Safari browser locked up

[AZ Kid]

I have an iPad that is several years old (but has the latest updates) that has been working very well until recently. Lately the Safari browser has been locking up and nothing I can do will free it. Next day, I may try again and it's OK. I'm glad I have Chrome as a backup, or I'd be dead in the water. Below are the specs for my iPad:
Model MD788LL/A
Version 11.0.1(15A402)
Serial # DMPLX65GFK14
I'm ready to dump Safari completely and install another browser, like Firefox as a back up. Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[dckeks]

Hold down the power and home button together until it resets. Have you cleared all its website data and history

 

[J. A.]

The latest software is 11.1.1.
No idea what you’ve tried, so here’s something you could do, in addition to rebooting as described above, and clearing website history:
Force close the app - swipe upwards from the bottom to show dock, control centre and app switcher, then slide the thumbnail towards the top of the screen.