My wife and I have been annual pass holders of the National Trust for about eight years now. We’ve visited many properties together over the past two decades, and our annual family membership allows us to enter along with our daughter. We pay by direct debit monthly.
Entry costs to National Trust sites can be expensive, especially for viewing houses and gardens. However, the annual pass effectively pays for itself after just two or three visits each year, depending on the location. We also appreciate the fact that we are supporting a worthy charity that restores and maintains important English heritage and treasures.
It’s always handy to use the pass at multiple sites, especially when on holiday. We’d love to visit National Trust sites more often, but our teenager doesn’t fully appreciate their value at the moment. However, when we do manage to drag her along, she always enjoys herself. A younger version of what I was like at that age.
We enjoy eating at the venues, as most have excellent restaurants and coffee shops. Sometimes, we’ll also bring a picnic.
We’ve visited Waddesdon before, a French Renaissance-style château with an amazing house to explore, gardens, an aviary, a stable block, woodland, a playground, and more. This time, we were child-free, so we were free to explore as we wished.
Upon arrival and parking our car, we checked in at the visitor centre and paid the extra £2.50 each bus return. This is worth it as it takes you directly to the house, as the walk there is long and uphill. We’ve done the walk before, and while it’s very enjoyable, we wanted to save our energy for the house and gardens rather than the general park area. The bus is very quick, timely and well-run by lovely staff.
Dropping off at the house, we were greeted by a stunning view from the fountain as we walked to the house. The property was beautiful and very well-maintained, with amazing gardens.
We spent some time relaxing in the sun with a coffee, then browsed the gift shop and food/wine shop before venturing around the house at our allotted time. We had a larger back pack with us with food and were able to leave it at the visitor centre near the house. They recommend you do this as many valuables in the house and you don’t want to swing it into anything!
After exploring the house, we agreed it might be our favourite National Trust property. With its many rooms to view, it’s an amazing tour of a truly magnificent property. There’s even a wine cellar and an exhibition about historic signatures, featuring signed Elizabeth I documents written/signed by quill. The house boasts an impressive collection of art and historic furniture, as well as treasures and valuables. And there’s an amazing collection of clocks, including an elephant musical automation housed in a glass cabinet (info link).
As you explore the house, you walk around about four floors, with tour guides to help direct you. Occasionally, you’ll find yourself going back on yourself to work around the house. Each room is amazing to view and is in keeping with the French château design of the house. Often when viewing from windows, the surrounding landscapes and gardens can make for excellent photos. We certainly took many photos in the house which you can do without flash and I have featured some lower down this post in a gallery.
We spent an hour in the house, but easily could have spent much more. Hungry from the viewing, we found an outdoor bench to have our picnic. House opening times vary, but when we visited, the gardens opened at 10 am, followed by the house at 11 am.
After eating, we took a walk around the outside of the house and gardens. The house is quite remarkable and unique, and is beautifully maintained. The gardens also have water features and an amazing and large aviary. The gardens of course featuring statues and some rather unique wooden elephants.
As we finished our day, we walked to the stables block, which was hosting an Easter Egg hunt for children. It had toilets, food, and plenty of seating. There was also a shop, but it appeared to be closed. I’m not sure if it’s normally open, as the sign wasn’t clear.
We spent just under 5 hours on site and would definitely recommend it. We needed more time to explore, but we’ll visit again as loads to explore and take in!
Waddesdon, near Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0JH
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/waddesdon
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