Family-friendly things to do at Tatton Park

Boy throwing leaves in the gardens, Tatton Park, Cheshire | © withpassionandpurpose

Enjoy lots of family friendly adventures this autumn! Join Billie the Beetle and friends on a fun and educational nature trail through Dairy Wood Way.

Planning your family visit

Toilet facilities and baby changing you’ll find in the Stableyard (please note there are no toilets in the gardens).
There are garden mobility scooters available to hire from the garden entrance on the day of your visit (not available to pre-book and for use in the gardens only).
The adventure play area is located a short walk from the main car park, where there are some picnic benches. There is also a woodland adventure area at the Farm.
The Stables Restaurant is baby friendly, with highchairs and children’s lunchboxes on offer.
Please note that Tatton Park is a National Trust estate, managed and financed by Cheshire East Council. Parkland charges apply for everyone, including National Trust members. More details at tattonpark.org.uk.

Visit the farm and see all the cute lambs, piglets and chicks and hear all about them from the friendly farm staff. See Little Grey Fergie the small tractor with a big personality!

Head into the Mansion, open until 3 November, and learn more about the life of the last owner of Tatton, Maurice Egerton, with two new special exhibitions to commemorate 150 years since his birth. Little ones will love to follow the Red Lion trail through the state rooms and servants quarters.

For more information visit the Tatton Park website.

October half term

A relic of Tatton’s Tudor and Jacobean history, the Old Hall is a remarkable survivor. The original manor house of the estate, it was kept, even when the grand Mansion took its place half a mile across the Park.

Step back in time on a tour which unravels the mysteries of the Old Hall, the oldest building at Tatton, dating back to the late fifteenth century. You’ll travel through the last 500 years of Tatton’s long history – guided through this unique house, which, as you will see – was not just the home of Tatton’s early lords. Soak up the atmosphere, smell the woodsmoke and maybe even hear a ghost story or two in reputedly one of the most haunted buildings in England.

10:30am – 12:00pm & 1:00pm – 2:30pm

£15 per person. Suitable for 10+ years (includes a 90-minute guided tour and your parkland vehicle entry on the day. 15 spaces per tour. (Includes parkland vehicle entry)

Book tickets
Come down to the Farm to meet all your farmyard favourites, explore the Maize Maze and then it’s off to search for your perfect pumpkin. You’ll choose your own pumpkin from our field, so prepare to get your hands dirty!

*Selected dates only (Sat 19, Sun 20, Sat 26, Sun 27, Tue 29, Wed 30, Thu 31)

£4 per pumpkin + standard farm and parkland entry, book online for a 10% discount. Please dress appropriately for outdoor activity. Some areas of the farm are cobbled so sturdy footwear is essential. On arrival, the Farm team will direct you to our pumpkin patch.

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Brand new for this October Half term, head to the gardens and see them come alive with the rattling fun of Halloween! Little ghouls and goblins are invited to don their wellies and best fancy dress to join the bony brigade. While wandering through the 50-acre gardens, keep your eyes peeled for the bone-chilling skeleton displays, each one ready to tickle your funny bone with a rib-tickling joke.

So, pick up a FREE activity sheet and prepare for a day of frightful fun with the spooky guests in Tatton Park gardens!

Standard Gardens and Parkland Entry, pre-book online and save 10%.

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A unique shopping experience inside The Mansion's Tenants Hall - a wing of the stately mansion house that is not usually open to the public.

You'll find lots of local suppliers selling items including jewellery, candles, crafts, and gin. Enjoy some retail therapy plus get some great ideas for presents not usually found in high street shops.
Enjoy free entry to the shopping show.

10am–4pm (last entry 3.30pm)

Parkland vehicle entry fee applies. Book online for a 10% discount.

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Interpretation board, part of the Billie the Beetle trail in Dairy Wood Way, Tatton Park, Cheshire | © Tatton Park

Billie the Beetle Trail - New!

Join Billie the Beetle and friends on a fun and educational nature trail through Dairy Wood Way. Little explorers will love this peaceful guided walk through the woodland, learning about the habitats and important wildlife that live there in the trees and leaf litter. This trail follows a gentle, circular route, taking approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Autumn activities for the whole family

There’s plenty of ways to spend time together with the family at Tatton Park. Here’s some activities to enjoy with your little explorers.

Fallow deer in the parkland, Tatton Park, Cheshire | © Wesley Kristopher Photography

Look out for the spectacle of the deer rut in the parkland

The Deer Park was created by Royal Charter in 1290. Eight centuries later, the Red and Fallow deer still provide a magnificent sight for visitors as they roam freely in over 1,000 acres of beautiful Parkland. During the Autumn deer-rutting season, the behaviour of the ancient deer herd changes. Triggered by shortening daylight hours and cooler weather, the rut marks the time of year when male deer compete to mate with females. The male deer become more aggressive, bellow loudly and display their strength by clashing antlers.  We value our deer and our visitors, so please remember to stay around 50 metres away, and use your zoom if you want to photograph them.

Allen Birdhide

Enjoy a spot of birdwatching on Melchett Mere, a haven for wildlife. Hobbies can often be seen hunting over the meres in early autumn before migrating to Africa. The Hide is situated on the edge of Melchett Mere alongside Knutsford Drive, immediately after the turning to the Old Hall. The Hide can accommodate 10 people and can be used during park opening times (closed 30 minutes before the park closes.) Please note, binoculars are not provided.

Visitors walking through woodland, Tatton Park, Cheshire | © Tatton Park

Grab a takeaway coffee and head off on a trail

Grab a takeaway coffee from the Stable Restaurant and head out for a windswept autumnal walk to blow the cobwebs away. You could try the Beech Avenue Conservation Trail – Enjoy the autumn colours on this 2 kilometre long trail which takes approximately ¾ hour to fully appreciate. The avenue was originally planted in 1739 and many of the trees have now reached the ancient phase of their lives, the most valuable for wildlife. The holes, decay, fissures, and dead wood host numerous invertebrates (including nationally scarce species) and provide legally protected roosting and nesting sites for birds and bats. Along the way walkers will be able to learn about the history, wildlife and landscape features of the avenue and its immediate surroundings. 

More info on eating and shopping at Tatton Park

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Family time together

There’s plenty of ways to spend time together with the family. Here’s some activities to enjoy with your little explorers:

Play in nature

If you're a wildlife lover – why not pack your binoculars and head to the Allen Bird Hide to see what wildlife you can spot across Tatton’s Mere? Perfect for little ones, take a short, circular woodland walk in Dairy Wood Way or head to the Adventure Play area – right next to the car park.

Visit the farm

Say hello to your favourite farmyard friends and look out for piglets and new arrivals! Little ones can head indoors to the play barn for a tractor ride and meet Aunty Mary and the Miller who have tales to tell (weekends only).

A garden for all seasons

There’s 50 acres of gardens for little ones to burn off some energy. The Japanese Garden looks stunning in every season and from the Italian Garden you can take in the vistas over the parkland with the Peak District in the distance. Warm up in the Fernery and Conservatory and admire our indoor tropical fernery – it’s inviting space all year round. And if the sun is shining, there’s plenty of garden spots to enjoy a picnic with a spectacular view or head to the many picnic benches in the Stableyard and Play area.

Treat yourself

Browse the new pre-loved bookshop, full of great reads for all ages, before heading to the Stables for a full works hot chocolate. The Housekeeper’s Store is stocked full of local and artisan food, as well as Tatton Park’s own estate venison and for the gin lovers, a new botanical gin infused with botanicals from the gardens.