Wookey Hole Caves & Papermill, Wells

Firstly please bear in mind I didn't choose to go (it was a day out organised by the family-in-law) as I'm not into caves, clowns or crowds, but I will try to be objective! I've no idea on the exact cost as we had a couple of £1 off vouchers (top tip: check out leaflets that promote the area for vouchers) and I wasn't paying, but it still came to over £80 for 5 adults & 3 children. We started off with the cave tour and the guide was very good however my 3yr old didn't like it and constantly wanted to leave. The dinosaur valley was interesting but very small and it took about 5 minutes to see everything. The diving museum was very much like a school visit from the 70s, and the girls enjoyed the paper making however I was trying to get my son to wait and not run off (impossible!!) so missed it. We visited the indoor soft play area which was a hit with all 3 children as was the Pirate Zap Zone (shooting balls at everyone). The children's circus school performance was good - halloween theme which scared my son for a while plus there was a clown compare which didn't go down well with me! I took a packed lunch however my sister-in-law purchased sandwiches & bottles of water. She did say there was a good selection of fillings, however I think they were £3.25. We walked through the hall of mirrors which was OK, avoided the slot machines and glanced at the clown hall (my eyes were shut) before heading off. All in all we spent 4 hrs there, it was OK, but I probably won't be going again in a hurry. Might be better for older children.....

Wookey Hole is primarily a tour around the underground 'Wookey Hole Caves' which tells the tale of the Witch of Wookey Hole that was turned to stone. She supposedly cast nasty spells and curses on the residents of the village and they isolated her from the rest of the community. It's a fantastic story, there are probably books on it if you wanted to excite your children before the visit. It's a beautiful walk and is really interesting but I imagine that very young children and toddlers would either be bored or scared. This is definitely one for the older kids and young teens. The caves are gorgeous inside, with lovely water areas and surprising twists and turns to the cave. Despite how gorgeous the inside of the caves are, the tour guides make a pretty good job of spooking you out witch wise. As well as the main Wookey Hole Cave there are other small attractions to keep the family entertained; arcades, crazy mirrors, cave museum, paper factory, shops, restaurants, dinos, golf and gift shops. Standard adult tickets are £16 and children and OAPs get in for £11. If you book online there is a 15% discount. These prices include the caves and most of the additional attractions. Buggies and pushchairs can't go through the caves so if you have a few small children you might find this difficult. They can, however, be used in other parts of the park.

Great fun for all the family. We visited the caves first but my son gets bored easily and found the tour too slow. Once you are in there you have to wait to get out with everybody else. He loved the soft play areas though – there is a castle play frame next to the Witch’s Kitchen café (where you can enjoy a cup of tea whilst the children play) and there is the Pirate Zap Zone where the kids can blast each other with foam balls out of canons. It was hard to drag him away from there. He also enjoyed running through the mirror maze and bumping into the walls. We had lunch in the ‘Big Top’ restaurant which is decorated to look like a circus big top. Facilities are very clean and the food was good. There is also a lovely ice cream shop at the entrance. We didn’t do the additional cost activities as it would have made the day too expensive. Had a great day, would highly recommend.

We had a lovely day at Wookey Hole. The weather was showery but there is plenty to do indoors so it’s no problem visiting in wet weather. It was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday which meant we didn’t have to queue for anything. We started with the pirate adventure golf which was built just last year. It was an additional cost but a superb course if you like crazy golf. Gold panning was also available but we didn’t try this. A tour guide escorted us through the caves (which were slippery so good footwear is essential). This took around 30 minutes and it was great to learn about the history of the caves. They were an amazing sight with stalagmites, bridges and the underground river. You exit the caves into Ice Age Valley where you can eat your picnic amongst dinosaurs. Alternatively there are several cafes where you can buy lunch and snacks. We then spent some time in the magical mirror maze and Victorian penny arcade which my son loved. You can purchase old pennies to play the games. We finished the day off with the pirate circus show performed by children from the circus school there which was amazing. We were really impressed. Entry tickets to Wookey Hole are pricey (note they can be bought cheaper online) but there is so much to see and do here it is an excellent family day out.

This was our first visit to Wookey Hole. After seeing the advert on TV offering 15% discount if booked tickets online I jumped straight onto the website which was very impressive. It looked like there was plenty to see and do and would take up the last day of the Easter Hols. We arrived at 11.45am and by 3pm we were in the car and on our way home. There is a circus show performed by children which is great but everything else is rubbish. The food served in the Big Top Restaurant is diabolical and very expensive. The only outdoor play area is inside a crazy golf area which costs extra and is £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for kids. After paying £34 (thats with a 15% discount) for three of us, I wasn't paying it especially as the entry price is not value for money.