Somerset Space Walk S - Uranus

The Somerset Space Walk is a proper quirky bit of astronomy education scattered across the countryside near Taunton. Uranus, naturally, is just one stop on this outdoor trail - a series of planet markers laid out to scale across the Levels landscape. The sheer ambition of it appeals straight away: someone's actually mapped out the solar system in actual geographical distance, which means you're covering proper miles between Mercury and Neptune.

What you're actually doing is walking between concrete plinths or markers that represent each planet. It's educational without being preachy - kids genuinely find it interesting to grasp that Jupiter is this far from Earth, and Uranus even further. You get fresh air, a decent walk, and something to talk about that isn't just the view. That said, it's not a destination attraction in itself. You need to be the kind of family who enjoys a themed countryside ramble, or you'll find yourself thinking about lunch sooner than you'd like.

The whole route takes a good few hours depending on which planets you visit - worthwhile to plan in advance rather than rock up and see how far you get. It's free, which helps the appeal. The Somerset Levels aren't the most dramatic landscape in England, but there's something satisfying about the flatness when you're trying to visualise planetary distances. Pair it with a stay at 5 Acres on the Somerset Levels nearby - three and a half miles away - and you've got yourself a weekend that feels a bit different from the standard park holiday. Young children might struggle with the distances involved; eight and up would get the most from it.