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I visited the UK’s cheapest county for a staycation – here are the best free attractions and bargain hotels
Travel writer Catherine Lofthouse reveals the little-known scheme that stretches holiday budgets a lot further
GIVEN that we're the most landlocked county in the UK, it came as little surprise to me that Leicestershire has been named the cheapest county for a staycay.
But it's not just being miles away from the coast that keeps costs low, with a night in a hotel costing just £80 on average, compared to more than three times that in London.
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We've got a bit of a thing for freebie fun here in the East Midlands, even though our county is something of a staycay secret.
Here's the lowdown on how to visit Leicestershire like a local, if you decide to give the beach a miss this year and head inland instead.
Children who've signed up to the summer reading challenge at their local library anywhere in England, Scotland or Wales can get into a couple of Leicestershire tourist attractions free.
All you need to do is bring along your reading log or certificate to either Bosworth Battlefield, where the Tudor dynasty came to power, or the 1620s House near Coalville, and you'll get free child entry with a paying adult.
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Both have fun children's trails taking place all summer as well as lots of other events like outdoor theatre, pirate day and a cardboard castle siege for little soldiers.
There's lots of cracking days out in nature all over Leicestershire, with former quarries being rewilded to provide woodland wanders and lakeside strolls at sites like Sence Valley and Hicks Lodge.
We even have the newest national nature reserve in the form of Bradgate Park near Leicester, with free-range deer, rocky crags and historic ruins to enjoy.
And Leicester Museum and Art Gallery is one of the oldest free museums in the country, celebrating 175 years this summer with lots of activities for families while hosting a Renoir from the National Gallery.
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Make sure to check out the dinosaur room and the scary spiders exhibition while you're there.
A handy hotel hack if you're not local to Leicestershire is a brilliant scheme called StayPlayExplore - families can get an overnight stay at hotels including Marriott, Hilton and Best Western plus entrance to three Midlands attractions for just £169.
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Family tickets for the most expensive days out on the list actually add up to more than the package cost, so it's almost as if your hotel stay is thrown in free.
To get the most bang for your buck, use your StayPlayExplore tickets at theme parks like Wheelgate near Newark in Nottinghamshire, Twinlakes near Melton Mowbray or Conkers near Ashby, a massive adventure play park that makes the most of its place at the heart of the National Forest.
It's got a splash pad, a little train and lots of forest fun, including a barefoot sensory trail and high ropes.
Entry for a family of four would cost £39.95 over the summer, compared with somewhere similar like Bewilderwood in Norfolk and Cheshire, which costs £60 for four people if you book in advance for mid-August onwards.
So we do tend to get good value for money on our days out here, given that it's not a big tourist trap.
The survey by Outdoor Toys revealed that Leicestershire had the most affordable overnight weekend stay at an average of £80, with Staffordshire at £84 and Kent third at £88.
Meanwhile, the average hotel price in Greater London was found to be £282.
The figures showed that there were almost 150 visitor attractions in the county, so there's certainly plenty to do if you do decide to head here for a staycay.
If you're staying in the city centre and fancy a day away in the countryside, check out the tourist bus routes that run over the summer to Twycross Zoo near Tamworth, Twinlakes or Wistow Maze near Market Harborough.
Leicestershire might be landlocked, but there's loads of low-cost locations that you'll love.
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Free Attractions to visit in England
ENGLAND is filled with plenty of free attractions, which means days out and activities with the kids don't need to cost a fortune this summer.
- London is home to several museums that are free to visit, including the British Museum, the Natural History Museum, the V&A and the Tate Modern
- The Sky Garden is another great free attraction in the English capital. It's London’s highest indoor garden, so expect great views across the city
- Do something a little different in the Midlands and follow in the footsteps of J.R.R Tolkien on
- It's also free to walk alongside . Ramblers can expect to see rugged landscapes, Roman forts, towers and turrets
- Both the in Liverpool's Albert Dock and the in Manchester are free to enter
- Make sure to take your binoculars to see the seals (and their fluffy white pups) basking on the shores at in Norfolk
- Take a dip in - a semi-natural swimming pool that's provided people with safe seaside bathing since the 1930s
The fairytale town of Knaresborough is set to be big this year, and it was once popular with royal staycationers.
And here are three seaside towns which are the best in the UK, according to an expert.
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