Take a peek behind the scenes
A number of venues including sport stadiums, stately homes, zoos and theatres in the UK offer tours for your group, which take a closer look at the inner workings of each. Luke Dodd discovers more.
When organising a group trip, GTOs are constantly under pressure to keep their itineraries entertaining, informative and exciting. Therefore, considering one of the many behind the scenes tours offered across the UK is an enticing option.
Backstage access
For groups wishing to find out about the work that goes into producing a theatre show, visit one of the many theatres across the UK, which offer backstage tours.
Beginning in the north of England, groups can visit the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, which offers free backstage tours lasting 45 minutes for groups of between 5 and 30 people that can be tailored to suit your needs. Areas which feature in the tour include The Quarry and Courtyard Theatres, the workshops where the scenery is created, a rehearsal room and the Wardrobe department where the costumes are made. During the tour, groups are given information and facts about the Playhouse’s history. Group discounts are available.
In Wales, the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff offers groups the choice of two behind the scenes tours. Firstly, groups can enjoy ‘Guided Tours of the Building’, which run daily and last one hour. These tours visit backstage dressing rooms whilst groups are filled in on the history of the site and also give groups the chance to stand on the Donald Gordon Theatre stage. Secondly, the ‘Access All Areas Techie Tour’ details the technical side of the venue. Groups can experience the heights of the fly-tower, which supports the various back-drops used in productions, the depths of the orchestra pit and can stand centre stage. There is also the opportunity to operate the lighting board within the technical booths. Pre-booked groups of 15 or more people receive discounts on both these tours.
Moving to London, and currently showing the new Lord of the Rings musical, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane offers backstage tours led by costumed actors. Tours begin at the front-of-house, then move backstage and even under the stage, where a hydraulics system can be seen. The history of the theatre and several other theatres, which previously stood on the same site, are detailed. Groups of 10 or more receive discounts.
Staying in the capital, groups can enjoy backstage tours at the National Theatre on the South Bank. Groups can view the three auditoriums, front-of-house and workshops in the backstage area. Groups of 10 or more receive discounted tours.
Also offering backstage tours on the South Bank is the iconic Shakespeare’s Globe. Throughout the year, a guided tour of the Globe Theatre is included in a visit to the on-site Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition, which details how Shakespeare’s plays were staged at the Globe during the playwright’s lifetime. Groups of 15 or more receive discounts.
Although not a theatre, the BBC Television Centre in London also offers groups behind the scenes access to see how productions, all be it for television, are staged. During ‘BBC Television Centre Tours’, groups are led through various sections of the BBC studios such as the news and weather centre. A highlight of the tour is the chance to watch programmes being filmed through glass observation panels. There is also an interactive element to the tours, which sees groups given the chance to work sound effects and read from an auto-cue in the ‘Interactive Studio’. Private tours are available for groups of 15 or more.
Sports stadiums
Groups can also find out about the history and inner workings of their favourite sporting venues during behind the scenes tours.
Beginning in Manchester, groups can visit Manchester United’s home ground, Old Trafford, and take part in a behind the scenes tour of the stadium. The tour takes approximately one hour and 10 minutes and groups visit areas that are not readily available to the general public. There is the chance to see the pitch, the press conference room, VIP room, Directors Box, old and new players tunnels, the dugouts, players lounge and dressing rooms. Tour guides detail the history of the club as well as the current status of the football team. Pre-booked groups of 10 or more receive a discount on tour prices and the maximum number for a group is 35, although tours do run every 10 minutes. There is free coach parking available at the stadium.
Meanwhile, in Bolton, the Reebok Stadium is home to Bolton Wanderers FC and boasts a guided tour where groups can visit the side of the pitch, sit in the dug out, see the changing rooms and the press areas and peruse the television gantry. Tours take 45 minutes to an hour and groups of 10 or more receive discounts with a maximum group size of 25. Free coach parking is available onsite.
In Wales, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff offers tours viewing the changing rooms, training areas and medical rooms. For a bit of fun, groups can also run down the players’ tunnel as professional rugby teams do at the venue. There is also the chance to climb to the top row of the highest tier in the Stadium to take in the view and sit in the Royal Box to have a trophy presented to you. Groups of 20 or more qualify for a 15% discount.
In London, groups can visit Stamford Bridge, home to Chelsea FC, and enjoy a tour of the stadium’s various features. Available three times a day, except match days and bank holidays, these last for around 75 minutes and are coupled with a visit to the new on-site Chelsea Museum, which pays tribute to the past 100 years of the football team with a host of exhibits. Groups of 20 or more receive a discount on tours.
Staying in the capital, groups wishing to brush up on their tennis knowledge can visit the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. A guided tour begins in the Museum, which features a variety of multimedia displays and exhibits; groups then ascend to the top of the Aorangi Terreace (better known as Henman Hill), see where famous tennis players compete on No. 1 Court, explore the Millennium Building and visit the main Press Interview Room where post-match interviews take place. Viewings of Centre Court and the on-site BBC Television Studio, which provides television coverage of the Wimbledon championship, are also included in the tour. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount on tours and free coach parking is available on site.
Factory life
Seeing how your favourite products are made in factories makes for an informative outing for your group.
Beginning with The Wedgwood Visitor Centre in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, groups can take part in a self-guided tour of the onsite factory, which begins in the film theatre, playing a 20-minute film on the story of Wedgwood’s founder, Josiah Wedgwood. From here, groups can visit a permanent exhibition, telling the history of Wedgwood through rare pieces, film presentations and individual audio guides if requested. The exhibition leads directly onto the factory floor, where visitors can see bone china being manufactured. The tour then leads onto a large open-plan hall where skilled craftspeople demonstrate the techniques of ceramic manufacture. In this area, groups can talk to the demonstrators and can even have a go at some of the skills shown. The final part of the tour visits a second exhibition area, which continues to focus on aspects of Wedgwood’s history. Discounts are available for pre-booked groups of 12 or more with GTOs gaining freee admission.
Staying in the county, the Spode factory is located in Stoke-on-Trent and guided tours begin at the Spode Visitor Centre. Two factory tours are available; the ‘Basic Factory Tour’, which takes an hour and a half and leads groups through the factory covering the different techniques used in pottery manufacturing, and the ‘Conoisseur Tour’, which lasts an hour longer and offers a more in-depth look at the history of Spode ceramics. Groups of 12 or more are offered a discount on tours.
Also located in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Enamels offers tailormade tours of the Artist’s Studio, where all the company’s products are hand-painted. During the tours, groups can find out about the history of the company and the enamelling process. Pre-booking is a necessity as tours are only available for groups of 20 at a time.
In Lancashire, groups visiting Bolton can enjoy factory tours around the 19th century Warburton Bakery. During tours, groups are educated about the history of the company as well as its modern bread-making methods. Pre-booked groups enjoy a discount on the cost of tours.
Although its on-site factory is permanently closed, the Royal Worcester Visitor Centre offers a tour that begins with a film screening, which details the manufacturing process of bone china and porcelain. From here, groups can enter the Painting Department, where they can observe artists hand paint various items. Groups of 10 or more receive discounted entry to the Visitor Centre.
Moving to Birmingham, groups can visit Cadbury World where, although entry is not permitted to the onsite factory, you can view the Packaging Plant where Cadbury chocolate bars are wrapped before distribution. Groups can also peruse other areas such as ‘The John Cadbury Exhibition’, which tells the story of how he began making chocolate in the 19th century. Tours are self guided; however members of staff are on-hand to answer questions. Groups of 15 or more receive discounted admission with GTOs receiving a free place.
Also producing manufactured items, but not a factory, Whitchurch Silk Mill in Hampshire, offers groups a tour that includes an introductory video detailing the history of the 19th century textile mill, the chance to see skilled weavers and Victorian winding, warping and weaving machinery as well as a working water wheel and a themed exhibition. Groups can also enjoy discounted catering options.
Meanwhile, in Devon, groups can enjoy the ‘Factory Experience’ tour at Dartington Crystal. During the self-guided tour, groups get to observe the various processes involved in producing crystal including glass-blowing, painting and polishing. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount on admission with GTOs gaining free entry.
Walk on the wild side
The main aim of zoos and farms is to educate visitors about the natural world, so a behind the scenes tour at these venues will provide extra depth to a visit.
Beginning in Cheshire, Chester Zoo offers a 90-minute guided tour, exclusive to groups, providing insight into the zoo and how it cares for the large variety of animals on site. A maximum of 20 people can take part in each guided tour. Groups of 15 or more are offered discounts on tours with GTOs receiving a free place.
In Gloucestershire, at Abbey Home Farm, a one to one and a half hour guided tour is offered. Groups are transported around in a covered trailer to see how the farm works and are able to see pig pens, hen houses and cows being milked. Participants can also ask questions about the farming techniques and ongoing conservation programmes at the Farm. Groups are advised to pre-warn of a visit.
In London, groups now have the opportunity to get up close to gorillas without the barrier of bars or glass at London Zoo. In the new ‘Gorilla Kingdom’ exhibit, groups can walk along a designated path to view these animals in the recreated African forest environment. Free guided tours are available for pre-booked groups and give a further insight into the behaviour of the gorillas. Groups of 10 or more are offered discounted entry to the Zoo with GTOs receiving free admission.
Although not a zoo or farm, groups can similarly see nature at work on a tour at the Thames Barrier Information and Learning Centre in the capital. Although not actually visiting the Thames Barrier itself, due to health and safety reasons, groups are guided through the Centre and provided with information on the River Thames, the Environment Agency and the Thames Barrier. After the tour, groups can enjoy views of the Thames Barrier in the onsite café, which also offers group catering options. Pre-booked groups of 30 or more are offered a discount on the price of a tour.
Moving to the west, in Devon, Riverford Organic Vegetables, a farm that grows over 85 different types of organic vegetables, offers tours, which can be followed by a meal in the Riverford Field Kitchen. The actual tour lasts two hours and offers glimpses of the vegetable fields, clover leys, pasture and hedgerows, and usually includes a tractor and trailer ride to the polytunnels where a wide variety of salads and herbs are grown. Groups are also encouraged to touch, smell and taste the produce and can usually take seasonal samples home. Tours are offered to a maximum of 45 people at a time.
Staying in the county, Quince Honey Farm is an indoor working apiary, which allows close up viewing of bees producing honey. Glass booths expose the working colonies of honeybees without interfering with their natural lifestyle. Groups can closely observe how the honeybee colonies have taken over a modern chimney, a postbox and roof cavities within the apiary. Pre-booked groups receive a discount on admission.
Touring hallowed halls
A large amount of conservation and upkeep goes into maintaining a stately home or historic house; groups can find out more about these procedures on a variety of behind the scenes tours.
Beginning in Lincolnshire, Normansby Hall offers two tours, with one focusing upon the Hall and the other on the surrounding grounds. During the tour of the Hall itself, groups are given a history of the site and its previous occupants as well as an insight into the work that goes into keeping the various furnishings and artwork in good condition. Meanwhile, the tour of the grounds is led by the Head Gardener and groups can find out about various Victorian planting methods and the history of the grounds. Tours are offered to pre-booked groups of 15 or more with GTOs given a free place.
Moving to Leeds, at Harewood House, groups can enjoy behind the scenes tours, which describe the various processes involved in the upkeep of the House and its antiquities and works of art as well as how the house would have operated in times gone by. All tour options are available for pre-booked groups of 15 or more and include specialist tours on a variety of subjects including the artist Turner. On this tour, groups can view drawings and paintings by the artist not on public display. Another option, meanwhile, allows you to see how meals were prepared in Victorian times in the kitchens of the house. With all tours, catering is included and free coach parking is available onsite.
Meanwhile, at Fairfax House in York, groups can also enjoy tours that focus on artistic aspects of the House. The tours, collectively known as the Decorative Arts Tours, can focus on Chippendale furniture, marquetry or time pieces. Groups of 10 or more receive a discount.
In Brighton, the Royal Pavillion offers pre-booked tours for groups of 10 or more such as the ‘Regency Garden Restored Tour’, which details how the 200 year old gardens at the Pavillion are currently being restored and the methods used in this process. Groups can also enjoy the ‘Behind the Scenes at the Royal Pavillion Tour’, which gives groups the chance to glimpse the servants staircases and hidden corridors not usually accessible to the public.
Finally, to the west, the National Trust’s Arlington Court in Devon offers a ‘Behind the Scenes Tour’, which focuses on the ongoing conservation of the house and its various exhibits. Groups can also take advantage of the ‘Tour with the Head Gardener’, which gives the chance to learn about the various plantings and maintenance of the grounds. Tours are available for a minimum group size of 30 and a maximum of 60.