Whenever we go on holiday in the UK and I’m planning days out, I’ll often try and find a model village nearby. I think they’re so interesting; the time & effort that must go into them, and walking round we all feel like giants! We love spotting country famous landmarks, and also places that are local to the model village. We’d visited Merrivale Model Village in Great Yarmouth as a couple, years ago now, but the boys had never been.

Welcome to Merrivale Model Village,one of Great Yarmouth’s best-loved attractions, a fantastic model village set in an acre of floral landscaped gardens on the sea front.Take your time to discover this captivating model village and its charming inhabitants. … Sit back and relax in the beautiful gardens surrounding Merrivale model village and be enchanted by every-day life in miniature.

Merrivale Model Village has acquired new owners in the last couple of years, but they haven’t changed much of the village from what I remember of it last time I visited.

My thoughts

On arrival we were given an activity pack for the boys, complete with a series of questions relating to things that they had to look out for around the village; when complete, they would get a prize of a lollipop. They would do anything for one of those! On entering the village, it’s surprising how big it is. It was fairly busy when we visited during the school summer holidays; but because of the size of the village, it doesn’t seem to be. The walkways are quite narrow, but one of the great things about this model village is that it’s wheelchair and single pushchair friendly, so nobody needs to miss out.

The model village itself is set in landscaped gardens which are beautiful to just sit and look at; complete with streams, waterfalls, and even a miniature railway! The boys absolutely loved looking out for this.

The attention to detail on the models is amazing, even down to fine details like making the grass look real. The model village is full of humour too. From the speaking in some of the animated scenes, down to names of people and stores; such as “Dr I. Lash” at “Spectaculars” and “I Saw ‘Em” timber merchants.

The fun continues after you’ve finished exploring the village; with a game of crazy golf, browsing the gift shop, and playing in the old penny arcade. You can even stop for a piece of cake or bowl of chips in the quaint cafe, with lovely outdoor seating for sunny days.

With the model village being right on Great Yarmouth seafront, it’s a great little place to break up your day at the seaside.

Entry –  U3’s free, child age 3-12 £5.99, over 12 £9.99.

Our rating – 5/5

Disclosure
I was provided with entry tickets for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are honest & my own.