Best NationalTrust places for families

[beeyourself]

We're trying to make the most of our national trust membership this year so thought we'd have a week away hitting as many as possible!

What are the best places that have stuff for under-10s (one preschooler)?

We like Wimpole Hall. It's got a farm and an adventure playground as well as lots of gardens to explore. We've not ventured into the main house yet.

Culzean Castle and grounds

In North Yorkshie my favourite places are Fountains Abbey and Brimham Rocks.

If you stay half way between Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds (bearish to Newmarket) you’re surrounded by a few good NT places for kids.
Mine love Anglesey Abbey, Ickworth and Wicken Fen.

We’ve just been to the Lake Distruct, and got a lot of use from our card. The kids especially liked Wray Castle, which has lots of activity rooms for children, as well as a brilliant outdoor play trail. We spent about six hours there with a 3 & 6 year old. Completely unlike any other NT property we have visited.

Otherwise, a stay on the West Sussex/ Surrey/Kent border areas would place to you with about hour of Nymans, Polesdon Lacey, Standen, chartwell, Knowle, Ditchling Beacon, Devil’s Dyke, Sheffield Park, Batemans, Ightam, Bodiam Castle & Scotney Castle. A bit further away (depending on location) would be Petworth & Winkworth arboretum. I’ve just calculated times from Ofsted, and most of these are less than 1 hour 15 minutes, with some around 15-20 mins.

In Lincolnshire there's belton Hall and nearby is Newton's house (name escapes me) and science centre - you can buy apples from THE tree in season.

Allen Banks in the Lake District along with Wray Castle as previously mentioned.
Opposite end of the country - Bodiam Castle is a 'real castle' with towers, moat etc.

Belton House in Lincolnshire- huge outdoor adventure play park, little train ride, den making area and cafe with good coffee and nice toilets in the play park.
Indoor soft play and cafe area is also very nice.

Speke Hall - the giant in the woods trail in particular is a firm favourite in this house!

Tatton park and Dunham Massey are both great especially when the weather is good.

Quarry bank mill is very interesting and often has extra activities for children around life in the mills

Wray castle is very child orientated

If you stay in Liverpool or Manchester you'll be handy for loads of child-friendly places: Speke Hall, Little Moreton Hall, Dunham Massey, Quarry Bank Mill...

Kent / Sussex has loads of places and if you have English heritage membership you could also do Dover Castle , Walmer castle etc .

Belton House and Woolsthorpe Manor if you're ever Lincolnshire/Midlands way. Both very good for children.

Belton House is our favourite place.

Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire is nice. I like Nostell Priory too, also in Yorkshire. They're about to open a new one in Barnsley but I can't remember what it's called and I've never been so can't comment on that.

Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire is good with a lovely garden.

Clumber Park is lovely. I can't remember where it is though!

My favourite place in the world is Clumber Park (Nottinghamshire) - it’s more of a park than a property so better in good weather. Belton Hall is also fab and we’ve had a couple of great visits to Southwell Workhouse.

freshasthebrightbluesky the new NT in Barnsley is Wentworth Castle Gardens as me and DD went on Sunday (& joined NT). Nice playground for children, baby deer allegedly in deer Park and some lovely grounds to walk in.

@freshasthebrightbluesky sorry forgot the @!

Wallington, Cragside both in Northumberland. Gibside not far away. All very child friendly with plenty to do.

My children love Claremont Lake in Surrey and Polsden Lacsy (sp?). Boxhill is nice too.

The National Trust Museum of Childhood is amazing. It's in Sudbury Hall in the south of the Peak District.

Also came on to say Belton Hall!!!

To be fair, most NT places are geared up for kids and they wrote a book “Things to do before you’re 113/4”. Trouble is, my DS is now 12 and doesn’t want to go any more (I can see him starting his own Stately Homes thread in 30 years time).

Where is good for teenagers?

Clumber Park is in Nottinghamshire
YY to Nostell Priory (Wakefield) and Wray Castle (Ambleside). Also Fell Foot Park and Aira Force in the Lakes
There’s two next to each other - and house and garden and a mill in . The house is Cothele, cant remember the mill’s name, but really enjoyed them with the dc.
Quarry bank - Cheshire/Greater Manchester
Hardcastle Crags nr Halifax. Also a property there at the end of the valley.

Cothele I’d jn Saltash, N Cornwall