Visit
The gardens are open every day of the year.
The house keeps season hours; everything outdoors does not. Nothing here needs booking except the house in high summer, and the meadow never costs anything.
The estate year
When to come, and what for.
Choose a month. May and June are the meadow; September is the lake and the arboretum; February is snowdrops and almost nobody else.
May
Buttercups, and the best fortnight of the year.
Click a month, or use the arrow keys.
Tickets
Per person, and the field is free.
Members of the Trust go free. Everything outdoors is open dawn to dusk every day, including Christmas.
| Admission | Adult | Child 5–16 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| House, gardens and park | £22.00 | £11.00 | Under 5 free |
| Gardens and park only | £12.00 | £6.00 | Under 5 free |
| Meadow and estate walks | Free | Free | Always |
| Annual pass | £55.00 | £27.50 | Two named adults |
House open Wednesday to Sunday, late March to end of October, 11:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:15. Gardens, park and meadow open daily, 09:00 until dusk.
Getting here
Twenty minutes off the motorway and then a lane.
- By car
Twenty minutes from the M40, then two miles of single-track lane with passing places. Free parking in the meadow field, or on hard standing when it is wet.
- By train
Nearest station is eleven minutes away by taxi. There are usually two waiting; if there are not, ring the estate office and we will sort something out.
- On foot
The valley footpath runs through the park and is open whether we are or not. It is four miles from the village and the last mile is the good bit.
- By bicycle
Racks at the stable yard. The lane is narrow and fast in places; the bridleway from the north is slower and much nicer.
Questions
The ones we are actually asked.
Including the two we would rather answer here than in the car park.
The house opens Wednesday to Sunday from late March to the end of October, 11:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:15. The gardens, park and meadow are open every day of the year from 09:00 until dusk, including when the house is shut.
For the house, yes, in high summer — we cap it at 400 a day so the rooms stay walkable. Gardens and park are never capped and never need booking.
Yes, on the mown paths, all year. Between the middle of May and the cut in late July please keep to them; you are walking through a seed crop, and one boot off the path costs more than it looks like it does.
In the park and on the estate walks, on a lead between March and July because of ground-nesting birds. In the gardens, assistance dogs only. In the house, no.
Partly, and we would rather say so plainly. The ground floor of the house, the Orangery, the walled garden and the lakeside path are all step-free. The Long Gallery is up sixteen stairs with no lift, the park paths are grass and rut in winter, and the Yew Walk has a gravel surface. Ring us and we will tell you honestly what will work.
Anywhere outside, freely. Inside the house, no flash and no tripods. Commercial shoots go through the estate office and we say no more often than yes.
Write to us
A person reads these.
The estate office answers within two working days. For a wedding or a large group, tell us the date and we will tell you straight away whether it is free.