Visit: average duration is 2 hours 30 minutes. Welcome to site. Short talks during the day for all Woolbeding Gardens visitors, by the William Pye water feature. Catering: café, 20 covers with additional Midhurst, West Sussex GU29 9RR 30 outside, serves light refreshments. Table reservations not possible. Groups can pre-order Woolbeding delights at every turn, with distinctive cream teas. garden rooms set against manicured hedges and thoughtfully composed colour-themed borders. Group admission: £7.30. Formal lawns melt into the rural landscape and beyond the meadow you will find a waterfall, Gothic summerhouse and enchanting landscape Woolbeding Gardens M T W T F S S garden. Note: access by park-and-ride minibus 7 Apr–30 Sep 10:30–4:30 . . . T F . . from Midhurst only (booking essential). Advance booking essential. Access by park and ride only from Midhurst. Garden best in: April–September. East of Access: 7F 4 Reception 1E Contact: 01730 811960 Garden 0j E [email protected] Lost Fenland landscapes and Coaches: no coach or minibus parking. Drop-off space, stylish estate houses, point at entrance by prior arrangement, 30 yards. a plantsman’s walled garden Then park in lay-by on A272 Petersfield Road, 500 and artists’ views yards from Woolbeding Lane junction.

134 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places 135 Explore the places where Perfect for groups a king was buried with his Ickworth treasure, wild ponies roam Be absorbed all day in in the fens, immaculate gardens and found his inspiration parkland, a Rotunda that houses priceless treasures, and and where grand houses the servants’ basement which preside over handsome tells the story of people who gardens under huge skies. lived and worked there. There are ‘pop-up’ talks, walks and excellent facilities; a grand place for a truly entertaining day out.

Top three tours Itinerary ideas

‘Waterways and wildlife’ Walking under wide Norfolk skies Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve At Felbrigg Hall you can enjoy the ‘Constable at Flatford’ two-mile waymarked walk through Year-round colour Flatford the Great Wood and parkland, where at Anglesey Abbey you’ll see a wide variety of trees of ‘The good, the bad and the scandalous’ all ages, including ancient beeches, Enjoy the vibrant colours of the Blickling Estate some of which were pollarded in Formal Gardens, which are planted the past. Then head down the road with over a 1,000 dahlias, and the to Blickling Estate where there is heady scent of the Rose Garden where plenty of space to explore, including you’ll find over 40 varieties. The winter woodland, parkland and farmland. garden has been specially designed with plants that are at their best during winter, when colour is in short supply elsewhere.

Other atmospheric highlights are the walled gardens at Felbrigg Hall and , and the Victorian town-house garden with its orangery at Peckover House and Garden. Pictured: Anglesey Abbey, Previous page: Felbrigg Hall, Norfolk

137 Berwick-upon-Tweed

Lindisfarne Castle Coldstream

Alnwick

Giant’s Causeway Cragside Amble Carrick-a-Rede Portrush Bushmills Downhill Demesne Ballycastle and Hezlett House Coleraine Otterburn Ashington Newbiggin- Morpeth by-the-Sea Limavady Ballymoney Cushendall Wallington Bedlington Blyth LONDONDERRY Cramlington Seaton Delaval Hall Whitley Bay George Dungiven Tynemouth Longtown Stephenson’s Newcastle Corbridge Birthplace Upon Tyne M2 Souter Lighthouse Brampton Jarrow and The Leas Gray’s Printing Press Ballymena Hexham Cherryburn Strabane Maghera Gibside Gateshead Larne Sunderland Carlisle Washington Old Hall Consett Wigton Newtownstewart Magherafelt Castlederg Randalstown Ballyclare Alston Houghton le Spring M22 Whitehead M6 Moneymore Antrim Patterson’s Springhill Spade Mill Carrickfergus Durham M2 Newtownabbey Brandon Peterlee Cookstown Wordsworth House Omagh Wellbrook Crumlin Bangor Maryport Beetling Mill Donaghadee and Garden Spennymoor Divis and the Black Mountain Penrith A1(M) Hartlepool BELFAST Acorn Bank Workington Cockermouth Bishop Auckland Coalisland Newtownards Redcar Mount Stewart Keswick Newton Dungannon Comber Aira Force Middlesbrough Appleby-in- Aycliffe Stockton- Lisburn Carryduff and Ullswater on-Tees M1 Whitehaven Westmorland The Argory Lurgan Ormesby Hall Rowallane Strangford Darlington Guisborough Ardress House Craigavon Garden Lough Brough Enniskillen Dromore Egremont Whitby Portadown Stokesley Ballynahinch Scotch Corner Castle Coole Tandragee Armagh Banbridge Castle Ward Wray Castle M6 Richmond Downpatrick Beatrix Potter Gallery and Hawkshead Florence Court Lisnaskea Catterick Keady Castlewellan Steam Yacht Gondola Northallerton Murlough National Hill Top Kendal Leyburn Sedbergh Scalby Rathfriland Nature Reserve Hawes Newtownbutler Sizergh Rievaulx Terrace Scarborough Crom Newry Newcastle Millom Thirsk Pickering

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and Estate EastUttoxeter of Fakenham Plas yn Rhiw Oswestry the National Trust North Walsham Abersoch Wem Museum of Childhood M1 Aylsham Burton upon Trent Woolsthorpe Holbeach Blickling Estate and Spalding King's Stafford Melton Manor Textile Conservation Studio EnglandLoughborough Mowbray Lynn Newport Shugborough Estate M6 Calke Abbey Bourne Barmouth Dolgellau Rugeley Attingham Ashby-de- Dereham Caister-on-Sea Shrewsbury Coalville Mallwyd Park la-Zouch Wisbech Sunnycroft Cannock Licheld Stamford Swaffham Norwich Great Welshpool Oakham Telford M6 M42 Yarmouth Powis Castle M54 TOLL Brownhills Peckover House Benthall Downham Elizabethan and Garden Moseley Old Hall Tamworth and Garden House Museum Tywyn Carding Hall Leicester Market Wymondham Wolverhampton Oadby Peterborough Watton Machynlleth Mill Valley Walsall Sutton Uppingham Aberdy­ and the Church Wightwick West Coldeld Hinckley March Oxburgh Hall Lowestoft Montgomery Bridgnorth Manor Blaby Attleborough Long Mynd Stretton and Bromwich 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Garden M25 Navigations The Homewood M20 Weston-super-Mare Congresbury Prior Park Devizes Memorial West Green The Courts Chapel Kingsclere Dapdune Wharf Epsom Faversham Landscape Garden House Garden Maidstone M2 Sandwich Garden Hatchlands Leatherhead Sevenoaks Canterbury Trowbridge The Vyne Quebec Stoneacre Park Box Hill M25 Lynton House Ightham Mote Deal Westbury Basingstoke M3 Clandon Park Frome Polesden Reigate Emmetts M20 Burnham-on-Sea Stonehenge Shalford Mill Lynmouth Minehead Dunster Wells Shepton Andover Guildford Lacey Chartwell Garden South Foreland Lighthouse Lundy Ilfracombe Warminster Landscape Whitchurch Castle Mallet Farnham Godalming Standen House Tonbridge M23 Ashford The White Dunster Watchet Coleridge Cottage 138 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our placesand Garden nationaltrust.org.uk/groups Dover 139 Amesbury M3 Alton Winkworth Sissinghurst Cliffs of Dover Working Oakhurst Cranbrook M20 Cottage Arboretum East Grinstead Tunbridge Castle Garden Barnstaple Watermill Bridgwater Stourhead Mompesson Winchester Crawley Wells Folkestone Arlington Court and Street House City Mill Tenterden the National Trust Fyne Court Liphook Wakehurst Place Scotney Castle Hythe Wincanton Winchester Crowborough Smallhythe Place Carriage Museum Wilton Salisbury New Horsham Taunton Langport Lytes Cary Manor Alresford Woolbeding Bideford South Molton Mottisfont Gardens Billingshurst Nymans Shef eld Park Bodiam Castle New Romney Wellington Shaftesbury Hinton Petworth House Haywards Tintinhull Garden Eastleigh Peters€eld and Garden Rye Great M5 Romsey Ampner Midhurst and Park Heath Bateman’s Torrington Heath€eld Lamb House Yeovil Sherborne Pulborough Barrington Court Southampton Uppark House Hurstpierpoint Battle Knightshayes Montacute House Tiverton A3(M) and Garden Hailsham Crewkerne Lyndhurst Hastings Chard Blandford M27 Saddlescombe Farm Lewes Bude Forum Hythe Killerton Havant Hove Monk’s House Bexhill-on-Sea Fawley Fareham Littlehampton 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Ives Mine and Beam Redruth Engine Camborne Trengwainton Trelissick Overbeck’s Garden St Mawes Penzance Godolphin Falmouth St Michael’s Mount Helston Glendurgan Garden Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill Quy Road, Lode, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB25 9EJ

When you step into this elegant home, you journey back to a golden age of country-house living. The Domestic Wing shows how the staff Garden best: all year. serving the meticulous Lord Fairhaven ran his household like clockwork. The celebrated garden, Contact: 01223 810081 with its sweeping avenues, classical statuary and [email protected] flower borders, offers captivating views, vibrant colours and delicious scents whatever the season. Coaches: coach parking, 50 yards. Visit: average duration is 4 hours. Welcome to site. Children can play, explore and discover nature in Guided tour£. Please request guided tours at time the Wildlife Discovery Area. A visit to the historic Visit: average duration is 3 hours. Welcome to of booking. Shop. working watermill and famous Winter Garden site. Groups are welcome to join free public tours Blickling Estate will complete your day. Note: no groups on Bank of the garden. Shop. Catering: The Stables (licensed), 85 covers; Holidays. Blickling, Aylsham, Norfolk NR11 6NF Courtyard (licensed), 90 covers, outdoors only; Catering: restaurant with views over garden Muddy Boots, 45 covers inside, 20 outdoors. (licensed), self-service, 160 covers. You’ll never forget your first sight of Blickling. Sorry, no reservations or set menu. Public house Sitting in a magnificent garden within a park is (not National Trust). Designated picnic areas. Group admission: £11.15. Garden and mill only £6.70. a breathtaking mansion, flanked by ancient yew hedges. Past owners have used the estate as a Group admission: £11.80. Garden only £7.60. refuge while performing on the world’s political Whole estate (winter) £8.50. Garden only Anglesey Abbey M T W T F S S stage. Philip Kerr, the last private owner, helped (winter) £4.25. Garden, restaurant, shop and plant centre shape the National Trust’s history, using his 1 Jan–27 Mar 10–4:30 M T W T F S S influence to find a way of saving great country 28 Mar–30 Oct 10–5:30 M T W T F S S houses for future generations to enjoy. Until his Blickling Estate M T W T F S S 31 Oct–31 Dec 10–4:30 M T W T F S S death in 1940 he used the house for entertaining House* House his prominent guests; and photographs, sounds 5 Mar–30 Oct** 12–5 M . W T F S S 9 Mar–27 Mar 11–3 . . W T F S S and objects help to tell his story. Outside, the 5 Nov–20 Nov 12–4 . . . . . S S 30 Mar–30 Oct 11–4 . . W T F S S formal garden is the result of three centuries 25 Nov–4 Dec 2–8 . . . . F S S House (guided tours) of inspired planting, and the gently undulating Garden, shops and cafés 8 Mar–25 Oct 11–3:30 . T . . . . . historic parkland is great for exploring. 1 Jan–4 Jan 11–3 M . . . F . . Lode Mill 6 Jan–28 Feb† 11–4 . . W T F S S 1 Jan–27 Mar 10:30–3:30 . . W T F S S Garden best: all year. 29 Feb–30 Oct 10–5 M T W T F S S 30 Mar–30 Oct 10:30–4 . . W T F S S 2 Nov–18 Dec 11–4 . . W T F S S 2 Nov–31 Dec 10:30–3:30 . . W T F S S What’s new in 2016? Visitor route in the house 19 Dec–23 Dec 11–4 M T W T F . . Mill and house: open Bank Holiday Mondays and daily which brings to life the story of Philip Kerr, 11th 27 Dec–31 Dec 11–3 . T W T F S . during school holidays; house children’s tours and domestic Marquis of Lothian, Blickling’s last private owner. Garden shop wing open Mondays and Tuesdays from Easter (Tuesday 5 Mar–30 Oct 10–5 M T W T F S S house tours every 30 minutes). Timed tickets to house on Additional rooms open to explore. busy days. Last house entry one hour before closing. Closed *Last entry one hour before closing. **Also open 29 March, 5 24 to 26 December. Snowdrop season: 25 January to 28 Contact: 01263 738030 April, 31 May, 26 July, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 August and 25 October February. (timed tickets on busy days). †Garden, shop and cafés [email protected] also open 15 and 16 February. Muddy Boots café open 26 7E F 4 g E 4 D December. Park and woodland: open dawn to dusk. Fishing: Access: Coaches: coach parking 400 yards. Drop-off 1 January to 14 March and 16 June to 31 December, 7 to 6 (or Abbey and mill 03 Grounds 1j 7 E and turning point 75 yards from house entrance dusk if earlier). adjacent to disabled parking area (with care, 78 F 4 g E G 4 narrow lane). Access: House 03 l E Gardens 1j 7 E

140 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 141 Special interest tours Group admission: free, open access site.

A grand garden Explore the glorious garden with one of our Dunwich Heath Dunwich Heath and Beach M T W T F S S guides and gain a fascinating insight into the Heath garden’s history and planting schemes as you and Beach Open all year M T W T F S S take a look around the parterre, the 18th-century Tea-room and shop orangery, double borders and the walled garden Dunwich, Saxmundham, Suffolk 1 Jan–3 Jan 10:30–3 . . . . F S S regeneration project. Tours can be tailored to your 9 Jan–7 Feb 10:30–3 . . . . . S S group’s particular gardening interests. A precious landscape on the Suffolk coast, 13 Feb–21 Feb 10:30–4 M T W T F S S Dunwich Heath offers a true sense of being at one 27 Feb–27 Mar 10:30–4 . . W T F S S Tour cost from £2 per person with nature. Set in the very middle of an Area of 28 Mar–30 Sep 10–5 M T W T F S S Duration 1 hour 30 minutes Outstanding Natural Beauty, there is an abundance 1 Oct–23 Oct 10:30–4 . . W T F S S of wildlife to discover, including such rare birds as 24 Oct–30 Oct 10:30–4 M T W T F S S Exploring the park the Dartford warbler and nightjar. There are many 5 Nov–18 Dec 10:30–3 . . . . . S S We can arrange a bespoke tour to suit your opportunities throughout the year to deepen your 26 Dec–31 Dec 10:30–3 M T W T F S . group. Whether you’re interested in the history understanding of this special place, such as guided Visitor facility openings dependent on weather conditions. of the great Jacobean estate, the restoration of walks, and our free app will help you make the most the parkland, discovering the best places to see of your visit – search ‘Dunwich Heath’. Access: 78 F 4 g Grounds j7 bluebells, or learning about the park’s wildlife, our experienced guides promise a lively and Contact: 01728 648501 entertaining tour. Keeping house New [email protected] Special interest tours What happened to the books in the Long Gallery Tour cost from £2 per person during the flood in 2002? How are objects Coaches: parking for 3 coaches, 150 yards. Heathland discovery Duration 2 hours 30 minutes protected from light damage in a south-facing Coach parking charge £35. An exploration of stunning lowland heath and room? This tour gives a unique insight into how beautiful beach that make up one of East Anglia’s the house is maintained and protected while Visit: average duration is 3 hours. Guided tour£. most important nature conservation areas. Join ensuring it is looking its best. Groups welcome, booking essential. Shop. your expert guide to walk by open tracts of heather and gorse, through shady woods and pass Tour cost from £2 per person Catering: tea-room (licensed), 40 covers in by sandy cliffs, as you learn about the rare wildlife. Duration 1 hour Coastguard Cottages plus outdoor seating. Group catering requirements can be Tour cost from £8 per person The good, the bad and the scandalous New accommodated by arrangement. Duration 2 hours Get the inside story on who lived in this great Jacobean house as your tour brings to life past owners and inhabitants, above and ‘below stairs’. You’ll also see the most important collection of rare books in the care of the National Trust.

Tour cost from £2 per person Duration 1 hour 30 minutes

142 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 143 Catering: Squire’s Pantry (licensed), self-service, Special interest tours 100 covers. Discuss and book with the catering manager on 01263 838237. Constable at Flatford Felbrigg Hall, Flatford Put yourself in the picture quite literally on a Group admission: £8.65. Garden only £4.20. guided walk around the locations for some of Gardens and Estate Flatford, East Bergholt, Suffolk CO7 6UL John Constable’s most famous and much-loved paintings. We will explore the hamlet of Flatford, Felbrigg, Norwich, Norfolk NR11 8PR Felbrigg Hall M T W T F S S Flatford sits beside the River Stour in the heart visit areas of Flatford Mill not normally open House and bookshop of the countryside of Dedham Vale Area of to the public and give you an insight into the Felbrigg Hall is a surprising mixture of opulence 27 Feb–22 Oct 11–5 M T W . . S S Outstanding Natural Beauty. The locations which landscape. and homeliness, where the stories of its owners 18 Jul–2 Sep* 11–5 M T W T F S S inspired many of Constable’s iconic paintings unfold through the completeness of its original 23 Oct–30 Oct 11–4 M T W . . S S surround Flatford, so that you can stand in the Tour cost from £3.50 per person contents. Why not pick up some inspiration Gardens very same places as John Constable and enjoy Duration 1 hour from the Walled Garden? Once it provided fruit 27 Feb–22 Oct 11–5:30 M T W T F S S views that he painted 200 years ago. Our small and vegetables for the kitchens, now it provides 23 Oct–30 Oct 11–4 M T W T F S S exhibition will give you an insight into Constable’s flowers for the Hall and is a tranquil place to 3 Nov–18 Dec 11–3 . . . T F S S paintings. While you are here, you could explore escape and relax. The rolling landscape park, with Refreshments and shop the countryside on foot following a circular path a lake, ancient woodland and miles of waymarked 2 Jan–21 Feb 11–3 . . . . . S S or hire a boat and row along the river to immerse trails, is a great place to explore nature, spot 27 Feb–22 Oct 10:30–5 M T W T F S S yourself in the history and beauty of Flatford. wildlife, or just to get away from it all. 23 Oct–30 Oct 10:30–4 M T W T F S S Note: no public access inside Flatford Mill, Valley 3 Nov–18 Dec 11–3 . . . T F S S Farm and Willy Lott’s House. Access from coach Garden best in: May–September. 27 Dec–31 Dec 11–3 . T W T F S . parking is unsuitable for those with limited House and bookshop open Good Friday. *18 July to 2 mobility or wheelchairs. Contact: 01263 837444 September: access to some areas of house may be limited on Thursdays and Fridays. House open daily in local school [email protected] holidays (March to October). Parkland: open every day all Contact: 01206 298260 year, dawn to dusk. [email protected] Coaches: parking for 1 coach, 75 yards from reception. Sat Navs please use postcode NR11 8PP. Access: 78 F 4 g E 5 D Hall 1E Coaches: no coach access to Bridge Cottage, Gardens 31 j 7 E narrow lane. Coaches park in main car park, 150 Visit: average duration is 2 hours. Guided tour. yards. Parking is on a slope with steps below at Out-of-hours tours£. We can accept small groups the end of path. but the minimum group rate (for 15) will apply. Shop. Special interest tours Visit: average duration is 2 hours. Guided tour£. A gardener’s delight Out-of-hours tours£. Shop. Take a guided tour around the 18th-century Walled Garden with one of our gardeners to give Catering: riverside tea-room, assisted service, 50 you an informed visit to this plantsman’s delight. covers and additional open-air seating. Sorry, no Discover the working dovecote, the vegetable table reservations. plot, herb border and old varieties of espaliered fruit trees, best seen between May and August. Group admission: free, open access site.

Tour cost from £6.50 per person Duration 1 hour 30 minutes Flatford M T W T F S S 2 Jan–28 Feb 10:30–3:30 . . . . . S S The grand tour 2 Mar–27 Mar 10:30–5 . . W T F S S Take a guided tour of the 18th-century Hall. Find out 28 Mar–24 Apr 10:30–5 M T W T F S S about the original contents within, the families and 25 Apr–2 Oct 10:30–5:30 M T W T F S S characters who have lived here over the centuries 3 Oct–30 Oct 10:30–5 M T W T F S S and their treasures gathered on the Grand Tour. 2 Nov–23 Dec 10:30–3:30 . . W T F S S

Tour cost from £12.50 per person Access: 78 E F 4 g 4 5 D Duration 1 hour 30 minutes Bridge Cottage 1E Grounds 37 E

144 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 145 Contact: 01480 301494 [email protected] Houghton Mill and Coaches: drop-off point in Market Place. Important: coaches are not permitted in Mill Waterclose Meadows Street, impossible for coaches to manoeuvre along this street. Nearest parking in lay-by on Houghton, near Huntingdon, A1123 on St Ives side of Houghton. Cambridgeshire PE28 2AZ Visit: average duration is 1 hour 45 minutes. In a stunning riverside setting, surrounded by Guided tour. Out-of-hours tours. Shop. meadow walks, Houghton Mill is the oldest working watermill on the Great Ouse. There are Catering: tea-room, 30 covers, in delightful hands-on activities for all the family, as well as riverside setting. Breakfast on Sundays, 8:30 milling demonstrations, and you can buy our flour, to 10. Hot and cold lunches from 12 to 2:30, ground in the traditional way by our French burr afternoon teas until 5. millstones. Group admission: £4. What’s new in 2016? New visitor route and reception themed on the Artists’ school, members of the Glasgow Boys who painted here in the early Houghton Mill M T W T F S S 1900s. Camping pitches available for school/ Mill educational groups. 19 Mar–30 Oct 11–5 . . . . . S S 21 Mar–20 Jul 1–5 M T W . . . . 25 Jul–9 Sep 1–5 M T W T F . . 12 Sep–26 Oct 1–5 M T W . . . . Tea-room 2 Jan–13 Mar 10:30–4 . . . . . S S 19 Mar–27 Apr 10:30–5 M T W . . S S 30 Apr–31 Oct 10:30–5 M T W T F S S 5 Nov–18 Dec 10:30–4 . . . . . S S Garden best: all year. Open Bank Holiday Mondays and Good Friday, 11 to 5. Caravan and campsite: now National Trust, open 18 March Contact: 01284 736121 to 31 October (01480 466716). Car park: closes 8 or dusk if earlier. Ickworth [email protected] Access: 7F 4 E L G 4 5 The Rotunda, Horringer, , Coaches: coaches use main car park. Golf buggy Suffolk IP29 5QE service available in main season. Do not use Sat Building 31 E Grounds j Nav directions – map available in Ickworth guide Classical Italy brought to Suffolk. Close to Bury for groups, on request. St Edmunds, this estate reflects the Hervey Special interest tours family’s passion for everything Italian, influenced Visit: average duration is 4 hours 30 minutes. by their European grand tours. The Rotunda is Welcome to site. Guided tour£. Guided tours of Meet the millers tour a Neo-classical showcase, intended by the 4th the state rooms and basement available in the Speak to us about creating a fun visit for your Earl of Bristol to house treasures; indeed an mornings (not weekends, Bank Holidays or school school group or association. See the mill in action, extensive collection of silver contains the finest holidays). Garden and parkland tours most days experience the process of turning grain to flour examples by Huguenot silversmiths. Family on request. Shop. and flour to bread, or make the most of the history is documented in portraits by artists wonderful nature on our doorstep. such as Gainsborough and Reynolds, while in the Catering: West Wing café (licensed), 100 covers. basement, 1930s domestic service is portrayed Porter’s Lodge outdoor café, open-air seating for Tour cost from £5 per person through memories of former staff. The Italianate 60. Private dining option available and menus on Duration 1 hour garden mirrors the house architecture, with request with additional room hire fee. clipped hedges and Mediterranean planting, while an extensive Victorian stumpery, planted Group admission: £11. Park and gardens only with shade-loving ferns, creates an air of mystery. £5.50. Winter: park and gardens only £3.60. House Parkland walking and cycling routes have pastoral upgrade £5.50. views with ancient oaks. Note: accommodation and dining – Ickworth Hotel (part of the Luxury Family Hotel Group), 01284 735350.

146 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 147 Ickworth’s parkland Contact: 01787 247646 Ickworth M T W T F S S Ickworth has extensive 18th-century landscaped [email protected] House parkland with inspiring views, delightful woodland 5 Mar–30 Oct* 11–5 M T . T F S S and secret glades. Discover how a village was Lavenham Guildhall Coaches: no coach parking. Drop-off point 28 Mar–10 Apr* 11–5 M T W T F S S moved to build the magnificent Rotunda, how old outside Swan Hotel, 200 yards. Nearest coach 30 May–5 Jun* 11–5 M T W T F S S the trees are and the fascinating flora and fauna Market Place, Lavenham, Sudbury, parking: Church Street car park, 600 yards. 25 Jul–31 Aug* 11–5 M T W T F S S including nine species of bat. Suffolk CO10 9QZ 24 Oct–30 Oct* 11–5 M T W T F S S Visit: average duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. 5 Nov–18 Dec** 11–4 . . . . . S S Tour cost from £3 per person Set in the lovely village of Lavenham, the Guildhall Introductory talk£. Out-of-hours tours£. Shop. Shop and café Duration 45 minutes of Corpus Christi tells the story of one of the best- 1 Jan–4 Mar 10:30–4 M T W T F S S preserved and wealthiest towns in Tudor England. Catering: tea-room with assisted service, 45 5 Mar–30 Oct 10:30–5 M T W T F S S Life ‘below stairs’ When you step inside this fine timber-framed covers. Groups can reserve tables for morning 31 Oct–31 Dec 10:30–4 M T W T F S S Discover what life was really like in domestic building, you’ll feel the centuries melt away. You coffee. Plant and garden shop service in the 1930s. Wander through the restored can discover the stories of the people who have 5 Mar–30 Oct 11–5 M T W T F S S servants’ basement, discovering the innovations used the Guildhall through almost 500 years at Group admission: £5.25. 5 Nov–18 Dec 12–3 . . . . . S S in electricity, hot water and lighting. Follow in the heart of its community, and learn about the Porter’s Lodge outdoor café the footsteps of Mrs Sangster, the cook and men and women who have shaped the fortunes 2 Jan–18 Dec 10–4 . . . . . S S housekeeper for 50 years, who never shared her of this unique village. Then you can explore the Lavenham Guildhall M T W T F S S 5 Mar–30 Oct 10–5 M T W T F S S recipes. picturesque streets of Lavenham, lined with 9 Jan–6 Mar 11–4 . . . . . S S Italianate gardens, parkland, woods and children’s shops, galleries and more than 320 buildings of 7 Mar–30 Oct 11–5 M T W T F S S playground: open daily, 9 to 5:30 (dusk if earlier). *Access Tour cost from £3 per person historic interest. 3 Nov–23 Dec 11–4 . . . T F S S by tour only, 11 to 12 and 4 to 5 (except Bank Holidays). Duration 45 minutes Parts of the property close occasionally for community use. **Entrance hall and basement only open weekends in 2 to 4 December: Lavenham Christmas Fair (free). December. Last house entry 45 minutes before closing. Closed 25 December. Plant and garden shop may close earlier in winter. Porter’s Lodge outdoor café may close in Access: 84 g L 4 5 D Guildhall 01 adverse weather. Garden 01 Access: 78 E F 4 g 4 House 3l s233 West Wing 3l s233E Grounds 03 7 E Special interest tours

A walk around Lavenham Special interest tours Explore this remarkable Tudor village with a knowledgeable guide and learn about the A touch of classical Italy brought to Suffolk woollen-cloth industry that turned Lavenham Ickworth has the oldest Italianate garden in the into one of the richest towns in the country. The country. Unusually, the garden was designed by streets are lined with spectaular timber-framed the Hervey family inspired by their travels on the buildings and the tour includes a visit to the Grand Tour of Italy. Explore the clipped hedge Meet the Herveys church of St Peter and Paul. avenues and enjoy the Mediterranean scents Discover the extraordinary family who created arising from the planting. Ickworth over 500 years. Their fame and the Tour cost from £4.50 per person intrigue behind their story can be followed Duration 1 hour 15 minutes Tour cost from £3 per person through the fine collection of 18th- and 19th- Duration 45 minutes century portraits by artists such as Hogarth, Gainsborough, Reynolds and Romney. Ickworth – a glittering showcase A tour that follows the story behind this Tour cost from £3 per person extraordinary building. Discover the grand show Duration 45 minutes rooms and learn more about Ickworth’s Regency furniture, glittering chandeliers, impressive Whistle-stop tour New silverware, paintings by Old Masters and rare A quirky whistle-stop tour of the Rotunda taking porcelain. An intriguing glimpse into collecting in some of the more unusual features, stories, and craftsmanship that highlights one of the people and objects around this extraordinary finest collections in the Trust. house.

Tour cost from £3 per person Tour cost from £3 per person Duration 45 minutes Duration 30 minutes

148 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 149 Coaches: coaches use car park, 100 yards. Drop- off point outside house. Melford Hall Visit: average duration is 2 hours 30 minutes. Welcome to site. Introductory talk. Shop. Long Melford, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 9AA Catering: small tea-room, limited seating. Tea- There are many stories to discover in this eclectic rooms within easy reach in village. family home. Melford Hall has had its fair share of trials and tribulations, from being ransacked Group admission: £7.10. during the Civil War to being devastated by fire in 1942. It is thanks to the many generations who have left their mark that it continues to survive. Melford Hall M T W T F S S It remains the Hyde Parker’s much-loved family 23 Mar–30 Oct 12–5 . . W T F S S home and it is their stories of family life, from Open Bank Holiday Mondays. House: 12 to 1, entry by short naval exploits to visits from their cousin Beatrix taster tour, then free-flow. Gardens, tea-room and shop: fully open from 12. Potter, which makes this house more than mere bricks and mortar. Access: 78 F 4 g L 4 D U Garden best in: June–July. Building 03 s233E Grounds 03

What’s new in 2016? We are redeveloping the herbaceous borders on the west lawn to Special interest tours reproduce the look and feel of the garden as it was at the turn of the 20th century. An introduction to Melford Hall Melford Hall is a house of stories. This Contact: 01787 379228 introduction will help you explore Melford’s [email protected] transformation from hunting lodge to a wonderful family home. Hear all about its dramatic devastation in both 1642 and 1942, as well as how it has been host to both Queen Elizabeth I and Beatrix Potter. Visit: average duration is 3 hours. Introductory talk. Guided tour£. Self-guided tour, standard Tour cost free of charge routes (long distances), ferry access charge. Duration 15 minutes Orford Ness National Guided tour prices include ferry. Popular trailer tours are best group option, available April to June Hidden gems of Long Melford Nature Reserve and October. Groups 12 to 24, larger groups by Enjoy a guided walk around Long Melford, a arrangement. beautiful unspoilt village. Home to Melford Hall Orford Quay, Orford, Woodbridge, and the exquisite Holy Trinity church, the mile- Suffolk IP12 2NU Catering: no catering facility on site. Cafés, pubs long, picture-postcard village is the perfect place and a hotel restaurant in the village. for sightseeing followed by a spot of shopping This is Suffolk’s secret coast, only reached by in some of the fabulous shops, art galleries and National Trust ferry. Wild, remote and exposed, the Group admission: please contact for details. designer boutiques. ‘Island’ contains the ruined remnants of a disturbing past. Ranked among the most important shingle Tour cost from £5 per person features in the world, rare and fragile wildlife thrives Orford Ness M T W T F S S Duration 1 hour 20 minutes where weapons, including atomic bombs, were once 26 Mar–25 Jun 10–2 . . . . . S . tested and perfected. Note: limited tickets. Steep, 28 Jun–1 Oct 10–2 . T W T F S . Tailor-made talks slippery steps, long distances. Hazardous debris. 8 Oct–29 Oct 10–2 . . . . . S . There is much to admire at Melford Hall. The Limited access: ‘pagodas’ only on tours. Only access is by National Trust ferry from Orford Quay – elegant Elizabethan house has Regency, Georgian boats cross regularly between 10 and 2 only; last ferry leaves the Ness at 5. Main visitor trail (Red Route) always available, and Victorian rooms for lovers of period interiors Contact: 01394 450900 other routes open seasonally. and a proud nautical family history for those with [email protected] an interest in naval history. Talks can be designed Access: 8F E Buildings 0 s233Trails 0j to suit your group’s particular area of interest. Coaches: parking in Riverside Car Park, Quay Street. Pay and display (not National Trust), 150 yards to Tour cost from £3 per person ferry at Orford Quay. Allow time for ferry crossing, Duration 30 minutes 15 minutes each way per crossing (12 passengers).

150 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 151 Special interest tours

Blue Danube to brown hares Tour the main visitor trail with a ranger guide looking at the natural and military history. Discover how deadly weapons were tested on Orford Ness and how the habitats are now managed to encourage and preserve life. We also discuss how to balance the conservation needs of this complex site.

Tour cost from £13 per person Duration 3 hours

Coastal wildlife: marshes, mudflats and shingle Orford Ness ranks amongst the most significant shingle structures in the world and supports rare flora and fauna. Our rangers can tailor your tour to look at the various habitats on site that interest your group: grazing marsh, lagoons, reedmarsh, Secret site: a military history saltmarsh, mudflat, coastal vegetated shingle, or The birthplace of radar, Orford Ness was one of simply to bird watch. the most secret military test sites in the country. before entering house on most days. Shop. From the earliest development work on military Tour cost from £13 per person aviation in the First World War to environmental Catering: tea-room (licensed) in Old Kitchen, Duration 3 hours testing on Britain’s atomic weapons, discover assisted service, 50 covers. Out-of-hours catering how the site was at the cutting edge of weapons Oxburgh Hall available on request. Photography tours development. As a derelict former military test site, Orford Ness Oxborough, near Swaffham, Norfolk PE33 9PS Group admission: £8.40. Garden and estate only is dangerous and access is carefully managed Tour cost from £13 per person £4.60. for safety. Our photography guides will carefully Duration 3 hours No one forgets their first sight of Oxburgh. Built supervise your group to provide the maximum in 1482 by the Catholic Bedingfeld family, it is the possible access to get the pictures they desire. enduring legacy of their survival through turbulent Oxburgh Hall M T W T F S S Subject to guide availability, 6–12 persons. times. There are 500 years of history to explore Garden, shop and tea-room Charges reflect guiding requirement. and hidden doors, rooftop views and a secret 2 Jan–7 Feb 11–4 . . . . . S S priest’s hole to discover. Victorian Gothic interiors 13 Feb–21 Feb 11–4 M T W T F S S Tour cost from £50 per person reflect a romantic view of Oxburgh’s medieval 22 Feb–4 Mar 11–4 M T W . F S S Duration 6 hours past. The collections include embroideries worked House by Mary, Queen of Scots, and colourful wallpapers 13 Feb–21 Feb 12–3 M T W T F S S from the mid-19th century. The moated Hall is 22 Feb–4 Mar 12–3 M T W . F S S surrounded by nearly 28 hectares (70 acres), House, garden, shop and tea-room containing gardens with seasonal interest, streams 5 Mar–25 Mar* 11–5 M T W . F S S and woodland walks. Note: spiral staircase 26 Mar–10 Apr* 11–5 M T W T F S S unsuitable for visitors with limited mobility. Low 11 Apr–29 May* 11–5 M T W . F S S light levels in some rooms. 30 May–5 Jun* 11–5 M T W T F S S 6 Jun–17 Jul* 11–5 M T W . F S S Garden best in: February, May–August. 18 Jul–4 Sep* 11–5 M T W T F S S 5 Sep–2 Oct* 11–5 M T W . F S S Contact: 01366 328258 3 Oct–23 Oct* 11–4 M T W . F S S [email protected] 24 Oct–30 Oct* 11–4 M T W T F S S Garden, shop and tea-room Coaches: parking for 2 coaches, 20 yards from 5 Nov–18 Dec 11–4 . . . . . S S ticket office. *Admission to garden, shop and tea-room from 10:30.

Visit: average duration is 3 hours 30 minutes. Access: 7F 4 g E L G 4 Welcome to site. Guided tour. Out-of-hours Hall 03 s233E Chapel 3 tours£. On-board coach welcome must be Garden 1j E requested at time of booking. Introductory talk

152 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 153 Special interest tours

500 years in an hour and a half Take a trip back through the ages of this magnificent moated manor house, home to the Bedingfeld family since 1482. See Victorian family rooms and the medieval gatehouse where you can explore the secret priest’s hole and view the ‘Marian Hangings’, an exquisite display of 16th- century needlework.

Tour cost from £12 per person Duration 1 hour 30 minutes

A country house and garden Enjoy all of Oxburgh’s many delights on this comprehensive tour of the whole estate, including the spectacular medieval gatehouse, the impressive moat and manor house. The delightful grounds feature a French parterre and a kitchen garden. The collections in the house include 16th-century needlework and historic wallpaper samples.

Tour cost from £8 per person Duration 3 hours Specialist wallpaper Add another dimension to your house tour. Coaches: drop-off point 10 yards from entrance. Oxburgh has an amazing collection of historic Nearest parking for coaches, 500 yards in wallpaper samples. Now on display after many Harecroft Road car park, Sat Nav PE13 1RL. years in storage, you can learn the fascinating Peckover House history behind wallpaper and see samples on Visit: average duration is 2 hours 30 minutes. display as well as papers and leather wall-hangings and Garden Welcome to site. Introductory talk. Guided tour. in situ. Out-of-hours tours£. Shop. North Brink, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 1JR Tour cost from £12 per person Catering: tea-room (licensed), assisted service, Duration 1 hour 30 minutes While its riverside setting at Wisbech was popular 70 covers. Set menu and out-of-hours catering among merchants, imposing Peckover House available. Groups can reserve tables. The garden and estate stood apart as an oasis of calm, reflecting the Oxburgh’s attractive gardens feature a French Quaker way of life. As you wander through the Group admission: £7. Garden only £5. parterre, walled orchard and kitchen garden. But intimate rooms, you can imagine the family this is only part of the Oxburgh story; the estate is reading in the Library and talking with friends in much wider than its immediate formal landscape. the Drawing Room. The Peckovers were bankers Peckover House and Garden M T W T F S S Join a tour given by the outdoors team and and added a specially designed wing to the house; Garden, shop and tea-room* discover the intangible as well as the edible and an exhibition tells its story. They also loved their 16 Jan–21 Feb 12–4 . . . . . S S ornamental. garden, and you can discover its delights as you House, garden, shop and tea-room explore the unexpected 1-hectare (2½-acre), 27 Feb–20 Mar 11–5** M T W . . S S Tour cost from £8 per person discovering borders, summerhouses, an orangery 21 Mar–10 Apr 11–5** M T W T F S S Duration 1 hour 30 minutes and 60 varieties of rose. Note: Octavia Hill’s 11 Apr–26 Jun 11–5** M T W . . S S Birthplace House open opposite (not National 27 Jun–3 Jul 11–5** M T W T F S S Trust). Octavia Hill was co-founder of the Trust. 4 Jul–23 Oct 11–5** M T W . . S S 24 Oct–30 Oct 11–5** M T W T F S S Garden best in: May–July. 10 Dec–18 Dec 11–5 M T W T F S S *16 January to 21 February: admission to house at 2 by timed Contact: 01945 583463 conservation talk only. **House open 12 to 4. [email protected] Access: 8F 4 E L G 4 House 0E Garden 1j 7

154 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 155 Special interest tours

Behind the scenes This delightful Georgian brick town house, owned Sutton Hoo by a prominent Quaker banking family, was built around 1722. Join us on a guided tour of rooms in Tranmer House, Sutton Hoo, Woodbridge, the house not normally open to the public, from Suffolk IP12 3DJ the bank vault in the basement to the servants’ rooms right up on the roof. Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, the ship burial of an Anglo-Saxon king and Tour cost from £8 per person his extraordinary treasures were unearthed by Duration 1 hour 30 minutes archaeologist Basil Brown. These ancient graves kept their secrets for 1,300 years, but what was The garden at twilight found here changed our perceptions of the Visit one of the best town gardens in the country past for ever. The atmospheric burial mounds, on an enchanting private evening tour. The breathtaking replica treasures, original finds evening will begin with an informative guided tour and reconstruction of the king’s burial chamber and then wander at your leisure and enjoy the bring this fascinating story to life. Edith Pretty’s pretty 1-hectare (2½-acre) Victorian garden, with country house takes you back to that remarkable its orangery, summerhouses, croquet lawn and discovery, while relaxing in true 1930s style. Walks herbaceous borders. across this Anglo-Saxon landscape offer stunning views over the River Deben. Group admission: £7.15. Tour cost from £8 per person Duration 1 hour 30 minutes Contact: 01394 389700 [email protected] Sutton Hoo M T W T F S S 1 Jan–3 Jan 10:30–4 . . . . F S S The National Trust connection Coaches: parking for 4 coaches, 40 yards 9 Jan–7 Feb 10:30–4 . . . . . S S See two sites in one combined guided tour. Begin from entrance. Drop-off point near entrance by 13 Feb–30 Oct 10:30–5 M T W T F S S at Peckover House, exploring the Georgian town post box. 5 Nov–18 Dec 10:30–4 . . . . . S S house and the 1-hectare (2½-acre) garden, then 27 Dec–31 Dec 10:30–4 . T W T F S . cross the River Nene to Octavia Hill’s Birthplace Visit: average duration is 4 hours. Welcome to Estate walks open daily, 9 to 6 (except for some Thursdays, House, where there is a museum charting the site. Advance payment required for guided burial November to end January). work of this social pioneer and co-founder of the mound tour. 78 F 4 g E 4 5 National Trust. Access: Catering: contemporary café (licensed), Buildings 1E Grounds 3j 7 E Tour cost from £16 per person 80 covers with outside verandah, open all day. Duration 4 hours Light lunches are served 11:30 to 2:30. Special interest tours Twilight tour of the house and garden This private guided tour will lead you around this Burial mound tour elegant Georgian home, revealing the secrets The secrets of Sutton Hoo can now be unearthed of the remarkable Quaker family who lived here on this remarkable and exclusive bookable group for over 150 years, before taking you into the tour of a unique Anglo-Saxon burial ground. Let outstanding Victorian garden with its orangery, expert guides teach you about the importance summerhouses, roses and thatched barn. of ship burials, and how and why the fabulous treasures discovered here lay undisturbed for over Tour cost from £11 per person a thousand years. Duration 2 hours Tour cost from £2.50 per person Duration 1 hour 15 minutes

156 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 157 Group admission: £5.95. Catering: Old Rectory Restaurant (licensed), self- service, 90 covers and 120 outside. Farm Café and Stable Kitchen, also self-service. Wicken Fen National Wicken Fen M T W T F S S Wimpole Estate Reserve, visitor centre and shop Group admission: Wimpole Estate £15.30. Home Open all year 10–5 M T W T F S S Arrington, Royston, Cambridgeshire SG8 0BW Farm £9.35. Nature Reserve Café Lode Lane, Wicken, Ely, Cambridgeshire 1 Jan–14 Feb 10–4:30 . . W T F S S It will take at least a day to discover Wimpole’s 15 Feb–30 Oct 10–5 M T W T F S S acres of parkland, miles of walks, Walled Kitchen Wimpole Estate M T W T F S S With vast skies above flowering meadows, sedge 2 Nov–31 Dec 10–4:30 . . W T F S S Garden and Home Farm. There is also the Hall Garden, Old Rectory Restaurant and stable block and reedbeds, Wicken Fen is a window onto a Closed 25 December. Café open 26, 27 December. Access to to explore, where intimate rooms contrast with 1 Jan–12 Feb 11–4 M T W T F S S lost fenland landscape. A wealth of wildlife is at reserve dawn to dusk. Visitor centre closes dusk in winter. beautiful Georgian interiors. With its various 13 Feb–30 Oct 10–5 M T W T F S S home in this important wetland, including rarities 78 F 4 g E 5 D owners driven by passions and purposeful 31 Oct–31 Dec 11–4 M T W T F S S such as hen harriers and bitterns, numerous Access: agendas, Wimpole is both a place to escape to Home Farm and Farm Café dragonflies, moths and wildfowl. The landscape Building 1E Grounds 1E and a place to get involved. We continue the 3rd 2 Jan–7 Feb 11–4 . . . . . S S feels wild, though people have managed it Earl of Hardwicke’s passion for trail-blazing food 13 Feb–30 Oct 10:30–5 M T W T F S S for years, as revealed by the fenman’s yard, production and design, celebrating the estate’s 5 Nov–31 Dec 11–4 . . . . . S S windpump and cottage. The Wicken Fen Vision, an Special interest tours past magnificence and echoing Elsie Bambridge’s Hall ambitious landscape-scale conservation project, 20th-century revival. As owners changed, a roll- 13 Feb–30 Oct 11–5 M T W T . S S is opening up new areas for wildlife and for you A ranger’s view of the fens call of ingenious architects, artists and landscape Hall (guided basement tour) to explore. Grazing herds of Highland cattle and Discover from a ranger what’s involved in looking designers cultivated magnificence. Wimpole is 5 Nov–27 Nov 11–3 . . . . . S S Konik ponies help create a diverse range of new after a lost landscape. We manage the Sedge Fen an ‘all-year-round’ place to visit, reflecting the Park: open every day all year dawn to dusk. Hall: also open habitats. Note: some paths may be subject to as it has been for centuries; other parts of the fen changing seasons, with something to captivate Fridays in the school holidays. Home Farm: open 1 to 4 January and 27 to 31 December, daily, 11 to 4. Estate: closed seasonal closure. are at the cutting edge of nature conservation, and inspire all visitors. Note: no group rates on 25 and 26 December, except park and stable block (servery with new ways of safeguarding the species of this Sundays or Bank Holiday Mondays. and gift shops) open 26 December, 11 to 4. Bookshop as What’s new in 2016? A new hide overlooking precious wetland. Maximum 20 people. shop, but closed Monday mornings. Car park: open 7:30 tranquil Baker’s Fen. Garden best in: April–October. to 6:30. Tour cost from £40 per group 78 F 4 g E L 4 D Contact: 01353 720274 Duration 1 hour 30 minutes Contact: 01223 206007 Access: [email protected] [email protected] Hall 0E Farm 1E Gardens 1j 7 E Waterways and wildlife Coaches: coach parking in main car park, 120 A gentle boat ride through one of Britain’s oldest Coaches: coach parking on site, drop-off yards from entrance. nature reserves. Open boats were traditionally point 275 yards from hall, garden entrance and Special interest tours used to transport peat and sedge to surrounding restaurant. Visit: average duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. villages; today they provide a delightful way to Behind the garden wall Introductory talk. Guided tour£. Out-of-hours travel through the landscape and discover some Visit: average duration is 3 hours. Guided tour£. Shop. A delightful behind-the-scenes guided tour of tours£. Groups can arrange exclusive hire of boat of the secret wildlife that makes its home here. the gardens at Wimpole, including the walled for the ‘Waterways and wildlife’ tour. Shop. Maximum 12 people. kitchen garden, abundant with seasonal fruit and vegetables. You will be expertly guided by Catering: café overlooking the ancient fen, Tour cost from £5.50 per person the head gardener or an assistant, giving you the assisted service, 30 covers. Private room and out- Duration 1 hour opportunity to take a look at the magnificent of-hours catering available. glasshouse, bothy and compost area.

Tour cost from £8 per person Duration 1 hour 30 minutes

Highlights of Wimpole Hall A private guided tour of the ground floor of Wimpole Hall in the company of one of our expert guides, giving your group highlights of the history of Wimpole and its owners. Includes the option to return on a self-guided visit of the whole house later in the day.

Tour cost from £8 per person Duration 45 minutes

158 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 159 These properties have a limited offer for groups, but are well worth exploring for fascinating short visits that can be worked Elizabethan Grange Barn Hatfield Forest into your tour itinerary House Museum Grange Hill, Coggeshall, Colchester, near Bishop’s Stortford, Essex Essex CO6 1RE 4 South Quay, Great Yarmouth, When Henry I established a Royal Hunting Forest Norfolk NR30 2QH One of Europe’s oldest timber-framed buildings, here in 1100, he could little have guessed that Grange Barn stands as a lasting reminder of the almost a millennium later it would be the best Dunstable Downs and A 16th-century quayside home, set out to reflect once powerful Coggeshall Abbey. With oak pillars survivor of its kind in the world. The ancient trees day-to-day domestic life from Tudor to Victorian soaring up to a cathedral-like roof, bearing the are managed using traditional techniques and the Whipsnade Estate times. Note: managed by Norfolk Museums weight of centuries, this 13th-century building has the forest is home to more than 3,500 species Service. Discounted admission is available for truly stood the test of time. Note: group discount of wildlife, including fallow deer descended near Dunstable, Bedfordshire booked groups only. only applies if visit includes Paycocke’s House and from the original herd. You can walk across wide Garden on joint ticket. open plains, grazed by Red Poll cows, or enjoy ‘The Downs’ have so much to offer all year round. Contact: 01493 743943 family days out. With over 405 hectares (1,000 The best kite-flying and picnicking site for miles [email protected] Contact: 01376 562226 acres), there are many places for a spot of quiet around. A haven for wildlife; home to orchids, Time and Tide Museum, Blackfriars Road, Great [email protected] relaxation. Note: free access site, although butterflies, birds and much more. Enjoy the Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 3BX parking charge for coaches. ever-changing view from the Chilterns Gateway Coaches: no coach parking, drop-off point only. Centre with a refreshing drink or delicious meal. Coaches: no coach parking on site. For coach Private arrangement with nearby attraction Contact: 01279 870678 Note: Chilterns Gateway Centre is owned by parking information check online at great- for coach parking, small charge applies. Please [email protected] Central Bedfordshire Council and managed by yarmouth.co.uk/group-travel/coach-parking. contact Paycocke’s House for details. Hatfield Forest Estate Office, Takeley, Bishop’s the National Trust. Toilets available only when the Stortford, Hertfordshire CM22 6NE centre is open. Visit: average duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. Visit: introductory talk. Guided tour£. Large Guided tour£. Shop. groups will be divided between here and Coaches: coach parking, £25 per coach. Must Contact: 01582 500920 Paycocke’s. book 7 days before to guarantee parking space. [email protected] Catering: no catering on site. Refreshments are Caution: low bridge height 4.1 metres on Bush End available at Quayside Plaza (licensed), 50 covers, Catering: no catering on site. Take-away hot and road. Coaches: coach parking, 150 yards. Only available just a two-minute walk along South Quay. cold drinks, ice-creams available. by prior arrangement. Visit: average duration is 4 hours. Guided tour£. Group admission: £4.30. Group admission: group discount of 15% Groups welcome for self-led visits. Shop. Visit: group information pack available by request. only applies when purchasing a joint property Shop. admission ticket with Paycocke’s House and Catering: café (licensed), 150 covers Elizabethan House Museum M T W T F S S Garden. outdoors only, serving a range of hot and cold Catering: café, self-service, 60 covers, with open- 25 Mar–30 Oct 10–4 M T W T F . S refreshments. air seating for 160. Call to arrange catering, menu details and to reserve tables. Access: gE L G 4 Building 01 Grange Barn M T W T F S S Group admission: please contact for details. 16 Mar–25 Sep 11–4 . . W T F S S Group admission: please contact for details. 28 Sep–30 Oct 11–3 . . W T F S S Open Bank Holiday Mondays. Hatfield Forest M T W T F S S Countryside and kiosk car park Dunstable Downs Open every day all year Access: 7F Building 1 Grounds 1 Open all year M T W T F S Chilterns Gateway Centre: open 9:30 to 5 until November. S November to February closes at 4. Closed 24 and 25 Café December. Please contact the centre for extended opening 1 Jan–20 Mar 10–3:30 . . W T F S S times in July and August. 21 Mar–30 Oct 9–5 M T W T F S S . . Access: 7F 4 g 4 2 Nov–31 Dec 10–3:30 W T F S S Shell House and Elgin’s car park open 21 March to 30 Chilterns Gateway Centre 1E Dunstable Downs j October, 10 to 4:30, Monday to Friday, and 9 to 4:30, Saturday and Sunday (conditions permitting). Café closed 25 December. Shop closed 25 and 26 December.

Access: 7F 4 g 4 D Shell House 0 s233Forest j7 E

160 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 161 Group admission: please contact for details.

Sheringham Park M T W T F S S Paycocke’s House Shaw’s Corner Sheringham Park Park and Garden Ayot St Lawrence, near Welwyn, Upper Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8TL Open all year Dawn–dusk M T W T F S S Hertfordshire AL6 9BX Visitor centre and Courtyard Café 25 West Street, Coggeshall, Colchester, Using the undulating landscape laid down by 2 Jan–6 Mar 11–4 . . . . . S S Essex CO6 1NS You can follow in the footsteps of one of the glaciers 430,000 years ago, Humphry Repton 12 Mar–30 Oct 10–5 M T W T F S S world’s greatest playwrights, George Bernard created views of the North Norfolk coast that 5 Nov–31 Dec 11–4 . . . . . S S Exquisitely carved half-timbered Tudor cloth Shaw, as you explore his fascinating home and can still be enjoyed today. His 1812 design stated Courtyard Café open from 8:45 and visitor centre from 9:30 merchant’s house, with a beautiful and tranquil enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of his inspiring ‘Sheringham Park had more natural beauty and every Saturday. Visitor centre and Courtyard Café open daily 13 to 21 February and 28 to 31 December, 11 to 4. Closed 24 cottage garden. Visitors can follow the house’s garden. Note: access roads very narrow. advantages than any place he had ever seen’. The and 25 December. changing fortune, see how it was saved from Upcher family added an extensive rhododendron demolition and restored to its former glory. You Contact: 01438 820307 collection to Repton’s design, bringing an array of Access: 7E F 4 g 4 5 D can admire carved timbers, architectural features [email protected] colour to the wild garden in the spring. A walk may Building 1E Grounds 3j 7 E and discover details about Coggeshall White be interrupted by the drumming of a woodpecker, cloth. Note: toilet on first floor. Group discount Coaches: parking for minibuses only. No access for the song of skylarks as they spiral above you, or only applies if visiting nearby Coggeshall Grange coaches due to narrow lanes and small parking space. the sound of a steam train travelling through the Barn on joint ticket. park. Note: Sheringham Hall is privately occupied. Special interest tours Visit: average duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. April to September: limited access by written Garden best in: July–August. Welcome to site. Introductory talk. Booked appointment with leaseholder. Repton, rhododendrons and rare views group (8+) visits take place Thursday and Friday Enjoy coastal views from this famous park created What’s new in 2016? Art work exhibition. mornings. Shop. Garden best in: May–June. by landscape gardener Humphry Repton, and discover the extensive plant collection including Contact: 01376 561305 Catering: no catering on site, soft drinks and ice- Contact: 01263 820550 rhododendons whose peak flowering is in May [email protected] creams available in the garden. Call 01438 820250 [email protected] and June. Your guide will tell you all about the to arrange catering at nearby Brocket Arms public history of the park and how the plant collection Coaches: coaches can drop off outside. Private house (not National Trust), 500 yards. Coaches: limited coach parking, no charge. became established here. coach parking arrangement with nearby attraction, small charge applies. Please call for Group admission: £6.50 (groups 10+). Visit: shop. Tour cost from £4.40 per person details. Duration 1 hour Catering: Courtyard Café, counter service, 60 Visit: introductory talk. Small place with limited Shaw’s Corner M T W T F S S covers all outside (30 under cover). Sorry, no table number of visitors at a time, large groups split 25 Mar–30 Oct 12–5 . . W T F S S reservations. Cream teas or packed lunches can be between here and Coggeshall Grange Barn. Shop. Open Bank Holiday Mondays. provided by prior arrangement.

Catering: coffee shop serves cream teas, cakes, Access: 7L 4 5 D ice-creams and soft drinks. House 03 s233E Grounds 03 E

Group admission: 15% discount applies to groups when purchasing a joint ticket to visit both Paycocke’s House & Garden and Grange Barn.

Paycocke’s M T W T F S S 16 Mar–30 Oct 11–5* . . W T F S S *Garden open 10:30 to 5; coffee shop open 11 to 4:30. Open Bank Holiday Mondays.

Access: 84 g L 4 Building 0 Grounds 01

162 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places nationaltrust.org.uk/groups 163 The Textile Theatre Royal Bury Conservation Studio St Edmunds Malthouse Barn, The Street, Oulton, Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Norfolk NR11 6AF Suffolk IP33 1QR

Founded in 1976, the Textile Conservation Grade I listed theatre, one of the country’s most Studio is the National Trust’s only conservation significant theatre buildings and the only surviving treatment facility. Regency playhouse in Britain. Note: managed by Bury St Edmunds Theatre Management Contact: 01263 735878 Ltd. Groups (10+) are offered a discount for [email protected] performances.

Coaches: coach parking nearby, 50 yards. Contact: 01284 829931 [email protected] Visit: average duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. Welcome to site. Guided tour. Only 6 tours per Coaches: parking for one coach on the Theatre’s season, early booking recommended. No more forecourt for daytime tours. than 25 per tour, larger number can divide to visit Blickling Hall. Visit: guided tour. Shop.

Catering: nearest catering at Blickling Hall. Catering: bar facilities are available one hour before performances. Alternative catering for Group admission: please contact for details. groups is available by prior arrangement.

Group admission: please contact for details. The Textile Conservation Studio Open for group tours only. The studio is closed Bank Holidays. Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds M T W T F S S 3 Feb–12 Nov* 10:30–12:30 . . W T . S . Access: Main workroom 3 Guided tours at 11 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Mezzanine workroom 0 Saturdays. *May close occasionally as a working theatre (please telephone before visiting). 8F 4 03 Special interest tours Access: Building A stitch in time Special interest tours Take a really close look at the challenges involved in the intricate conservation work required Theatre tours for historic textiles. The team of professional This illuminating tour will take you on a journey conservators will answer questions on how they into the history of the last surviving Regency use a combination of sophisticated modern playhouse in the country – from the theatre’s technology and old-fashioned needlework skills beginnings to the present day. Stimulate your to bring textiles back to life. senses, explore backstage and on stage with an expert heritage guide, in a 200-year voyage of Tour cost from £250 per group discovery. From country estates to Midlands Duration 1 hour 30 minutes Tour cost from £5.50 per person urban history, ‘Capability’ Duration 1 hour 15 minutes Brown’s pleasure grounds to rugged landscapes, art and fine furniture

164 Please book all group visits, tours and catering direct with our places 165