Visiting Mottisfont: what you need to know

Daffodils bloom in front of the house at Mottisfont, Hampshire

The gardens, house, shop and café at Mottisfont are open for you to enjoy.

Here are some key points about visiting Mottisfont to help you plan your visit:

  • Booking: pre-booking not usually required, but you will need to book a car parking space to guarantee entry if visiting before 3.30pm between 30 May - 2 July. Please check the website for the most up-to-date information before you travel.
Mottisfont's rose arch in the evening sun

Plan and book your rose season visit 

Our walled gardens are home to the National Collection of pre-1900 old-fashioned roses, which reach their peak in early summer. Flowering just once a year, the blooming season attracts thousands of visitors. We’re open from 10am-8pm (last entry 7pm) on Mondays - Saturdays from Monday 30 May – Saturday 2 July (closing at 5pm on Sundays). To guarantee entry from 30 May, please pre-book your parking space if you’re planning to visit between 10am-3.30pm. You don’t need to book for visits after 3.30pm. Tickets can be booked up to four weeks in advance.

  • Parking: please park in the main car park - there is no extra charge for parking. Campervans that are used for transport are welcome, but not permitted to stay overnight.
  • Entry: entry is free for National Trust and Art Fund members. Non-members will need to pay at Visitor Reception. Access to the house and gardens is included in the entry price.

House and gardens 

  • House: the house is currently open from 11am-4.30pm (last entry 4pm). The gallery is currently closed between exhibitions, and the house will be closed from 30 May - 3 July inclusive.
  • Gardens: the gardens are open from 10am-5pm. Seasonal highlights include spring blooms, including tulips in the Kitchen Garden.

Play areas

  • Wild Play: we're sorry, but our Wild Play area is currently closed. We'll be re-opening this for the summer holidays once we've been able to carry our essential repairs. Our water play area is open - have fun pumping water and creating dams.

Eating and shopping

  • Cafés: drinks, snacks and light lunches available from café and additional outlets, 10am-4.45pm daily. Indoor and outdoor seating, and picnic benches around the grounds. 
  • Shop and plant centre: the shop is open daily from 10am-5pm, packed with treats and gifts.
  • Second-hand bookshop: the second-hand bookshop is open from 10am-5pm, selling everything from contemporary fiction to rare and collectable books. We are not accepting book donations at the moment.

Facilities and access

  • Toilets: you'll find toilets at visitor reception, in the lower corridor of the house, the stables and the kitchen garden. They're cleaned at least twice a day by a professional cleaning company.
  • Buggy service: volunteer-driven mobility buggy service available on request for transport between the welcome centre, house entrance, stableyard (including Coach House Café), and entrance to the walled gardens. 
  • Wheelchairs: you're welcome to loan one of five wheelchairs from visitor reception to help access the grounds. These are available on a first come, first serve basis.
  • Dogs: dogs are welcome everywhere outside except the 'rose garden' (walled gardens) and the formal lawns - assistance dogs only in these areas. Please keep them on a short lead at all times and do not allow them to enter any open watercourse within the grounds.
  • Balls, bikes, frisbees, skateboards and scooters: these aren't allowed in the garden, so please leave these at home.

Staying safe

The safety of our visitors, volunteers and staff remains our top priority. We'll continue to provide hand sanitiser and stick to our high standards of cleanliness. Wearing a face covering is a personal choice, although they are recommended in crowded and enclosed places.