Marriotts Gymnastics

A serious gymnastics facility just outside Hitchin, Marriotts is where you go if someone in your family actually does gymnastics rather than fancies a casual bounce about. This is a proper training venue with dedicated equipment - bars, beams, trampolines, the lot - run by people who know what they're doing.

It's not a soft play centre. If your kids are enrolled in classes or you're a gymnast looking to train, this is the real deal. Spectating isn't really the point here; participation is. They run sessions for different age groups and ability levels, so there's something to work towards whether you're a beginner or already competent on apparatus.

You'll need to check their website or ring ahead for current class schedules and fees - venues like this change their timetables seasonally and sometimes by term. Allow at least an hour for a standard session, longer if your child's progressing through graded levels.

The location works well if you're based at one of the nearby caravan parks - Jacks Hill Caravans or Church Farm Ardeley are both within a few miles - and you want to keep active types occupied during school holidays. It's not a day-out attraction in itself; it's a specific activity to build into a stay. Hitchin itself has decent cafes and shops for hanging about between sessions.