Family-friendly things to do at Knightshayes
Adventures for all ages can be found at Knightshayes. Explore the woods, pick up a spotter trail in the House, or discover one of our seasonal trails. What will your adventure be?
Planning your family visit
- Baby-changing facilities availble at the stables and house forecourt toilets
- Children's lunch boxes and highchairs available in the cafe
- Children's play area in Douglas fir walk
- Ball games welcome in the parkland away from buildings
- Small children's balance bikes are welcome but unfortunately scooters and pedal bikes are not permitted in the gardens
Family-friendly things to do in the house
There is lots to inspire the imagination inside the house, from tortouise shell cats to colourful ceilings.
Discover more with an object trail round the house. Ask at the entrance to the house for your copy.
Useful things to know when visiting the house
- Due to limited space and the delicate nature of the collection, pushchairs will need to be left outside and large rucksacks or bags will need to be left at the entrance.
- The nearest toilets are across the house forecourt
Family-friendly things to do in the garden
Pick up your seasonal trail from visitor reception and explore the gardens and parkland. Bringing a picnic? Holly's lawn or the South Garden are great places to spread out.
Useful things to know when visiting the gardens
- We have a large number of delicate plants and trees in the garden. Please, no climbing.
- Ball games, bicycles and scooters are welcome in the Parkland only.
Family-friendly things to do out in the parkland
From woodland walking to insect hunting and ticking of some of the '50 things to do before 113/4', the parkland is the place to be. There are over 200 acres to explore, with some of the best views in Mid-Devon.
Useful things to know when visiting the parkland
- Paths are uneven and there are a number of steep places.
- Make sure you have sturdy footwear or wellies with you, as the park can be muddy all year
- Stables toilets are locked at 4:50pm.
- The fields at Knightshayes are home to exmoor sheep
Familiy-friendly things to do when it's raining
Wet weather? No problem! There's still lots of fun actvities to do.
- Head to the house and pick up a spotter trail.
- Find a new favourite story in the second-hand bookshop. There's a whole children's section waiting to be discovered!
- Warm up in the stables cafe with a hot drink.
Fascinating Floriography: Half Term Fun at Knightshayes
Discover the Victorian language of flowers this half term. Did you know that every flower has a secret meaning? Discover how the Victorians used flowers to convey messages on this fascinating flower trail at Knightshayes. Find out more here.
50 things before you're 113/4
Get outdoors and closer to nature with the '50 things before you're 113/4'. Below are just a few of the '50 things' you can do at Knightshayes.
- No.1 Get to Know a tree
- The parkland is a great place to explore different trees. Pick up your copy of our veteran and champion tree walk from visitor reception and compare the trees you see.Discover trees
- No.33 Go cloud watching
- Is it ship, is it a whale? What shapes can you see? Head to Holly's lawn in the woodland garden or the Ha Ha lawn in front of the house for the best places to spot cloudsGo Cloud watching
- No.44 Watch a bird
- Winter and early spring are the best time to see birds, before the trees have their leaves. We have plenty of your favourite garden birds at Knightshayes, and if you're lucky you may even spot a Treecreeper or Goldcrest.Watch a bird