A Day Out at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire

Jess, aged 13, writes: Yesterday, our family had a great time visiting Waddesdon Manor near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire. Waddesdon is only about an hour and a half drive away from London, and we drove through picturesque countryside on the way. The Manor is a French Renaissance-style chateau built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874, and is utterly magnificent. It really is unlike any house you would generally find in England, and the inside looks just as good (if not even better) as the outside. Normally, the entire house is open to visitors, but it has been specially done up for the holiday season.

[caption id="attachment_2097" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Waddesdon Manor looks amazing from the outside[/caption]

Robert, who is 10, says: As it is December (the month of many festivals), all the rooms and exhibitions in the parts of the Manor open to the public were on the topic of light and legends. We learnt about the Greek and Roman gods of the sun and moon, about all the celebrations going on around that time like Diwali or Chanukah and beautiful things like the Northern Lights. All the rooms were beautifully decorated. They connected to the topic of the room and contained amazing artefacts such as detailed crockery, jewels and swords. There were also some amazing paintings.

[caption id="attachment_2098" align="alignnone" width="1200"] We loved exploring the Manor: seeing the brilliant artwork, learning about different religions and seeing important rooms in the house[/caption]

I especially loved the section on Peter Pan as it had a model of London in a bathtub with the children and Peter flying above. I also really liked the exit staircase which showed how light was important to Buddhism. The whole thing was really well made; there wasn’t too much writing about each room so everyone could understand everything, and there was a perfect contrast between the objects on light and things from the actual house. I loved it.

Jess: Although mum and I would have liked more information about the actual house (we may have to go back another time), there were lots of volunteers available to answer any of our questions. Everyone was kind and friendly, which made our experience really pleasant and interesting. 

[caption id="attachment_2099" align="alignnone" width="1200"] Scrumptious apple and parsnip soup - lunch was amazing![/caption]

After looking around the house, it was time for another highly anticipated part of the day - lunch! There are a few places to eat in Waddesdon Manor, and we went to the restaurant. It was very posh food, so I was really excited to try it. I ordered a fizzy rose drink, apple and parsnip soup, salmon with potatoes, sauce, and vegetables, Christmas pudding, and sorbet. It was a very indulgent lunch, and it was absolutely delicious! There was a lot of choice, and the chefs were able to change their recipes to ensure that Robert (who has lots of allergies) could still eat them. This was lovely. There are also other places to eat, where you can buy burgers or sandwiches.

[caption id="attachment_2100" align="alignnone" width="1200"] In front of the Manor's stables[/caption]

Next, we took a walk around the site, which is over 2,000 acres, and went down a lovely path to the Stables, where there were lots of Christmas activities (such as bauble decorating) taking place. We took time to admire the Manor and the countryside, and I know it must have looked magnificent in sunnier weather. If we had stayed longer, we could have seen winter lights illuminating the Manor, which would have been really nice, as there is a light show, Transformation, projected on the front of the House.

[caption id="attachment_2103" align="alignnone" width="778"] The wonderful Peter Pan scene in a bathtub! (©National Trust Waddesdon Manor, Mike Fear)[/caption]

Robert: The two shops in Waddesdon Manor, one in the house the other in the stables, were both packed with brilliant souvenirs. As well as postcards and notepads were Christmas decorations, books, toys and sweets. At the end I came away with a squishy dog toy while Jess brought some pear drops. On top of that there was an adventure playground (for years nine and under) plus a power house. This was where all the electricity used to be generated and now shows videos of different art and light experiments at Waddesdon Manor over the years.

Jess: In conclusion, we had a fantastic day visiting Waddesdon Manor. It was great to get away from the city and into the countryside, and I loved looking around the house and seeing the brilliant pieces of art inside. The food was delicious, the house was really well done, everyone was friendly, and there was a lot to see and do. What a brilliant way to round off 2015!

An adult ticket to Waddesdon Manor is £16.20, and a child ticket is £8.10. A family ticket is £40.50, and for full details on prices, please click here. We were given free tickets and a complimentary lunch to write about the Manor, but all views and opinions are our own. A two course Christmas lunch costs £21.50.

Sarah says: If you're looking for someone lovely to go over the Christmas holidays, or the next few weeks, Waddesdon is open every Friday, Saturday & Sunday from 20th November to 3rd January (not Christmas Day and Boxing day), with the decorated rooms in the House and the Gardens, shops and wine cellars open later until 7pm. Waddesdon is therefore open on Sunday 27th, Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th December and we'd definitely recommend a trip!

Looking slightly further ahead, the gardens, woodland playground, shop and Stables Café are open at weekends only from 9 January – 20 March inclusive and throughout half term 13-21 February. Both House and gardens reopen for the new season from Wed 23 March 2016.

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Burghley House, by Robert

My family and I went to Lord Burghley's house in Stamford in Lincolnshire. It was built by William Cecil (Lord Burghley) who was one of the most important advisors to Queen Elizabeth I in the 16^th century. It is absolutely huge, with lots of grounds. It really looks impressive from the outside, and as I found out, it is impressive inside too!

We followed the Beastly Boring Burghley tour which showed us all around the house. All the children were also given a special book at the end, which was full of interesting information, and it was led by a guide in Elizabethan costume (I think she got very hot!)

Our guide, in the kitchen

Read more »

Carlton Towers: an unusual overnight experience staying in a stately home

Jess and I had an unusual experience a few weeks ago when we stayed overnight in a stately home. This is not something we - and I am guessing you - are used to. And it was unlike anything we'd experienced before...

The stately home in question is called Carlton Towers and is in the small village of Carlton (now, there's a surprise), near Selby in Yorkshire. We were there to make macaroons (and you can read about this, excellent experience, on the Britmums blog) and, because we live in London, it was suggested that we could stay overnight before the course began the following morning. This option is something that other guests coming to Cooks, the Carlton School of Food, are offered, as otherwise all attendees would have to live nearby. However, I imagine that the experience will be rather different from ours. I am assuming that, as Cooks becomes more established, the overnight issue will evolve.

I should say first that Carlton Towers is glorious. It is a magnificent house, the ancestral home of the Duke of Norfolk and can trace its roots back to the Domesday Book of 1086. Today's house (the residence of Lord Gerald Fitzalan Howard, a direct descendant of Edward I) dates back to early Jacobean times although much of it was built in the 19th century and is Victorian Gothic. It really is a spectacular building, set in 250 acres of land. You can see at first glance, especially once you've walked through the very beautiful Venetian drawing room, why it would be an excellent wedding venue, and indeed it does host a number of these. As we found out.

We were told before we came, that Carlton Towers was not, and this was emphasised, a hotel. That may be true, but if you are going to allow people to stay overnight, you do have to look after them. At least a little.

We came on the train from London to Selby. We arrived at Carlton Towers in the late afternoon and were greeted by someone who told us that there was a wedding going on, so could we please stay in our bedroom until at least 6.30pm. This was rather a surprise, especially as the bedrooms had no television, radio or wi fi (or at least, wi fi which worked). We were offered a drink (funnily enough, the first thing you see when you enter the house is a wooden bar), but no food, and waited. We were rather hungry, and pretty much trapped! I have to admit that we felt abandoned.

We peeked out of our room a little later to see if it was safe to explore. It wasn't until after 7pm.

We had been told to arrive by 6.30 as that was when we would be having supper. In fact, we had brought some glad rags to wear, so were a bit baffled when we were brought up some hunks of cheese, a small quiche and salad on a plate. We were also given a bowl of fruit (but no knives to cut the fruit up). This was not quite the supper I was expecting, and, as mentioned, if you have guests to stay over, you need to look after them or at least warn them in advance that the supper will be light and small. The next day, at the macaroon making, we were given tea and cake, and that would have been a pleasant addition to our evening meal.

I asked the guy who brought our food if he could perhaps bring us some more bread as we were really hungry and he came back with a bowl of tortilla chips (apparently all he could find!). We guzzled them all up, but  I have to say, we were not at all full, and were also uncomfortable as we had to eat on our beds. It was such a strange experience.

However, when we were able to explore a little, we did feel privileged. After all,  when do you ever get to go a place like this and wander around? Normally you pay for admission and walk through rooms with a guide, standing behind roped off areas. At Carlton Towers we could just mooch about our own way. This meant visiting the Venetian hall, going into the library area, seeing what books Lord and Lady Gerald enjoyed reading (lots on architecture and horses, plus some by Miranda Hart and Rupert Everett) and admiring the many family photos (including some with the Pope, no less). We also went up into the Clock Tower and admired the remarkable views.

In the Venetian hall

I love history (as you may know from reading this blog), so it was amazing to walk around the house. We still felt a bit intimidated though as it was huge and there wasn't anyone there to tell us any information or point out exactly what we should take note off. We weren't exactly sure where to wander and were scared off at one point by the barking of Lord Gerald's dog! Still, what a place. There were so many rooms, twists and turns, lots of staircases and paintings. But with all those rooms, with all their knick knacks, I have to admit that I kept thinking 'what a place to keep clean'!

The following day we had breakfast downstairs before starting the course. We then went downstairs (again) to the kitchen area, and that was brilliant. The kitchens have been redone, but still have a real sense of Downton Abbey about them.

A montage of the names of all the different, original, rooms downstairs in the kitchen area

After the course we were shown around and that's when we felt we learnt about the history of the house and (by far the best bit) were shown the priest hole below one of the rooms in the nursery Wing (which houses the five oldest bedrooms).

Pulling up the trap door to the priest hole

This was used to hide a Catholic priest during the Reformation, until he was discovered and killed on the lawn. It was really strange looking through the glass panels into the room below, while access was down an old staircase hidden in a cupboard. That room must have witnessed some amazing stories.

The steps down to the priest's hole

Inside the priest's hole

So, all in all, we had a fascinating and unusual time. We didn't really feel looked after (at least until the course) but we did feel as if we were experiencing something genuinely different. If we came again, however, we'd bring some food!

Read about:

Our visit to Dr Johnson's House

Our visit to Hever Castle

Disclosure: We stayed over at Carlton Towers to take a macaron course which was on a complimentary basis. All the opinions contained in the blog post, however, are ours.

Carlton Towers: an unusual overnight experience staying in a stately home

Jess and I had an unusual experience a few weeks ago when we stayed overnight in a stately home. This is not something we - and I am guessing you - are used to. And it was unlike anything we'd experienced before...

The stately home in question is called Carlton Towers and is in the small village of Carlton (now, there's a surprise), near Selby in Yorkshire. We were there to make macaroons (and you can read about this, excellent experience, on the Britmums blog) and, because we live in London, it was suggested that we could stay overnight before the course began the following morning. This option is something that other guests coming to Cooks, the Carlton School of Food, are offered, as otherwise all attendees would have to live nearby. However, I imagine that the experience will be rather different from ours. I am assuming that, as Cooks becomes more established, the overnight issue will evolve.

I should say first that Carlton Towers is glorious. It is a magnificent house, the ancestral home of the Duke of Norfolk and can trace its roots back to the Domesday Book of 1086. Today's house (the residence of Lord Gerald Fitzalan Howard, a direct descendant of Edward I) dates back to early Jacobean times although much of it was built in the 19th century and is Victorian Gothic. It really is a spectacular building, set in 250 acres of land. You can see at first glance, especially once you've walked through the very beautiful Venetian drawing room, why it would be an excellent wedding venue, and indeed it does host a number of these. As we found out.

Read more »