Family-friendly things to do at Hinton Ampner

Family taking a closer look at spring flowers | © National Trust Images/Trevor Ray Hart

There's lots of family fun to be had at Hinton Ampner. From running, chasing in the garden and wider estate, to nature trails, there's something for everyone.

Family Theatre

We are hosting an array of fabulous theatre productions all set against the beautiful backdrop of our gardens.

First up is Rah Rah Theatre's 'Teddy Bear's Picnic': Bring along your favourite bear and join us on a fun, exciting adventure to get to the picnic on time! The show incorporates puppets, well-known songs and dancing together with important educational areas such as numbers, colours and shapes. Aimed at children aged 2-6. Thursday 30 May at 11am and 2:30pm.

Book tickets here

Next will be Quantum Theatre's Great Expectations Outdoor Theatre. A brand new adaptation of Dickens’s most enduringly popular and atmospheric novel which delivers high comedy and dark drama as we follow Pip’s journey through adversity to discover the true nature of his ‘great expectations’. 21 & 28 June at 7pm.

Book tickets here

Then in August we have The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck Outdoor Theatre a delightful new adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s much-loved tale. 9 & 16 August at 6.30pm.

Hinton Ampner's Summer of Circus

This summer encounter a circus themed adventure, try your hand at circus yoga, acrobatics and performance skills throughout the grounds and gardens. Saturday 20 July - Sunday 1 September.

We'll also be joined by the fantastic Storm in a Teacup Circus Company on 31 July, 20 & 28 August, from 11am-2pm. These free drop-in sessions will teach you how to master some amazing circus skills!

Family walks on the Hinton Ampner estate

Stewkeley walk

The Stewkeley walk takes you across the Hinton Ampner estate towards the village of Kilmeston, before looping back to the entry of the estate. This moderately strenuous walk is perfect for walkers of any age and skill level. It's just under two miles and takes around an hour to complete.

Stewkeley walk

Ancient tree trail

The parkland at Hinton Ampner is home to many ancient trees, some with rather quirky characteristics. You can find out more about spotting the ancient trees by downloading the guide.

Follow this guide

Planning your family visit

Here's the information you need at a glance to help plan your day out at Hinton Ampner:

Baby-changing facilities are located in the ladies toilets and access toilets by the mansion in the courtyard
Pushchairs are allowed around the grounds and in the cafe but not in the house
Property maps are available from the visitor reception team. Maps of the estate walks are on the board by the church, follow the coloured arrows of your chosen route or take a picture on your smartphone
Picnics are welcome but please take your litter home with you.

Visitors walking at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire with a young child between them — Go exploring at Hinton Ampner | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

'50 things to do before you're 11¾'

There are lots of ’50 things' challenges you can complete with the whole family at Hinton Ampner. Here's a few recommendations:

No. 1 Get to know a tree: If trees could talk, what stories would they tell? Get up close to a tree and feel the texture of its bark and leaves and notice all the different colours and smells. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
No. 12 Have fun with sticks: When it comes to sticks, the possibilities are endless. Use them to become a gallant warrior, make a magic wand, create a home for a small animal or insect or create some wild art. There are lots of interesting sticks to find in the Hinton Ampner estate and parkland
No. 33 Go cloud watching: With a little imagination you can create whole worlds from the shapes you see in the clouds. Do they resemble anything, like animals, trees or cartoon characters? Invent a story using the characters you see in the clouds. Try writing your story down or drawing it on a sketchpad
No. 44 Watch a bird: There are many different birds that can be spotted in the gardens and woodland at Hinton Ampner. Birds get frightened off easily, so you'll need to be as quiet as you can, and not make any loud noises or sudden movements to stand the best chance of seeing lots.