Family-friendly things to do at Canons Ashby

Planning your family visit

Here's the information you need at a glance to make the most of your family day out at Canons Ashby:

• There are baby-changing facilities in the area outside the unisex accessible toilet and the ladies toilet. These are available to all.
• High chairs available - Please ask the team for help with your baby food if it needs to be heated.
• Pocket money books and games are available in the Coach House shop
• You're welcome to picnic in the Paddock and Parkland, but not the formal gardens
• Family trails can be picked up from visitor reception
• The grass can be uneven and boggy in some areas of the wider parkland and may not be suitable for pushchairs
• The garden has loose gravel paths that may not be suitable for some pushchairs and there are steps and slopes throughout.

Family-friendly events

Plant a Sunflower

2 - 4 May, 11am - 2pm.. Normal admission applies and £1 per sunflower. No booking needed. 

Plant a sunflower seedling in a compostable pot to take home and grow at home! At home, you can plant your sunflower outside in the ground, or in a bigger pot. Come back later in the summer to see how big our sunflowers in the garden are getting. 

Canons Ashby Book Fair

23 - 31 May, 10am - 4pm. Normal admission applies and no booking needed. 

Our books speak volumes! Come to the medieval Priory Church and browse a wide selection of books which have been donated by our supporters. Head over to the medieval Priory Church and browse a wide selection of donated books. We have all genres from crime to cakes, new and old. Stock up for your summer holidays whilst raising funds for our special place.

The Three Musketeers performed by Illyria

Saturday 18 July, 6pm - 8.15pm. Adult £17, child £11. Pre booking essentail. 

All for One; One for All! Young D’Artagnan is desperate to join Athos, Porthos and Aramis as an elite Musketeer of the King’s Guard. But are his swashbuckling credentials sufficient? This is outdoor theatre at its best in the paddock of Canons Ashby. 

Hop, Skip and Soar Play Trail, Summer of Play

18 July - 6 September, 10am - 4pm. Normal admission applies. 

Stretch your wings in the warm air and zoom around the paddock, or kick up your heels and gallop. Find out what creatures live at Canons Ashby in the summer whilst getting active with the family. Then fuel up in the tea-room or treat yourself to an ice-cream! 

Young Archaeologists in Training! part of the Festival of Archaeology

Thursday 23 July, 10.30am - 12pm. Child £12 (must be accompanied by an adult). Pre booking essential. 

Young Archeologists (and their accompanying adults): join the team for a morning workshop to find out all about how archaeology works, the basics of what you need to uncover evidence of the past and get hands on with history!

The Jungle Book by Immersion Theatre

Saturday 1 August, 5.30pm - 7.15pm, £15 Adults, £11 children (3-17), young children (0-2 years) free. Recommended age: 4+. Pre booking essential.

Immersion Theatre are thrilled to bring their trademark energy to their wild, brand-new musical adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling family favourite, THE JUNGLE BOOK! 

Filled with original music, audience interaction, and a host of larger-than-life characters, you are invited to join Mowgli and his friends, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, on a madcap jungle adventure as they meet and attempt to outwit a slithering snake, some cheeky monkeys, and the fierce tiger, Shere Khan! Funny, exciting and wildly entertaining, this AOOO-some musical will have you howling with laughter: It’s the perfect treat for the whole family!

This is outdoor theatre at its best in the Paddock of Canons Ashby. Bring a picnic, blankets and picnic chairs to make the most of this outdoor event!

Nature Explorer Tuesdays

4, 11, 18 and 25 August, 11am - 2pm. Normal admission applies. 

Bring the kids and enjoy activities connected with nature and the great outdoors. Whether it’s wild art, or wildlife spotting, there’s something to try every Tuesday of August.