Visiting Mottisfont: what you need to know

Members can book for free, while non-members will need to pay when booking. Where space is available on weekdays, pre-booking may not always be necessary, however if you do not book we cannot guarantee admission.    

Parking and arrival

If you've pre-booked, please have your membership card close to hand as you enter, as we'll be checking your booking at visitor reception. In line with government guidance, you're required to wear a face covering here, unless exempt. Please bring one with you.

Please arrive within your half-hour timeslot, to help maintain social distancing. If you’re more than 10 minutes late for your arrival slot then entry will be at the discretion of the property team. We're asking visitors to limit their visit to three hours, to help maintain safe numbers in the grounds.

There's no extra charge for parking.

Campervans that are used for transport are welcome for pre-booked visitors, but are not permitted to stay overnight. At this time we’re unable to welcome  coaches.

Staying safe

To help keep everyone safe, please follow social distancing and government guidance when you visit. And look out for signs while you’re here which will explain any changes to how you can access different parts of the site.

There are one-way routes around the winter garden, kitchen garden, walled gardens, the river walk and the meadow. Hand sanitizer stations are located around the grounds and at  key locations, as well as sinks for hand washing in the available toilets.

If you’re showing any of the symptoms of coronavirus, or if you've been in contact with anyone that has the virus in the last 14 days, please don’t visit.

What's open?

The House 

We're very happy to be able to welcome visitors to the house again.  The house opens from Wednesday to Sunday (11am till 3:30pm).There's no need to book a seperate ticket to see the house, just join the queue outside the front door of the house.  The team will manage visitor numbers into the house to ensure social distancing can be maintained.  Please follow the one way system, avoid touching surfaces where you can and feel free to use hand sanitisers provided.  Please wear a face covering inside, unless exempt. 

The Coach House Café & Kitchen Garden Kiosk 

The Coach House Café  is open from 10am-4.45pm daily, serving takeaway drinks and light snacks, with limited seating available inside the cafe.  

We’ve introduced safety measures including screens at our till and collection points, and waymarked routes.  The café till point is located indoors; in line with government guidance you are now required to wear a face covering here, unless exempt. Please bring one along with you.  We can 

The Kitchen Garden Kiosk is open daily from 10am till 4pm, serving a limited takeaway offer of drinks and light snacks, with outdoor seating available inside the Kitchen Garden.  We also offer ice-cream, served from the Judes Ice-cream horsebox (weather dependent - open from 12noon till 4pm). 

The gift shop, plant centre and second-hand bookshop

The shop, plant centre and second-hand book shop are now open.  Whether its a present for a loved one or a treat for yourself, a snuggly throw or an inspiring cookbook; our shop is packed with great ideas.  The second hand bookshop has reopened (Monday to Friday only), selling contemporay fiction, to even rare and collectable books (we are not currently accepting book donations).  Please wear a face mask in all indoor spaces, unless exempt.  

Facilities

Toilets - including access and baby change facilities - are available at the Welcome Centre, Stables and Kitchen Garden, on a one in/one out basis. The toilets are sanitized at least two times a day by a professional cleaning company.

Gardens

All our gardens are open for visitors to explore. You can stroll through paths that wind through seasonal shrubs, flowers and perennials, chosen for colour and scent. One way systems are in place throughout the kitchen garden, winter garden and walled gardens to help with social distancing. Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted inside the walled gardens, but welcome in the Kitchen and Winter Gardens.  

The walled garden is home to the Old Fashioned flowering roses, that only bloom in June.  This is a popular time to visit Mottisfont, pre-booking is strongly advised to avoid dissapointment.  

Our gardens won’t be quite as you’re used to seeing them. We’ve had almost no gardeners in the property for several months, while everyone stayed home and stayed safe. There are some weeds and rough edges; please bear with us as we do what we can as soon as we can, and instead enjoy all the many other pleasures that our gardens have to offer.

Bikes, scooters and trikes are not permitted in the grounds, and please don't bring parasols, wind breakers, tents, gazebos or inflatables on your visit.

What's closed?

The art gallery and  Old Kitchen Café  are currently closed, as well as the play areas. 

Access

Visitors are welcome to loan one of our five wheelchairs on a first come, first serve basis. Benches are located around the site for visitors to rest as they walk.

We are operating a reduced visitor buggy shuttle service, to transport visitors from the house to the walled gardens.  

Dogs are welcome everywhere outside apart from the 'rose gardens' (walled gardens) and formal lawns (assistance dogs only in these areas), but please keep them on a short lead at all times.

Planning your visit

You can now visit during quieter times without booking. If you visit without booking, your entry will depend on visitor numbers on that day and staff will advise you on arrival.

To avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend booking at busier times such as weekends, school holidays and bank holidays.

Entry and parking is free for members, but please bring your membership card with you. Non-members will need to pay in advance when booking.

How to book:

• Please book one ticket per person, except for children aged 5 or under as they don’t need a ticket.
• You’ll need to choose a 30-minute arrival time for the day you want to visit.
• The timeslot is for your arrival time only 
• Tickets are for your use only and are not available for resale
• We'll send your booking confirmation by email. Please make sure you fill in your correct email address when you book to ensure you receive your confirmation email.

Every Friday we'll release new bookings for visits the following week. You can book up to 3pm the day before you visit.

  Planning your visit

You can now visit during quieter times without booking.  If you visit without booking, your entry will depend on visitor numbers on that day and staff will advise you on arrival.  

To avoid dissappointment, we strongly recommend booking at busier times such as weekends, school holidays and bank holidays.  To avoid dissapointment, we highly recommened booking your visit - mid week and weekends throughout June, should you wish to visit the rose garden (located inside the walled gardens).