Planning your visit

All Grounds visits must be booked in advance, including for National Trust, Art Fund and RHS members and the Local Resident Pass Scheme. We are currently limiting visitor numbers by arrival time to allow for social distancing.

Your ongoing support buying refreshments on site and wine and gifts from the shop means a lot to us as a charity. All profits go towards the upkeep of Waddesdon for future generations.

Book grounds tickets

New map of walking routes

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Important information about your visit

Tickets

all grounds tickets must be pre-booked online for National Trust, Art Fund and RHS members, Local Resident Pass holders and paying visitors
visitor numbers are limited each day to allow for social distancing
select the hour of arrival. This is to ensure visitor arrival is spread throughout the day. You may stay until 5pm
tickets will be released at 9am each Friday
please follow current government advice restricting interaction with people outside your household
please do not visit if a member of your household has had any Covid-19 symptoms in the last 14 days
any visitor arriving without a booking may be turned away

Book tickets>

Arrival and on site

shuttle buses and the mobility bus are not operating at the moment. If parking in the visitor car park come prepared for a 20 minute walk, on a woodchip path to the gardens (this walk has one steep section)
free blue badge parking is available in a private car park near the Manor, and must be booked in advance online. Please show blue badge and booking on arrival
if arriving by foot or bike, you must still book your ticket in advance and have it ready to be scanned
a temporary ticket scanning point is a few minutes walk from the car park along the woodchip path
please keep your printed ticket or booking on your mobile phone to hand, and follow instructions for scanning
keep to the Government advised two metre distance from other visitors

Premium parking
Limited numbers of cars may book a space in the private car park near the Manor, £15 per car. This must be pre-booked at the time of buying Grounds tickets, this applies to National Trust members. Please show your booking on arrival.

National Trust membership
We are not able to offer membership sales on site. If you would like to join, then please do so before pre-booking your tickets.

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Facilities

the Treaterie at the Stables and Coffee Bar in the Manor Courtyard are open for takeaway food and drink
toilets are open (including at the Welcome Pavilion). We have not been able to adapt the spacing in toilets, so please use hand sanitiser before entering and be considerate of others by keeping your distance
the Changing Places accessible toilet within the Manor is available for those who need it. Please ask a member of shop staff to assist you with access
please ensure you wash your hands before visiting and during your visit. We encourage you to also bring your own hand sanitiser
for now, the House, Wine Cellars, Manor Restaurant, Stables and Woodland cafés remain closed
if possible, download a map of the walking routes to and from the car park and in the gardens before you visit

Download a map before your visit>

What's open?

Grounds - 10am-5pm, Wed-Sun

We encourage you to explore the gardens and outdoor space during your visit, but ask that all visitors be considerate of others and maintain a safe two-metre distance at all times.

If you visit us frequently you might be surprised at the appearance of some areas of the Garden. We have been working with a tiny dedicated team of gardeners since lockdown and have not been able to plant our usual summer bedding displays, which need a large team and close working. Since March we have focused on general maintenance and keeping the trees healthy, so the formal gardens are not as manicured as they’d usually be.

There are some encouraging conservation benefits. Wildflowers are flourishing, and many areas are enjoying a less intensive horticultural approach. The formal Parterre and Aviary gardens have been planted with green manures, allowing for deep mulching once the foliage dies back. This is a new way of gardening for us, and long-term, it will do the garden a lot of good.

Explore the gardens>

Download a map before your visit>

Aviary - 10am-5pm, Wed-Sun

Filled with colourful and exotic birds, the Aviary was a ‘must-see’ for Baron Ferdinand’s guests when doing a tour of the garden in the 1890s.

Please refrain from touching the metal flight cages that house the birds.

The Treaterie and Coffee Bar - 10am-5pm, Wed-Sun

Open for takeaway food and drinks. Offering homemade sandwiches, salads, cakes and ice cream tubs. Contactless payments only.

Picnics
You may bring your own food to enjoy in the grounds. Please make sure to follow social distancing guidelines and take any litter away with you.

Manor Shop - 10am-5pm, Wed-Sun

Our shop stocks a renowned range of Rothschild wines, homeware, and beautiful books celebrating Waddesdon, together with an exclusive range of gifts inspired by objects in our collection and exhibitions. Contactless payments only.

Woodland Playground 10am-5pm, Wed-Sun from 4 July

Winding through the trees, the Woodland Playground makes the most of the natural surrounding environment and provides plenty of year-round fun for our younger visitors.

Visitng our Woodland Playground this July>

Free exhibition - Nick Knight: Roses from my Garden, 11am-5pm, Wed-Sun, from 4 July

Coach House Gallery at the Stables

Enjoy Roses from my Garden, a free exhibition by renowned fashion photographer, Nick Knight.

More about Roses from my Garden>

Visiting the Garden

Those who know us well may be surprised to find our gardens are looking a little different at the moment. Please watch this short video about what to expect.

Watch July at Waddesdon video>