Wentworth Woodhouse — Attraction in Rotherham

Garden visit only.

Looking at Wentworth Woodhouse without the rose tint created by the mythology built up by Black Diamonds, and the good work being done by WWPT, I feel three stars is charitable, but that maybe my review is itself dictated by the fact we only visited the gardens today.

The positives are first and foremost that the fee for entry is going towards preserving an important historical landmark. Secondly, the staff were extremely pleasant and welcoming- I am guessing the majority are volunteers and passionate about the project. Thirdly, the site was extremely dog-tolerant to the point of allowing dogs into the house itself, to get to the cafe and the gardens in a way that would make the National Trusts head spin but for us, makes the site incredibly accessible. Finally, its a sight to behold- an absolute behemoth of a house with some pretty amazing views from the gardens across the county of Rotherham, its really something worth seeing if you're in the area.

On the downside: For the garden, that price for entry may be for a good cause but I would not describe it as well spent. The garden was dull compared to what you can see close by - its parkland with some sheltered walkways - not much in the way of curated planting or design or work appearing to be going on- being absolutely honest I think without knowing the area and the history, I'd be pretty annoyed at the price we paid for entry. Secondly, access to the house can be made by car, down the drive which paints a spectacular sight as the house comes into view, but don't spend too much time looking, or else you might well plough into the pedestrians or the oncoming traffic who are vying to use the same narrow track to enter or leave the site. It felt at little hazardous to other guests who had chosen to walk down on foot - I would suggest either its in desperate need of a footpath or the car part relocating closer to the entrance (would be my preference, would make the reveal of the house, that much better) but I feel its one Colin McCrae wannabe away from an accident. Thirdly, and linked to the last point, the signage is poor on site. For the drive down, leaving the site, signs indicate incoming traffic give way to traffic leaving the site. That is made clear when you're leaving but not when you are coming in leading to some confusion with other motorists.....maybe its there and I just missed it? Possible, but there's more signage issues yet! The turning on to the site could also be clearer maybe with a sign further down the road to differentiate itself from the garden centre around the corner. Once parked up, it also took us a little time to work out how to get to the gardens. Assuming we wouldn't be allowed to take the dogs into the house, we stood confusedly outside the house until a good natured volunteer set us straight. Then again, once in the house, it took another volunteer to direct us though a door that led through the back of the house to the gardens. An arrow or two would have really helped. Finally, we got stuck in the mud in the car park on the way out. Now, that's not the problem - knowing my car well, I should have known parking on even slightly wet grass was a bad move, but there were no other spaces on the gravel left and c'est la vie. The issue was, knowing we were stuck, a volunteer/staff member in the car park stood on and watched as we transformed a wet patch of grass into a Glastonbury 2007 re-enactment offering absolutely no help or guidance as to how to extricate ourselves from the predicament but kindly offering that "it'll be alright" and watching as the car buried itself like some kind of tax evasion attempt. Asking if perhaps they had some matting or something we could slip under the wheels to get some grip, the reply came "use your own mats." Still, much genuine thanks is owed to another visitor who came to our aid and gave us a good shove needed to achieve a little grip or else I'd likely still be writing this review in the mud...with an excellent view of the...

I took a group of people to visit Wentworth Woodhouse. The group were Members who are visually impaired from a vision support group that I work for. I pre-arranged the visit with Wentworth. From the moment we arrived, I was driving a minibus, we were greeted by Charles - Volunteer who was on car parking duties. He directed me to take the minibus to the front of the Mansion as some of my group had mobility issues too. Another lovely volunteer Carol greeted us at the steps and assisted my group into reception whilst I went back to park up. The member of staff on Reception Emily and another lady (forgot to get her name) were super with us and had us sorted with wrist bands and entry into the Mansion in no time at all. I had arranged for a tour of the house at 1.15pm. We all had morning coffee in the Butlers pantry which was excellent with a lovely selection of cakes, teas and coffees and very reasonably priced too. Four of the group went back at lunch time to eat and again Carol - Volunteer assisted them by reading the menu as they were all severely sight impaired, took their orders and brought the food to the table. This was amazing and that group were really grateful for the assistance from all in the Butlers pantry. Some of us went off around the grounds and that was great with some interactive musical structures which we all enjoyed. The bamboo woven sculptures were impressive along with the bordered Garden. We all arrived back in the main entrance for our tour. Valerie - volunteer along with Sharon - volunteer took us around the Mansion. Valerie was super amazing as we also had two severely sighted plus hard of hearing Members and Valerie purposely put them right next to her whilst she was talking and made sure we were in a quieter area to talk to us. The whole group were very pleased with Valerie's diction as there heard ever word. Also Valerie, where possible allowed the Members to feel some of the decorative features on the fire places and radiator covers. She described the walls and the frescos and paintings meticulously and also made the descriptions humourous too by the way she explained what was going on in the scenes. The history of the Mansion and the statistics were fascinating. It was even a P.E. college for ladies and one of our Volunteers at Vision Support attended hear and Our group was super pleased to hear more about this and shared with Valerie about our Volunteer. Our group were super pleased with this whole visit and I can honestly say, it is one of the best places we have been and treated so well. We all can't thank the staff and volunteers enough. Even as we were leaving, Alison the Volunteer Manager arranged for me be picked up outside the Mansion steps by the car park shuttle bus and taken to get the minibus whilst she and Carol - volunteer looked after the group assisting them down the steps ready for me pick them up. I would highly recommend a visit to Wentworth Woodhouse and if you or your group have any disabilities, ring up and discuss it with the Staff and you will be treated very well. Once again thank you so much for a wonderful day. Sue R - Vision...

I'll get straight to the point here - Don't underestimate how amazing Wentworth Woodhouse is. I shouldn't compare, but after visiting Chatsworth, last week and being impressed, I thought this might fall flat. I was so wrong-  it offered something totally different, with much more heart, story, creativity and far less crowds. It was an all together less commercial and much magical experience. And while I'm comparing these Christmas experiences- it's  also half the price, making it much more affordable.

🥀🏛️🕯️🎄Wentworth Woodhouse is a beautiful historic Statley home nestled amidst the rolling hills of South Yorkshire, with the longest facade of any stately home in the UK. For their festive experience, Many of their stunning rooms are dressed up to tell the story of restoration the house has experienced told through a christmassy theme featuring elements from Beauty and the beast. It's absolutely magical, and the creativity wowed me. The house tells you it's story as the beauty unfolds.

✨After a tour of the house, it's out into the frosty beautiful gardens for a twinkly and magical light trail walk which is just the right length to amaze but not exhaust. 🌭☕ There's huts to buy delicious food like nachos, hot dogs and pie and peas. There are also sweet treats, and hot drinks to keep you warm like mulled wine and the most amazing build your own hot chocolates.

🚂There is a miniature steam train that goes round a track and the 4 of us found it far too much fun and giggled like kids all the way round, in may case thanks to the mulled wine.

Wentworth Woodhouse has something to offer everyone, and isn't just for Chrismas! With its captivating blend of history, stunning grounds beauty, and right now- festive charm, this stately home is a must-visit destination. It's run through a lot of hard graft and dedication and is a registered charity. Volunteers are slowly restoring this beautiful piece of history back to its former glory alongside development of its uses and projects which promise very exciting things for the future. They are well worth supporting.

They have fantastic events all year round such as their afternoon tea experience, concerts, murder mystery nights , dinners and foodie events, a variety of tours, quiz nights and a cafe and gift shop, and you can even get married here. Check their website out for more information or to book the festive experience which is on until 7th Jan.

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