Where will your family visit first after lockdown? Five of our family favourites near Bristol.

I have been dreaming this week. Dreaming of the day that we are able to get out and visit places once again. So I thought, I’d ask the boys where their favourite family places are. This is what we came up with. These are a few of our favourite family trips where we love to visit, meet friends, explore and have fun and of course my camera usually comes too. Where are your family favourites? I’d love to hear.

Peacocks at Newark Park.

Runing wild at Dyrham Park.

• Dyrham Park, near Bath.

  So Dyrham Park came up as the top place for our family to visit. This is a regular family favourite place for us. Regardless of the time of year, we will always plan a visit to Dyrham Park. We can be found here at least one day every half term and we love to visit through the summer too. However I love it when it’s quiet and not too busy. Winter walks here are my favourite.

  Have you visited Dyrham? I love the open space, the gentle walk out to the view overlooking Bristol, the roaming deer and cattle that my boys love to attempt to sneak up on and the old trees that add to the atmosphere. The beautiful church is well worth a visit too. We met a very friendly robin in the gardens.

  My boys love the freedom to run wild and every new trip provides a new adventure. We have made many family memories here.

• Tyntesfield estate, near Bristol.

  Tyntesfield estate was a close second for my boys. Another National Trust estate and there is so much to do here. We usually begin with a walk up in to the woods to let the boys run wild and let off some steam. There is plenty of trees to climb and a brilliant wild adventure playground. It’s a great space for a picnic too.

  Occasionally we venture into the house but as parents of four young boys this is only a recent development. Small confined spaces and four boys do not usually mix well. However there are some really great activities inside the house and the boys are now that bit older that they can now begin to appreciate the history of the estate too.

  For younger children, there is a great little park and the gardens are full of beautiful roses, tulips and other flowers.

  When we visit with the boys, I usually take a picnic and head to the woods. When I am on my own, I love to explore the gorgeous gardens. The perfect place to take some pretty photos and relax.

• Kingsweston estate, Bristol.

  This was a surprise entry from the boys. A favourite of mine and somewhere I visit with friends and where I host the Connect and Create nature photography walks. However the boys seem to love it here too.

  We’ve visited as a family and there is a really lovely easy circular walk that you can do which also involves lots of trees, a tree swing and some old Roman ruins (I believe). There is plenty of space to run and kick a ball and there is also a very friendly cafe (post lockdown).

  We love this place for the peaceful atmosphere and rugged feel.

• Newark Park, South Gloucestershire.

  Newark Park is a new family addition for us. We discovered Newark a couple of years ago after moving to South Gloucestershire. Here you are greeted by peacocks, pheasants and chickens that wander around the gardens by the main house. The peacocks are beautiful and the gardens here are stunning too. If you love flowers, be sure to bring the camera during spring and summer and take some gorgeous photos.

  There are some large wide paths to walk around the estate and more narrower paths that take you off further into the woods. We’ve spotted birds of prey whilst walking here and there’s plenty of space for the kids to explore, run, climb and forage. It definately up there as one of our favourite places to visit as a family. There is also a large adventure playground for the kids in the spring and summer.

  We usually visit for a morning walk and love to let the boys run wild whilst we enjoy the peace of the woods.

• Stourhead, Wiltshire.

  And last but definitely not the least, is Stourhead. Now Stourhead is probably a joint winner for me along with Dyrham Park, however it is a little bit further away for us from Bristol. Stourhead is always a full day trip and we ensure to leave nice and early so we have a full day to explore the gardens and have a picnic.

  Stourhead is beautiful throughout the seasons and we have been visiting for many years as a family. It holds a special place for me as my husband first brought me to Stourhead on our third date on a very cold winters day and we ended up having a yummy roast in a local pub.

  There is always plenty to do here and the boys love to get involved with the National Trust treasure hunts too.

  You simply have to admire the view and instantly fall in the love with the place. There are so many stunning trees to walk amongst and nature to be become absorbed in. It’s definitely worth a visit and I can’t wait!

Beautiful Stourhead one summers day.

Kingsweston estate at the start of Autumn.

Where are you looking forward to exploring once again with the family? Do you have a favourite adventure?

Get in touch and share your stories and thoughts of where you think you’ll be first to visit once the lockdown has been lifted or revised.

Are you missing a certain place? Where do your children love to run wild? Feel free to tag me on instagram or facebook and share any photos of your kids running wild or drawing a picture of their favourite place.

And remember, one day I will be able to join you once again on your family adventures and the joy of an outdoor photo session is that I can follow the social distancing guidelines and still capture your family having the time of their lives.

If you would like to book your nature photography experience, let’s talk.