National Trust - Antony — Attraction in Antony

A really intriguing place, which we're fortunate to not live too far from. I must say the warm welcome we received both on arrival and once inside the house, was exceptional. The first few volunteers on the ground floor (2 men, was and a lady who's first day it was at the job) really were incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and talkative with my family and I. We really did appreciate their knowledge and time spent with us. My stepdaughters, in particular, certainly learnt a lot!

The house has a lovely feel, possibly from the fact that it is very much lived in and loved. We adored the little touches here and there, from the youngest occupants!

The only slight negatives from the day was the fact that we walked all the way down to the woodland walk, only to discover it was locked but no instruction was given verbally or on the map handed to us. Plus the cafe and shop was shut, which was a great shame, meaning we had to bring a flask and nibbles and have them in the wind and rain. Not the end of the world but whilst so many are extending their holidays this year, perhaps it was short-sighted to close the cafe so early in the season (19 Oct 21)?

We very much look forward to returning next year and exploring the grounds further. There's still lots to see!

Again, many thanks to the exceptional volunteers...

Delightful National Trust house with rich, and ongoing family history. Enjoy the gardens close to the house, which include new sculptures purchased by the family, or the more extensive grounds. The house is only open afternoons - and not every day - but it's a nice 30-45 minute self-paced tour with welcoming room guides. There's a dress-up room for kids too! The family still live in the house, hence the abbreviated opening hours compared to many NT houses - but it gives the place a an up-to-date feel as well as being historical. The family support the arts and the modern pieces in the house are well worth your attention. As usual the cafe serves the usual range of NT light lunches and teas, and there are several varying places to sit and enjoy your food - check out the story of the place in the lower sitting area (nearest the house once you've gathered your food at the counter). This is one of our regular stops every time we are...

A little disappointing. We are NT members, so it doesn't cost us anything to get in. We didn't go into the house, we did that some years ago and you can't see much as the house is still lived in, I'm sure that with Covid restrictions you can see even less. We were more interested in the grounds, which were lovely, especially the autumn colours. However the walks we were intending to do, the woodland and river walks, are no longer accessable. There is a cheerful notice saying that these walks are still accessable via Ferry Lane, so we walked down Ferry Lane, it's not far. What the cheerful notice didn't say is that even NT members must pay an additional £8 a head (or £30 a year) for the privilege. We don't know when the change happened, we haven't visited for a few years, but we would have been disappointed if we had paid the entrance fee for walks that are no longer accessable via...