National Trust - Wimpole Estate
National Trust - Wimpole Estate things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Near London | Great Spots for Mansions, Farms, and Family Outings 🏡
Mia JonesMia Jones
402
Wimpole Estate, located in the heart of Cambridgeshire, is a captivating destination that combines history, nature, and family-friendly activities. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a nature lover, or simply looking for a beautiful day out, this National Trust property offers something for everyone. The Wimpole Hall, an elegant 17th-century mansion, is the estate’s crown jewel. It showcases beautifully preserved rooms filled with art, fine furniture, and stunning architecture. The knowledgeable staff offers engaging insights into the lives of its former inhabitants, adding depth to the experience. The Victorian walled garden and extensive grounds surrounding the hall are impeccably maintained, providing a serene setting for leisurely walks. One of the estate's highlights is its working farm, which is perfect for families. Children and adults alike can interact with a variety of animals, from pigs to rare-breed sheep, and explore the farmyard. Seasonal activities, such as lambing in the spring, make it a vibrant and educational experience. Nature enthusiasts will also appreciate the extensive woodland trails and scenic parkland. The landscape is beautifully diverse, offering lovely walks through rolling hills, tranquil lakes, and mature woodlands. The views from the estate are breathtaking, especially when reaching the folly that sits on a hill overlooking the entire property. The estate is well-equipped with amenities, including a café serving local produce, picnic spots, and a well-stocked gift shop. It’s easy to spend an entire day here, with plenty of spaces to relax, enjoy nature, or immerse yourself in history. Overall, Wimpole Estate is highly recommended for a peaceful yet enriching visit. Whether you're after a scenic country escape, a history lesson, or a fun family outing, Wimpole Estate will not disappoint.
Paulius MeskinisPaulius Meskinis
00
The amazing Wimpole Estate, a working farm is set in some 3,000 acres and contains Cambridgeshire’s largest stately home. Some of its many owners include novelist Rudyard Kipling, whose daughter Elsie Bambridge bequeathed the Estate and its contents to the National Trust upon her death in 1976. The house dates back to 1640 and has 3 floors, The Ground Floor, Basement and The First Floor, which unfortunately was not open to the public on the day I visited. Although the house has many highlights, for example the Library and Book Room containing over 10,000 books, the standout for me was the Yellow Drawing Room, an enormous but delicate parachute-like canopy providing a soaring space in the centre of the house. As well as the house the massive Estate includes the Stable Block which contains a second-hand book shop, Shop & Plant Centre and a Café. There is also the Old Rectory Restaurant, The Folly, The Walled Garden, Home Farm with various rare breeds, parkland, St Andrew’s Church, lakes and picnic areas. Various events are held on the Estate such as Shire Horse Experience Days, Guided Walks and Outdoor Plays & Folk Music. The Estate welcomes dogs but they must be on short leads throughout the parkland, in the visitor welcome building, outside on the terrace at the Old Rectory Restaurant and both indoors and outdoors at the Stables Cafe. Only assistance dogs are permitted in the Hall, Gardens, Home Farm and indoors at the Old Rectory Restaurant. It is well worth a visit!
Edward BullockEdward Bullock
10
A great national trust property with plenty to see & do! We loved exploring the Wimpole Estate, the house is incredible. The volunteers inside were knowledgeable, friendly & approachable. The cafe was great, the staff did an awesome job of managing a queue out of the door and served fresh tasty food in good time. Honestly blown away with how well they handled the pressure of a busy lunchtime service. The soup and beetroot hotpot was great! The coffee was a little bitter for my liking, but I know that’s probably personal taste. The grounds were so lovely to wander around & the staff were helpful with access (I was using a crutch to aid mobility). We utilised the electric car charging point in the carpark, which was fine, phone signal was patchy so downloading and setting up a new app was a challenge, but we got it working & managed to fully charge whilst we were exploring. I would recommend downloading the ChargePoint app ahead of time. My only real point of feedback would be to install public access WiFi, ideally at the visitor centre to aid connecting the electric car charging & anything else needed for entry. And/or in the cafe(s) so we can use the internet during our stay, mobile signal is pretty poor so having wifi makes the site ultimately more accessible. I needed to hop onto a call whilst at the property and struggled to find somewhere to do so.
R PittR Pitt
00
This is the first time I’ve been here - saw Aynsley on TV! I am a National trust member so entry was ok. I found it interesting walking around the gardens. They are still renovating so some areas are not maximised to potential. Looking forward to seeing these areas when finished. We didn’t see the house as it wasn’t open when we got there, so focused on the gardens. The old kitchen garden was immense and had many areas full of vegetables and fruit. It’s a shame there was no one about in the garden to talk to or more boards explaining how it used to look, the layout and crop rotation, etc. On the day we went the stable yard cafe was closed which then put a strain on the Rectory restaurant and queues. The thing that could be improved… we had seen notices and the produce in the walled garden … about how they cooked with the produce in the restaurant. When we got there there wasn’t much if anything from the garden. The main thing they had was jacket potatoes with beans or cheese - fine for autumn or winter perhaps but it would have been nice to see dishes prepared with items from the garden - quiche and salad, etc or maybe some of the dishes from the tv show filmed there which used produce from the garden. I will come back as I loved the gardens and grounds. Maybe next time I’ll look at the house too.
Andrew SykesAndrew Sykes
10
Huge property with a rich history. After becoming very run down it was purchased in the 1930's by Elsie Banbridge , the daughter of author Rudyard Kipling and her husband. Her husband passed away soon after but Elsie spent around 40 years in the house and restored it to its former glory. The rooms are beautiful and there are many art works and artifacts inside. Visitors can enjoy two floors of rooms.. The property now belongs to the National Trust. Members park and enter for free, for non members entry is payable. As you tour the house,volunteer room guides are on hand and are always very helpful and informative, often being able to paint a picture of what life was like for the inhabitants of the house. The estate is huge with a walked garden and wider country side. There is also a working farm with rare breeds of pigs sheep and cattle as well as horses and smaller animals that kids will love. The estate also has its own church where services still take place a few times each month. There are tea rooms on site, a National Trust shop and a great second hand bookshop where you can easily find a bargain read. There are toilets on site too. You will need at least four hours here but it would be easy to spend all day
W W HoweW W Howe
00
Nearby Attractions Of National Trust - Wimpole Estate
Wimpole Home Farm
Wimpole Home Farm
4.6
(1.1K)
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Nearby Restaurants Of National Trust - Wimpole Estate
Old Rectory Restaurant
Old Rectory Restaurant
3.8
(32)
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Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
Wimpole Estate, Arrington, Royston SG8 0BW, United Kingdom
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Phone
+44 1223 206000
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Website
nationaltrust.org.uk
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Reviews
Overview
4.6
(3K reviews)$$
Ratings & Description
cultural
outdoor
family friendly
pet friendly
Description
Wimpole Estate is a large estate containing Wimpole Hall, a country house located within the civil parish of Wimpole, Cambridgeshire, England, about 8+1⁄2 miles southwest of Cambridge. The house, begun in 1640, and its 3,000 acres of parkland and farmland are owned by the National Trust.
attractions: Wimpole Home Farm, restaurants: Old Rectory Restaurant
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