Last Christmas James’s Mum bought us annual family membership to The National Trust. This was categorically once of the best presents we have ever received. So much so in fact that we have asked for exactly the same gift this year.
I used to have a preconceived notion that a day out at a National Trust location involved a tour around a historical property of some kind and was completely unsuitable for babies and toddlers.
Of course you can choose to visit all sorts of breathtakingly beautiful stately homes but for me it is the stunning gardens and general facilities that really work as a day out for James, Mabel and I.
Before we moved we would visit either Packwood House or Baddesley Clinton at least once a month or so. The farmhouse style cafes are perfect for brunch and Mabel loved being able to run around in such open space. Packwood House in particularly has the most charming walled kitchen garden – Mabel was very taken with the Teddy Bear’s picnic area and was keen to learn about the various varieties of home grown vegetables and herbs. So was I to be honest – I’m not in any way green fingered but I’m hoping to invest some time in our very own veggie patch this Spring.
As well as a wide range of plants and exquisite floral displays each National Trust location plays backdrop to all sorts of wildlife and there are various fairs and special events throughout the year all over the country.
We are now very close to Charlecote Park so I’m hoping to book a visit in before Christmas so we can make the most of all of the festive decor within the main Victorian property.
Are you a National Trust member? Any locations you would recommend are worth a visit? We are very guilty of not making the most of our membership when we actually holiday in the UK – but we are hoping to rectify that next year by being more organised….she says.
*The photos in the gallery and header image are of RMF/Little Beanies shoot competition winner Katerina and her gorgeous family enjoying a day out at Baddesley Clinton.
We have been National Trust members for years and years. Our experience has only improved as the children have gotten older. They have a campaign based around 50 things to do before you’re 11 and 3/4 and it’s provided us with so many great ideas over the years. In the summer, they tend to run workshops covering things on the list like den building, using a compass etc. My two have always enjoyed them.
Aside from the properties, we like visiting some of the land/stretches of coastline they manage. Parking is free for members and there’s often walks designed with kids in mind. We did a great guided walk using an app at Stone Barrow in Dorset one year, complete with smuggler’s tale as we wandered along the path. The children thought it was brilliant.
Then there’s the tea rooms! Honestly, National Trust membership is worth every penny!
Franky I haven’t heard about the 50 things! That sounds brilliant – I quite fancy it for myself (!)
I really need to investigate what’s going on workshop wise – now Mabel’s that bit older I think she would really enjoy it x
We use ours for stops on long journeys too. Stonehenge was a favourite before they changed the entry system (it’s now pre-booked times tickets; still worth doing but not an impromptu visit.)
Ooo I love an NT outing! My parents gifted us with lifetime membership as a wedding gift – quite honestly the best gift we have ever been given! My mum was sneaky and paid a little extra at the time for family membership (stating that we fostered children – naughty!) as apparently this worked out cheaper than adding this later on. However, almost 4 years later after visiting many beautiful gardens/properties around the country and often commenting and dreaming of “when we have children…” – We are expecting our first child in May next year! We are so excited to revisit all our favourite places and view them in a new light – especially the play parks and Easter egg hunts! We live in Cambridgeshire and our local favourite 3 are Wimpole Hall (amazing walks, beautiful house and gardens and a farm), Anglesey Abbey (each season is magical in its gardens) and Ickworth House (I’ve wanted to explore the adventure play park for so long). We also love Coleton Fishacher and Greenway (Agatha Christie’s summer house) when in south Devon.
We’re Cambridgeshire too Emma and love the same three properties – Wimpole farm has come into its own now we have a toddler so I’m sure you will love it even more once your little on arrives! Wicken Fen is also nice & often overlooked – the cafe isn’t quite as good but it’s lovely for a peaceful walk.
We’re on Herts/Essex border and those are our local NT properties too! My son (2 this month) loves the farm at Wimpole Hall. We’ve been to Ickworth loads as my husband is from Bury St Eds so knows it well from childhood, but we haven’t tried Anglesey Abbey or Wicken Fen yet so will definitely give those a go! My childhood favourite is Tatton Park as I grew up in Cheshire and I miss all the lovely NT properties around there.
Not a property, but if you ever find yourself down near Stansted I recommend Hatfield Forest, it’s an old royal hunting forest which is great for walks and I think it’ll come into its own as the kids get older.
Yes, I love Hatfield Forest! Keep meaning to get up early enough to do the parkrun there – I’ve done a 10K race there and it was beautiful ?
Emma huge congratulations! I honestly didn’t know lifetime membership was a thing – what a wonderful wedding gift.
Thanks for all the recommendations, I will be investigating these for next year xx
Oh Kat, these pics are so gorgeous of your beautiful family ❤
We’re NT members too. I love that we can just jump in the car and discover some of our country’s most beautiful treasures. Speke Hall is about 15 minutes from home and we rediscovered it last year after our memories had been clouded by school trips and scary life-size models in tutor clothes, but it’s gorgeous. The house, the grounds, the cream teas! Xx
I must admit to loving the cakes as much as the scenery…
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We also received NT family membership as a gift from my mum & absolutely love it. It’s such a perfect day out with little ones. I met up with my best girls from university a few weeks ago & we were all sat with our NT guides working out a place for the next meet up (10 years ago I never imagined us doing that). We live 5mins from Charlecote park, Ted & I visit atleast once a week, it’s so beautiful. Upton house is also lovely and the NT coastline in Pembrokshire is beyond amazing Xx
We were also lucky enough to receive life membership. In fact, we are off to Killerton House near Exeter today! The house is decorated with an annual Christmas theme- this year it’s a Grimm Christmas and it is totally magical. We also love Montacute House (Wolf Hall was filmed there and it has the most gorgeous feel and a long gallery that’s ideal for crawling and full of Tudor portraits). If you need an A303 pit stop that’s one option but there are also the incredible gardens at Stourhead with the temples and islands. Magic.
Killerton used to be our ‘local’. It’s gorgeous all year round, but especially at Christmas.
I REALLY want to visit so many of them now I have read about all of the Christmas events. I’m hoping we can fit at least one visit in over the next few weeks xx
We got ours as a Christmas present and at the time thought it was a bit random. But, we got so much fun from it.
We must’ve visited our closest two alone at least once a month – Waddesdon Manor and Stowe School grounds. Of the two Waddesdon is the best, a fantastic big park for kids of all ages, loads of places to have a picnic, cute little gift shops and they often have different events through the year plus it’s just so pretty! They have their Christmas Markets on at the moment and a giant gingerbread Waddesdon Manor House exhibit which would make Mary Berry envious.
It’s just nice to have a good excuse to get outside, breathe some fresh air in pretty surroundings without having to pay a fortune. (Blenheim Palace is also lovely, not NT but if you buy a ticket you can upgrade to an annual pass for free and their Christmas light show looks amazing.)
Isn’t it funny the things that make you happy when you have kids?
Xxx
Awww…..we had such a lovely day meeting Lisa and wandering around Baddesley Clinton. So nice to be reminded today – thank you RockMyFamily! I get a family membership from Richard’s mum for my birthday every year and we really make the most of it. So much so that after our photo shoot with Little Beanies we headed over to Charlecote Park. Our nearest NT property is Cliveden which is stunning and also do various events throughout the year. Waddesdon Manor isn’t as close to us but I have to agree with Liz it’s really impressive – I think we need to check out the giant gingerbread house! Polesden Lacey in Surrey also makes for a lovely day out…I could go on and on.
Me and my family are all Life Members too – thanks to very kind Grandparents. We live in Poole in Dorset so I’d thoroughly recommend Kingston Lacy, Corfe Castle and Brownsea Island 🙂 I agree their facilities for families are awesome. (Not to mention the gift shop!) xx
I’m Poole based too and we’re always going to Kingston Lacy and Brownsea Island. Love the free parking at Studland beach too 🙂
Charlotte, we are very close geographically it seems, but our favourite ones are: Packwood house (for reasons above and I bloody love their cafe) and Attingham Park (about 40 min drive but so worth it). I find Attingham the best for kids because of the space, brilliant playgrounds, deer park and so on. Also love Hanbury Hall for their playground too. Charlecote park is next on our list!
x
Hanbury Hall is just down the road from me Rhiannon so I feel I really need to get National Trust membership. And for the added factor that you get free Parking when we are down in Devon at our favourite beaches! Now we have to go in the summer holidays I think we may need it xx
I think this is SUCH a good idea for a Christmas gift. Totally asking the family for it next year! xxx
I bought my daughter NT membership, sadly her husband far to busy to use it and she’s had great fun with it meeting lots of her friends for prom walks. Then my husband and I had to join so that I could go too! We love Attingham and Erddig.
We live 15minutes from Dunham Massey so regularly pop there for something to do and look at deer and ducks! I also did this with my parents as a child.
Tattoo Park is also close so we go there for a bigger day out. I’ve not been round either house since primary school!
Oh and Lyme Park is amazing-especially the play area!
And we sometimes join my brother on Formby beach with all his dogs (he has
4 labradoodles).
The sausage rolls are pretty good at Dunham 🙂
We also have NT membership and love it. In fact we got it before we had kids. I don’t understand why more people aren’t members. Apart from the properties their cafes and their gift shops are brilliant. I love their gift shops and can heartily recommend their blackcurrant curd. Particularly delicious on scones with clotted cream! We downloaded their app and now the first thing that we do whenever we go somewhere new is look for the nearest NT property. My parents recently told me that they sometimes stop off at one on the way somewhere instead of going to a service station.
My parents have just visited Lacock and have raved about it. It’s next on our list!
What a beautiful post. We use our membership constantly such a great way to encourage kids to explore outdoors.