Merrivale Model Village

Merrivale Model Village sits on the sea front in Great Yarmouth and packs a miniature version of the English countryside into about an acre of landscaped gardens. Children tend to head straight for the detailed scenes: a busy town centre, a village inn, a farm, a travelling fair, a castle and a model of Buckingham Palace, with many buttons to press and small jokes hidden around the paths. The site also has a garden railway with many G gauge trains running through the planting, a nine-hole crazy golf course, and an old penny arcade for a bit of retro fun. A tea room and gift shop are on site, and a sensory garden gives younger visitors somewhere to wander. The paths are narrow in places, so double buggies can struggle, but the village suits a relaxed family visit of an hour or more, with dogs welcome on a lead.