• Sandham Memorial Chapel and Stanley Spencer's paintings
    Family Life - Hampshire

    Sandham Memorial Chapel and Stanley Spencer’s paintings

    May 12, 2019 - By 

    When we returned from our week in Devon we decided to stop off at the Sandham Memorial Chapel. We are National Trust members and I really want to get our money’s worth and visit as many properties as we can this year. The Sandham Memorial Chapel was halfway on our journey home, so we decided to stop for a picnic and explore the Chapel and paintings of Stanley Spencer. Sandham Memorial Chapel and Stanley Spencer’s paintings “They don’t like war pictures, they rather look like Heaven …” Nestled in a quiet corner of Hampshire, Sandham Memorial Chapel hides an unexpected…

  • A visit to Bradley Manor House, Newton Abbot
    Devon - Family Life

    A visit to Bradley Manor House, Newton Abbot

    May 5, 2019 - By 

    Although we’re frequent visitors to Devon there are still lots of places we want to visit. On our most recent trip we wanted to use our National Trust membership to visit both Bradley Manor House and Compton Castle. We packed a picnic and headed off to Newton Abbot for our day out. A visit to Bradley Manor House, Newton Abbot Bradley Manor House is a surprisingly complete medieval manor set in lovely woodland minutes from the centre of Newton Abbot. The house contains a collection of Arts and Crafts furniture and Pre-Raphaelite paintings. The earliest part of the house dates…

  • An Easter Egg Hunt at NT Compton Castle
    Devon - Family Life

    An Easter Egg Hunt at NT Compton Castle

    April 19, 2019 - By 

    It doesn’t seem to be the Easter holidays unless we visit a NT property and take part in an Easter Egg Hunt. This year we found ourselves near to Compton Castle in Devon. As the property is still lived in the opening hours are limited. Luckily we managed to visit on a day it was open and were delighted to find they were running a Cadbury’s Easter Egg Hunt for the children. NT Compton Castle Compton Castle calls itself a fortified manor house but it is so much more than that! Nestled amongst the hills of south Devon you suddenly…

  • Hunting snowdrops at Cliveden
    Buckinghamshire - Family Life

    Hunting snowdrops at Cliveden

    March 24, 2019 - By 

    A few weeks ago (this year is really flying by!) we decided to re-visit Cliveden, a local NT property. Cliveden has a wonderful history. The house itself is currently a private hotel so there is limited access, but you can explore the estate which consists of formal gardens and woodland walks, as well as the maze and Storybook Play Den for the kids. We knew it was a lovely place for seeing snowdrops too and there was plenty to do for the whole family. Whilst we were there we re-joined the NT so are looking forward to lots more lovely…

  • 9 places to visit around Bradford-on-Avon with kids
    days out - Family Life - Wiltshire

    9 places to visit around Bradford-on-Avon with kids

    May 26, 2018 - By 

    Half term just isn’t half term without a visit to family in Wiltshire. We’re really lucky that my mum lives in a sweet little Wiltshire village, close to the border with Somerset, and within easy access to some lovely family-friendly days out. If you’re looking for days out with the kids around Bradford-on-Avon then here are 9 places to visit around Bradford-on-Avon with kids. 9 places to visit around Bradford-on-Avon with kids Bradford on Avon Tithe Barn This is a spectacular 14th century monastic stone barn, 51 metres long, with an amazing timber cruck roof. It’s well worth a visit,…

  • A day out at Barrington Court Somerset
    Family Life - National Trust - Somerset

    A day out at Barrington Court Somerset

    January 16, 2018 - By 

    Between Christmas and New Year we travelled a lot of miles to see family and friends. We had to plan places to stop to break up the journey and picked Barrington Court in Somerset. It’s owned by the National Trust so was free for us as we are members. A day out at Barrington Court Somerset Barrington Court has the honour of being the first house acquired by the National Trust, in 1907. It’s a beautiful Tudor manor house begun around 1538 and completed in the late 1550s, with a vernacular stable court (dated 1675). It was almost derelict when it was acquired by…

  • The Courts Garden, Holt
    days out - National Trust - parenting

    The Courts Garden, Holt

    August 16, 2017 - By 

    We’ve had some amazing days out recently. Whilst we were away in Wiltshire we visited the beautiful gardens at The Courts in Holt near Bradford upon Avon. This place has been on our list for ages so I was really happy that we finally managed to visit. As I get older(!) I find I appreciate gardens a lot more than I used to. My children seem to enjoy the gardens more than looking round historic houses, and since the National Trust provide so much for children to do, I knew we would all enjoy ourselves. Holt is a small village…

  • Mottisfont House and Gardens
    days out - Hampshire - National Trust - parenting

    A day at Mottisfont House and Gardens

    July 1, 2017 - By 

    A few weekends ago we met up with some friends at Mottisfont House and Gardens in Hampshire. Entry was free with our National Trust membership cards and we had a great day out exploring the house and gardens. The weather wasn’t great (ok, it rained on and off all day) but it didn’t stop us from spending an insane amount of time outside. Mottisfont House is a former Augustinian priory set beside the River Test with an amazing park and garden. The park has ancient trees and an eighteenth century summer house. The Lime Walk was designed by Geoffrey Jellicoe…

  • A visit to Great Chalfield Manor and Gardens with kids
    days out - holidays - Local Review - Wiltshire

    A visit to Great Chalfield Manor and Gardens with kids

    May 24, 2017 - By 

    I can’t quite believe it’s half term next week. The last few weeks have flown by and I haven’t written half the posts I wanted to about our Easter holiday adventures! We’re off to Wiltshire for a few days over half term. On our last visit we were lucky to visit Great Chalfield Manor and Gardens, a charming 15th-century manor house with Arts and Crafts garden, near Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire. Entrance to the manor is by guided tour only. Unfortunately we were unable to get tickets for the house so had to be satisfied with the gardens. Fortunately they…