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In a Nutshell
A sprawling country estate, formerly the home of Patrick, 5th Earl of Lichfield, now operated by the National Trust. The estate consists of the main house, brewery & farm buildings as well as extensive landscaped grounds and formal gardens, including various follies. Plenty to see and do for all the family, with good, reasonably easy walking. Parking and Pooping
The NT operate a spacious car park within the grounds, from which you can access the wider estate or pass through the ticket office to the access the kitchen gardens, farm buildings and main house and gardens. Parking can get very busy during peak season and we have known them to restrict access at peak times. If you are planning to visit on a busy day, sometimes it's best to arrive after lunch to avoid the peak period. Weather depending, additional parking is sometimes laid on in the adjacent fields. There is grassland all around and loos for pup parents about a 5 min walk from the entrance at the Park Farm. 
Extensive walks on good, level paths, with longer estate walks an option too.
Walkies
From the ticket office, there is quite a long walk via the Park farm to the main house. The NT do run shuttles back and forth for the less able. The paths around the estate are in good order and walking is generally easy around the main house and gardens, including the riverside walks around the follies. Further afield, you can set out across the parkland for more extensive walks with some reasonably gentle hills. We find a round trip walk around the house and river (with a stop for a snack) is more than enough for Bi-Bi. There are a scattering of benches along the way and places to stop and enjoy the sights. 
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Keeping the Humans Amused
The NT have been investing in the estate over recent years and aside from the grounds, you can visit the private rooms of Patrick Lichfield and view his photographs and equipment. The house kitchens have been preserved and are open to view as well as doing some light shopping in the second-hand bookshop and plant & gift shops. More recently they have installed a children's play and discovery area (weather permitting) and you also have the walled gardens near to the entrance. Park Farm is home to the sheep and longhorn cattle that graze in the parkland. 
Chow Time
There is a small cafe with the usual hot drink and snack options at Park Farm, which is dog friendly. Nearer the main house is a further cafe/restaurant that allow dogs in the outdoor areas. During our last visit we noticed they were redeveloping some of the outbuildings so we hope this will mean more undercover seating for dogs in the near future. 
The Park Farm, with dog friendly cafe.
Last Visit: Oct 2024
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