Discover more at Woodchester Park
Find out when Woodchester Park is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Family-friendly things to do at Woodchester Park
Get outdoors with the whole family at Woodchester Park. Whether you're discovering trails at Tinkley Gate, exploring the play trail or taking a walk in Woodchester Park itself, there's plenty to enjoy for the whole family. And this Easter, why not join us for Easter Adventure trails.
Planning your family visit
- Baby changing facilities are available in the cafe at Tinkley Gate
- Kids menu and highchairs available in the cafe
- Toys and colouring-in sheets free to enjoy in the cafe
- Accessibility - the area around Tinkley Gate is flat and grassy. The main paths in the park are hard surfaces, and there are several slopes
- Dogs - Please keep dogs on leads across the whole park
Family-friendly events at Tinkley Gate
Throughout the year, we host a range of family-friendly events at Tinkley Gate. We run kid's craft events, artist workshops and nature walks, and seasonal trails. Find out what's on this autumn and winter.
Stranger Folk (3 October - 8 November)
Stranger Folk - that is, fae folks or faeries - have been sighted crossing through a crack that’s opened between ours and the spirit world, the Crone needs your help to stop them and save the cakes!
Download the free Stranger Folk app and step into an interactive folklore adventure where you'll be guided by the mysterious Crone. Follow her instructions, explore Woodchester Park and take on a series of silly, magical and sometimes surprising challenges to close the rift before it's too late.
A free event running every day, no booking required. Find out more
Brilliant bats half-term activities (24 October - 1 November)
Meet six of the bat species that live at Woodchester through larger-than-life wooden cut-outs. Young wildlife enthusiasts can also enjoy some bat-themed games dotted around Tinkley Gate. Looking for a hands-on activity? Join one of our Bat Box Making workshops, where you can build a bat box to take home and provide a safe place for bats to roost. Click here to book bat-box making
Tinkley Tots
Wiggle, wander, hunt, splash, discover and play at Tinkley Tots, a weekly outdoor nature group for toddlers, pre-schoolers, and their grown-ups.
Taking place every Monday during term-time, each session has a different nature theme with a story and activities to get children exploring in nature.
Free, and no need to book. Find out more here
Family-friendly things to do in the outdoors
Adventure play trail
Discover the adventure play trail that leads around the Mansion and Italian gardens. The shapes of the play equipment are influenced by the Gothic Woodchester Mansion! Park at Buckholt car park for the closest access to the play trail, or walk there from Tinkley Gate.
Outdoor games at Tinkley Gate
There are plenty of games and activities to play with outside the cafe, from swingball to jenga. We have a large grassy area to run around in, and a restful zone in the orchard with hammocks to relax in through the summer season.
'50 Things to do before you're 11¾'
Take part in the ‘50 things to do before you're 11¾’ challenge to connect with nature through play. Many of the activities can be completed at Woodchester Park, here are some of our favourites:
No. 1 Get to know a tree
There are lots of trees in Woodchester Park - can you find your favourite?
No. 4 Build a den
Get stuck in to the den-building area at Tinkley Gate
No. 22 Hunt for mushrooms
Take a close look at the trunks of the elderflower orchard trees to find some funky mushrooms (that look a bit like ears!)
No. 33 Go cloud watching
You can watch the weather rolling in from the comfort of the cafe, or lie back in a hammock to stare at the sky
Eating and drinking at Tinkley Gate
Tinkley Gate cafe
Enjoy everything from hot and cold drinks, ice cream, cakes, sandwiches, pizza and focaccia at the Tinkley Gate cafe. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, with large tables, as well as plenty of picnic spots across the site. For more information on our food, drink and shopping offer at Tinkley, visit this page.
Picnics
You are very welcome to bring your own food and drink to Woodchester Park, to enjoy outside. We have a number of benches outside the cafe and dotted around the Park for you to use, and you can also borrow blankets from our second-hand book shop. Setting up a picnic spot for the day at Tinkley Gate is the perfect way to enjoy a summer day out as a family.
Our work at Woodchester Park
On the surface all may appear calm and tranquil, but behind the scenes we’ve been beavering away to return the park to its 19th century glory.
History of Woodchester Park
Discover why an unfinished Gothic mansion stands on what was once the epitome of a country gentleman’s playground and the treasures that lay hidden in the garden for years.
