Visiting Ickworth with the family

Children look down into the dry moat from the steps in the ITalianate Garden at Ickworth — Children peer into the dry moat from the steps in the Italianate Garden | © David Levenson

There are loads of different family activities designed to help you explore and discover the Ickworth estate. However you choose to spend your day with us, your adventure starts here.

Head outside and enjoy all that Ickworth Estate has to offer this spring. Explore the Albana woodland with its emerging bulbs, or take a stroll through the parkland to discover the breathtaking views across the canal lake. Spend time with friends and family in the Italianate Garden and surround yourself with the season's fresh, colourful blooms.

Coming up at Ickworth

Ruby Plants a Radish

May Half Term, 24th May - 1st June

This May Half Term a new programme comes to Ickworth Estate for families. Ruby Plants a Radish is part of a series of non-fiction nature picture books featuring artwork from bestselling The Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler. This gentle story book includes simple facts to explain how plants grow and inspire youngsters to get outside and nurture their own gardens and green spaces.

National Trust members enter the estate for free. Standard admission prices apply for non-members.

Image of the cover of children's book, Ruby Plants a Radish — Ruby Plants a Radish, Nosy Crow Publishers, written by Kate Petty, Illustrated by Axel Scheffler | © James Dobson

May Half Term, 24th May - 1st June

Outdoor games

We will be hosting a series of garden-themed games and activities on our beautiful North Lawn, in front of the Rotunda, including wheelbarrow skills, a sensory area, giant noughts and crosses. These games are self-led activities for families to enjoy taking part in together. There is no additional charge, standard admission prices apply to access Ickworth Estate.

Story Time

24 May - 1 June | 10:30-11:15

Each day one story session will be taking place. A member of our Visitor Experience team will be leading a group story walk where you can hear Ruby Plants a Radish before heading off to enjoy the games. There is no need to book, and no additional fee for the story sessions. Remember that Ruby Plants a Radish will also be available to buy in the West Wing Shop.

Paint a Plant Pot

24, 28 & 29 May | 10:30-12:00 & 13:00-14:30

Get creative this May Half Term and decorate a plant pot with a little help from our volunteers. Fun for all the family, everyone can get involved. The price of £5 is per plant pot. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Book your place here

Ruby Plants a Radish is brought to you by the kind permission of the publisher, Nosy Crow. Illustrations © Axel Scheffler 1997, 2023. Text © the beneficiaries of the Estate of Kate Petty 2023.

Planning your family visit

There are toilets, accessible toilets and baby changing facilities at the Welcome Point and on the lower ground floor of the West Wing near the second-hand bookshop.
The multi-use trail, Geraldine's, Erskine's and Albana walks are pushchair and buggy friendly.
Please note that when visiting the house, pushchairs will need to stay outside to protect the historic floors, but hip seats can be provided.
The team at the Welcome Point are always happy to provide maps and advice or point you in the right direction.
Bike hire and trailer hire is available from our cycle hub in the main carpark.

Explore the estate

Daily

Explore on two wheels

The cycle hub at Ickworth is located in the main carpark. It is open from Thursdays - Sundays and there are all sorts of bikes available to hire for different ages and abilities. There are also children's trailers for children who are older than 12 months and smaller than 1m 5cm tall. The friendly team will fit you out with a bike that suits you, a helmet if you need one, and direct you to the cycle-friendly routes.

Exploring on two wheels enables you to see a little more of the huge estate than you might have otherwise. There are lovely views of the parkland from the monument trail, which is the green route on the map.

Prices

£7 for two hours per bike or trailer (or £3.50 for balance bikes)

£14 for the full day per bike or trailer

Please note you cannot pre-book your bikes, the hub operates on a first come, first served basis.

Open 10:00 - 16:00. Last hire at 14:00

A visitor family waits to hire bikes at the cycle hub at Ickworth — The friendly cycle hub team will help kit you out with bikes | © James Dobson

Find our upcoming events

What to do when it's raining

We know that the British weather can often be unpredictable but we don't want to let a bit of rain spoil your visit to Ickworth. If you don't want to don your waterproofs and brave the rain then you can get out of it by visiting our hands-on and child-friendly basement in the historic house. You can open the drawers and discover the tools and materials that would have been used by the servants, seeing how they lived and worked. There are even some games you can try out in the servants' hall.

What to do when it's a bit warmer

We have plenty of shady spots to keep you cool in hot weather during your visit to Ickworth Estate:

The Servant's Quarters in the Basement are nice and cool and there's lots to keep youngsters entertained.
The Albana Walk is dense with trees and has plenty of leaf cover. There are always birds chirping and squirrels scampering around.
The outdoor seating area behind Porter's Lodge is great if you want to sit with a coffee or a bite to eat.
The Stumpery in the Italianate Garden offers cool dark relief from the sun when it's too hot. There are hardwood stumps, evergreen trees and shade loving ferns here all year round. (Sorry assistance dogs only).