where to look. We’ve been asking our visitors to share their best free family days out. Below are some suggestions.

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Free the art

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and there are few better places to put this to test than in England. Discover the delights of the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery (www.brighton.virtualmuseum.info/), which contains wide-ranging and innovative displays, taking in fashion, world art and 20th century design.

The Cartwright Hall Art Gallery (www.bradfordmuseums.org/cartwrighthall/) in Bradford is an impressive Baroque-style gallery offering collections by British and European masters, as well as contemporary Indian and Islamic collections. Or discover the delights of the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, unique in its policy of 'no permanent collections', presenting an ever-changing array of dynamic and contemporary visual art.

Fun in the city – for free

London may have an expensive reputation but there are lots of fantastic places you can visit for free. The Science Museum (www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/) is world renowned for its hands-on experiences and interactive exhibits. Next door, the Natural History Museum (www.nhm.ac.uk) offers so much fun your kids won’t even realise they’re learning.

The British Museum (www.britishmuseum.org/), another world class day out for the whole family will open their eyes to other cultures, times and ways of life. You’ll find great free family days out in all of England’s cities. Wandering around in Leicester for example, you’ll find a great selection of free museums to choose from. Check out the Gas Museum (www.gasmuseum.co.uk/index.htm) where you’ll discover the biggest collection of gas and gas related artefacts in the world. Your children will be intrigued and so will you.

The Museum of Science and Industry (www.mosi.org.uk/) in Manchester has a great touch and play section where you can get involved in all kinds of experiments – brilliant for all ages. Also in the North West, there is a great range of museums to visit in Liverpool, including World Museum Liverpool (www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/), Walker Art Gallery (www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/) and Merseyside Maritime Museum (www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/maritime/). Once you’ve visited the museums you can take a picnic at nearby Formby Beach (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-formby/) where they filmed the scenes for Lawrence of Arabia.

Freedom and fresh air

You can’t beat a picnic and a paddle on a scorching hot summer's day and what better place to enjoy these old family favourites than in the awe inspiring Lake District? Try the beaches of Lake Windermere. Don’t worry if you don’t live close enough for a day out in the Lake District. There are lots of great wild places to go swimming in England, so wherever you are, you won’t need to travel far.

If you’re in the South West, pack a picnic and head for Haytor in Dartmoor National Park. Climb the steps for a magnificent view towards Teignmouth and the sea. You can also explore the ruined medieval village between Haytor and Hound Tor. Watch out for the wild ponies.

If you’re looking for a day out not too far from London, check out the pretty Wey and Arun Canal (www.weyandarun.co.uk/) in Loxwood, West Sussex. The canal side walk offers a perfect way to spend an English summer’s day. The canal is known locally as 'London’s Lost Route to the Sea' and a stroll along the tow path is like a journey back in time.

Also in the South East of England, you can play Pooh Sticks at the original Pooh Bridge at Ashdown Forest (www.ashdownforest.co.uk/) in East Sussex. There are marvellous walks and some great views here. If you’re further up the country in the Heart of England why not spend an afternoon walking alongside the river in Stratford-upon-Avon – a great place to feed the swans and ducks whilst contemplating Shakespeare.

Free beside the sea

Further north, you’ll find some of the most beautiful deserted beaches in the world in Northumberland. These beaches are wonderful locations in which to spend an evening with the family and simply watch the sun go down.

And if its beaches you love, there’s nothing like exploring the fossils in the rocks at Whitby in North Yorkshire (click here to see a video about Whitby). Take the kids and show them what nature might have looked like millions of years ago. You could also walk to the ruins of Whitby Abbey (www.whitbyabbey.co.uk) and show them the building that helped to inspire Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Not too far from here you’ll find some fantastic cliff top walking between Ravenscar and Robin Hood's Bay. We could quite literally go on forever. Funnily enough England is surrounded by beaches and most of them are free to visit. There are some great beaches to be found in locations from Cornwall to Cumbria. So wherever you are – pack your bucket and spade and head for the coast.

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