Family Day Out in Wells
The Bishop’s Palace is the perfect destination for a family day out, located in the heart of Wells, Somerset.
This family-friendly heritage site boasts 14 acres of beautiful RHS partner gardens, an 800-year-old medieval Palace, an on-site café, baby changing facilities, pushchair-friendly paths, and the exciting Dragon’s Lair play area. It’s a place where children can immerse themselves in nature and history while letting their imaginations run wild!
What’s On For Families?
Family Fun in Wells this Summer
- 31st July (11am – 3pm) – Nature Ninjas: Design your very own watering can from a recycled plastic bottle. Perfect for little garden helpers. You might get a bit wet this week!
- 2nd August 2025 – The Time Travelling Carpenter: Medieval Ground Billiards
- 7th August 2025 – Family crafting activities
- 14th August 2025 – Family crafting activities
- 21st August (11am – 3pm) – Nature Ninjas: Sow a ‘Rocket Head’ – sow some rocket seeds and design a fun tin can pot. Take it home, watch it grow and give it a ‘haircut’ to make a salad!
- 28th August 2025 – Family crafting activities
Plus, join us for our exciting re-enactment days, where families can enjoy engaging, interactive demonstrations that bring history to life!
- 26th July – Archery Tournament
- 27th July – Knights’ Tournament
- 23rd – 25th August – Bowlore Medieval
And don’t forget to pick up a Palace Passport to collect stamps from all our school holiday family activities for a prize at the end of the year!
Family Volunteering Day
Looking for a worthwhile family challenge that’s fun and free?
Become a member of our team for the day and come along to help us here at The Bishop’s Palace and Gardens. Tasks may include:
- Welcoming visitors
- Plaque polishing
- Gardening
Two sessions each day 10am – 12pm and 1pm – 3pm. The Family Volunteering Sessions will take place on:
- Saturday 5th July – cancelled due to a lack of participants. We look forward to welcoming you next month.
- Friday 8th August
- Saturday 4th October
Priority will be given to families of school age children who have not had the opportunity to visit us before. To book email: [email protected]
Multi-media Audio Visual Tours
Multimedia audio-visual tours of the Palace building. Designed to enhance your visit with stories, music and imagery from across the centuries these tours are designed to provide 45 minutes of rich content.
There’s a choice of an adult version or one tailored for families including quizzes, treasure hunts and taking Bishop portraits!
Here’s some feedback we’ve received from one of our younger visitors who loved their multi-media tour family option:
“History is boring; this WAS NOT boring!”
Click here to see a sneak peak at the new multimedia tours
The Time Travelling Carpenter
Step back in time with The Time-Travelling Carpenter! Join us on selected dates during the school holidays for interactive and educational talks about life in medieval times.
- 2nd August 2025 – Medieval Ground Billiards
- 25th October 2025 – Medieval Painter
These events are hands-on and perfect for history enthusiasts. So don’t miss out!
The Time Traveling Carpenter events are included with standard admission and don’t forget to pick up a sticker for you Palace Passport on the day!
Crafting Activities
- Nature Ninjas – 31st July 2025, 11am – 3pm: Design your very own watering can from a recycled plastic bottle. Perfect for little garden helpers. You might get a bit wet this week!
- Nature Ninjas – 21st August 2025, 11am – 3pm: Sow a ‘Rocket Head’ – sow some rocket seeds and design a fun tin can pot. Take it home, watch it grow and give it a ‘haircut’ to make a salad!
Our Nature Ninjas crafting days are included with standard admission and don’t forget to pick up a sticker for you Palace Passport on the day!
Scooters and Bikes
We kindly ask that scooters and bikes are not ridden once you have crossed the drawbridge. This is to ensure the safety of other visitors as they enjoy the peaceful surroundings of The Bishop’s Palace.
Bike racks are available behind the Gatehouse on the right-hand side after you cross the drawbridge. There is also a designated area in front of the wooden hut by the garden entrance gate for leaving scooters and bikes, which is visible from the café.
Dragon’s Lair Family Play Area
Explore this magical discovery area in a far corner of the Gardens!
This popular, interactive discovery area is designed around the themes and stories of the Palace, taking inspiration from well pools and water, trees and history. This outdoor natural activity space will exercise both minds and bodies with a pole jungle, tree pods, a waterwheel and sluice gates.
The only question is – dare you enter The Dragon’s Lair?
Read more about the exciting new developments taking place in the Dragon’s Lair later this year, here.
Inside the Palace
Boots and brolly day – has it started raining again? You’ll still find things to do with the kids at The Bishop’s Palace!
Put up your brolly and visit the well pools – see them bubble with all the water passing underneath them. Walk through the medieval Palace, see portraits of past bishops, and find the green dragons. Visit the Bishop’s private chapel, look up, down, around, and behind everything – there are many amazing details to spot.
The Bishop’s Table café also has a great range of children’s meals and snacks, along with plenty to keep the grown-ups happy.
Planning Your Visit
Entry for all the above activities is included with any standard admission including Day Tickets, the Annual Pass (which includes 12 months of return visits from the date of your first visit and you’re welcome to use it again on any normal sightseeing day), and Friends of the Palace.
To plan your perfect family-friendly day out in Wells, visit our Tickets and Opening page to view ticket information, parking in Wells, closure dates and more.
