Family-friendly things to do at Oxburgh Estate

Late spring and early summer at Oxburgh Estate

Having put on a fabulous spring display this year, the daffodils are bowing out to make way for beautiful bluebells and tulips and the garden spaces are coming back to life after their winter slumber- there is lots to see!  Little explorers can borrow an explorer bag from Visitor Welcome on arrival which includes binoculars, bug pots, a clipboard & pencil and other bits and pieces that are perfect for an Oxburgh nature adventure!

Inside the hall our new exhibition 'A Regency Romance' is up and running too. The exhibition follows Agnes and Thomas Molyneux Seel from their courtship through to their year long 'grand tour' honeymoon in Europe. You can learn how to waltz, follow their journey on our animated map, masquerade in your own make-believe masked ball and learn about the conservation of the two paintings that provided the inspiration for the exhibition. 

Periodically, there will also be some simple craft activities available in The Gun Room, inspired by the current season.

The tearoom is open daily serving a whole host of tasty snacks, lunches and of course scones. There are also plenty of hot and cold drinks to choose from to quench the thirst and on busy days, the Panty Café will be open serving hot and cold drinks and a selection of pasties, pastries, cakes and icecream too.

And of course, the Courtyard Gift Shop will be open also. Please be sure to check our opening times on the homepage before planning your visit Oxburgh Estate | Norfolk | National Trust

 

Planning your family visit 

• Baby-changing facilities are available on site.
• There are plenty of buggy-friendly paths around the outdoors, a site map is available from Visitor Welcome.
• Due to the size of the rooms within Oxburgh Hall, we kindly ask that where possible, buggies and prams are left outside at the entrance and not taken inside.

 

Kitchen Garden and Orchard

A garden of two halves, the walled garden is where you’ll find the orchard and kitchen garden, which would have originally supplied the resident family. See if you can spot the courgettes, pumpkins, rhubarb, tomatoes, and salad crops that are still grown for visitors to enjoy in the tea-room. 

Within the orchard you’ll find fruit trees from around East Anglia, including heritage varieties from Norfolk. How many different varieties of apple you can spot?

 

Dress up and learn in the Gun Room

Learn about our epic roof restoration project in the Gun Room where you can dress up as a builder and build your very own Oxburgh Estate.

You can also make friends with a death watch beetle and hear the noise that gives them their name.

Become a wildlife explorer

Ignite your childs curiosity and explore Oxburgh with one of our wildlife explorer backpacks. Filled with activities, tools and other fun items. Backpacks are free to borrow from the Visitor Welcome team. 

'50 things to do before you are 9 3/4'

Fancy building a den, identifying pond creatures, watching a butterfly grow or stargazing? With our '50 things' activity guide you can plan an adventure, discover facts about nature and learn new skills. 

We've a few ideas to get you started.  

• No. 4 Build a den: Explore the woodland at Oxburgh Estate, where you’ll find plenty of sticks for building your den. Be creative with your construction. Once it’s up, crawl in and have fun
• No. 19 Play Pooh sticks: The River Gadder flows through the estate which is where you’ll find several wooden bridges, all of which make an ideal spot to challenge a sibling to this timeless game
• No. 31 Make friends with a bug: Ladybirds, spiders, caterpillars, woodlice – there are all kinds of mini-beasts hiding at the places we look after. See how many you can find.