A Financially Easier Easter - 2025

Many families found our ‘Christmas without the Cost’ helpful, so here is a similar list of ideas, for the Lent/Easter holidays. If you are finding times to be a challenge, please remember that you are not alone…come and talk to us. We can offer support and signpost you in the direction of others who can also help.

There are many ways to make your holiday a special time, some are very low cost or even free! Take a look at some ideas below…

All of the local churches will have services throughout the Lent and Easter period and will welcome you in to their church community. Please look at the websites below, to find out Mass / service times.

Saint Patrick’s, Corsham (Father Michael Fountaine) https://chippenham-and-corsham-catholics.org.uk/

 Saint Bartholomew’s, Corsham (Revd Dr Andrew Johnson) https://greatercorshamchurches.org.uk/

Corsham Baptist Church https://corshambaptists.org/

Corsham Methodist Church (Reverend Craig Manley) https://calnemethodist.ddns.net/our-minister/ 

You don’t have to spend money to enjoy yourself in our local area. We’ve got some great free attractions across the county including:

Places to Walk and Play…

Avebury Stone Circle - Forming part of the World Heritage Site with Stonehenge, Avebury Stone Circle is open to the public all year round. Admission to the stones is free although parking charges apply.

Lydiard Park - Lydiard Park is a beautiful, historic park sitting on the outskirts of Swindon with children’s play area, extensive grounds and special events throughout the year.

Langford Lakes Nature Reserve - Nestled in the Wylye Valley between Salisbury and Warminster, Langford Lakes is an ideal place for bird watching. The four lakes provide a vital stopping off point for around 150 different bird species.

Bath Skyline walk - All year round, views from this circular walk’s elevated position offer new perspectives of Bath, nestled among tree-lined hills. The contrast of the city, so close to this rural haven, is a special combination that has earned the area World Heritage Site status. Please ensure you follow directions showing the walk in a clockwise direction and you will find a downloadable map at https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/bath-skyline/bath-skyline-walk

Royal Victoria Park (Bath) - Opened in 1830, Royal Victoria Park is a visual delight with shady tree-lined avenues and towering mature trees encompassing botanical and woodland gardens. There is also a large children’s playground and other activities (some with a charge)

Alexandra Park (Bath) - Acquired by the city of Bath in 1896 and opened in 1902, this city park is located on top of Beechen Cliff and is a popular area for walking, picnicking and relaxing.

Museums and Galleries…

Trowbridge Museum - Trowbridge Museum houses a rare and unusual collection relating to the West of England woollen cloth production including a Spinning Jenny. Look out for free exhibitions, events and activities throughout the year too.

Swindon Museum and Art Gallery - Located in Swindon’s Old Town, the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery houses a remarkable art collection and has a reputation as one of the best of British 20th Century Art outside of London.

Fisherton Mill - Fisherton Mill is a treasure trove of amazing artwork in an award-winning art gallery complex situated in a Victorian mill. On-site artists and designers can be visited in their studios.

Chippenham Museum - In the heart of Chippenham you’ll find Chippenham Museum, an active and friendly community museum. Discover Chippenham’s amazing history and heritage on a visit to this museum.

The Holburne Museum - While there’s usually an admission fee to visit the Holburne Museum, you can explore for free from 3pm to 5pm on Wednesdays or 5pm to 9pm on the last Friday of the month. This grand gallery – which you may recognise from Netflix smash-hit Bridgerton – houses a collection of fine and decorative art, with continually changing exhibitions on offer too. 

Art or Photography in the Local Area…All of the above areas are amazing to stop and really appreciate, as we usually take them for granted! You could just take time to admire the view, take a picnic or what about a pencil and notebook to draw, or a camera to capture your own artistic moments? Other locations you could visit are…

Pulteney Bridge - One of only three bridges in the world lined with shops, this exquisite 18th-century bridge is one of the most admired structures in Bath.

The Circus - The Circus, originally called King's Circus, was designed by the architect John Wood, the Elder. Look a little closer at the detail on the stonework and you’ll see many emblems, such as serpents, acorns, and nautical symbols. Wood was known to admire the druids, the creators of prehistoric stone circles. Convinced that Bath had been the principal centre of Druid activity in Britain, Wood studied Stonehenge, and designed the Circus with the same diameter.

The Royal Crescent - This impressive landmark is arranged around a perfect lawn overlooking Royal Victoria Park and forms a sweeping crescent of 30 Grade I Listed terrace houses. It is without doubt one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere in the UK. The 500-foot-long crescent has an impressive ha-ha, which was designed to keep grazing animals out of the more formal areas of the garden. Many notable people have either lived or stayed in the Royal Crescent since it was built, and some are commemorated on special plaques attached to the relevant buildings. Maybe see if you can find them?

A few more ideas…

Mayor of Bath's Honorary Guides - Enjoy a free walking tour of Bath, including the main points of historical and architectural interest. Regular twice daily tours last approximately two hours and no booking is required. Additional evening tours and tours of the Pulteney Estate take place twice a week in the summer. The walks start outside the Pump Room in Abbey Church Yard at the sign board 'Free Walking Tours Here'. For more information please visit the website for more details https://www.bathguides.org.uk/ 

In the Footsteps of Jane Austen: A Free Audio Walking Tour - Focusing on Jane Austen and her life in Bath, the tour takes you around the highlights of the city and includes extracts from Jane Austen’s novels and letters, which describe Bath as it would have been in its Georgian heyday. The tour takes approximately one-and-a-half hours, but you can stop at any point to visit a museum (charges will apply) or go into a café or shop. https://visitbath.co.uk/blog/read/2019/11/in-the-footsteps-of-jane-austen-a-free-audio-walking-tour-b124

Free Magazines and Comics - Get the free LEGO® Magazine for kids. If your child is aged 5-9, you can sign up to be sent a totally free Lego Life Magazine in the post four times a year. The magazine includes Lego news, themed games and puzzles, character comics, posters, and sneak peeks at future Lego sets. https://www.lego.com/en-gb/magazine

Get Six free Beano comics If you go online to classic comic Beano, you can download six editions of its Golden Beano comic totally free. To download the comic, simply click/tap on the image of each comic and it'll open as a PDF. You can then print or download this to your device and it'll be yours to keep. Golden Beano is a collection of comic strips, puzzles and jokes from its archives over the last 80 years. https://www.beano.com/comic/beanotown/the-golden-beano-worth-its-weight-in-lols

Places to Eat…

Las Iguanas kids eat 'free' - If you dine in at a Las Iguanas restaurant (our nearest is Bath) any day of the week and at all times of the day, children aged 12 and under can eat for free if you're signed up to its My Iguanas app (available for free on Apple and Android) and purchase of a full-price adult main meal. Kids will be able to get a main, two sides and a dessert which normally costs £7.25.

Pausa Café @ Dunelm - If you're visiting a Dunelm (our nearest are Swindon and Cribbs Causeway) and fancy a bite to eat, head to its in-store café, Pausa, and kids can eat for 'free' when an adult spends £4. No code is required, the promotion is automatically applied to the bill. This offer is available in all Pausa Cafés across the UK every day of the week, from opening until cafés close. This is an on-going deal with no end date. The 'free' kids' meal includes a main (example dishes include a jacket potato with cheese, chicken & pesto wrap, or a cheese pizza), as well as two snacks and a drink. This would usually cost up to £5.25.

Brewers Fayre - Up to two children aged under 16 can eat a 'free' breakfast at any Brewers Fayre restaurant (our nearest is Chippenham) when accompanied by an adult buying an unlimited cooked breakfast. This offer is valid during breakfast hours every day of the week and there is no code needed to claim this deal, it's automatically applied to the bill. This is an ongoing deal with no specific end date. An unlimited adult cooked breakfast costs between £9.99-£10.50 (depending on location), so if a family of four have breakfast, it would work out at around £5 per head.

Asda Café - Kids aged 16 or under can eat for £1 when dining in at any Asda café (our nearest are Swindon and Bristol). There's no minimum spend or purchase required, and this deal is valid all day, seven days a week. There's a maximum of one meal per child, per day. The kids' menu includes dishes such as fish fingers, all-day breakfast and chicken nuggets which would normally cost £3.20. Kids can choose from either a hot or cold meal, and now all meals come with a piece of fruit.

Bella Italia - If you dine in at Bella Italia (our nearest is Bristol), little ones can eat for free all day on Thursdays when an adult main is purchased from the 'A La Carte' menu. Kids can also eat for £1 on Sunday to Wednesday 4pm-6pm, again when an adult main meal is purchased. No code is needed to claim this deal, this is automatically applied to your bill. You can get one free or £1 kids meal for each accompanying adult that buys a main. Kids will be able to get a starter, main, pudding and Cawston pressed juice. Kids meals usually cost between £6.49 and £8.49.

Morrison’s Café - If you're visiting a Morrisons Café (our nearest is Chippenham), you can get a free kids' meal (normally costing £3.50) when purchasing an adult main meal for £5 or more. The offer is valid every day, all times of the day until cafés close. This is an ongoing offer.

Hungry Horse - If you go into your local Hungry Horse pub (our nearest is Chippenham) on a Monday, kids can eat from £1 when an adult purchases a main meal (normally £7.29-£8.49). There's no code or voucher needed, the discount is applied automatically. There's no end date for this deal – it's currently an ongoing offer.

What About Cooking at Home and Creating a ‘Fakeaway’…

Take aways are becoming more and more expensive, but before you reach for the takeaway leaflet or app, why not try making your own fakeaway? There are so many tempting fakeaway ideas you’ll be spoilt for choice…and will save money!

Tescos - We’ve rounded up our best fakeaway recipes that go big on flavour and deliver that ‘treat meal’ satisfaction. Whether you’re a traditionalist (hello, fish and chips!), or like to experiment with flavour twists (the chicken mole tacos with dark chocolate could be for you), you’ll find feel-good recipes here to suit every taste and mood. https://realfood.tesco.com/fakeaway-recipes.html

Jamie Oliver - We all love a good Friday night takeaway every now and then, though making your own means you can tailor it to your taste (extra veg? No problem. Extra chilli? Of course!), and keep costs down, too. So, it’s time to get your fakeaway on! From easy pizzas and the perfect chips to aromatic curries and flavour-packed stir-fries, we’ve put together our favourite fakeaway recipes. https://www.jamieoliver.com/inspiration/best-budget-friendly-fakeaways/

Good Food - Ditch the Friday night takeaway and whip up your own version instead. From pizza and curries to pad Thai and chicken katsu, we've got plenty of fabulous fakeaway recipes for you. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/takeaway-favourite-recipes

We hope you all have a wonderful and restful holiday with your loved ones…and for the sun to shine for us all!