Visiting Uppark when we reopen: everything you need to know

Visiting as a family

Uppark is a great place for families to connect with nature, get active and learn about the history of the house.

Key facts for family visits:

• The south meadow is the area for children's ball games and kite flying – please do not fly kites near the scaffolding on the house
• It's also a great place for a wildlife walk
• There's a picnic area with benches, but you can picnic anywhere in the grounds
• Children are welcome on tours of the house; guides will do their best to tailor the tour for the whole family
• You can take pushchairs around the grounds but not into the house
• There are baby-changing facilities in the accessible toilet by the bookshop

 Find out more about visiting Uppark as a family.

Christmas

Christmas at Uppark will return this year, from 7 December to 24 December.

There will be no guided tours and no need to book in advance, but you will need to buy a ticket or show your National Trust membership card.

We'll announce more details about this in September.

Cyclists

Cyclists can now bring their bikes into the grounds at Uppark.

There is a bike rack for 8 bikes in the main car park. Bikes are left at the owners’ risk. Alternatively, bikes can be taken with you into the garden, but we ask that you dismount first. Bikes are not allowed in the tunnels or house. 

Several cycling routes, including the South Downs Way, connect to or pass by Uppark, so you can stop off on your journey to enjoy the grounds and gardens or even take a guided tour of the house.

Walking at Uppark

We've made changes and improvements to our offering for walkers at Uppark.

Our leisurely Meadow Walk now features new information boards with details of wildlife and nature to look out for, as well as the best places to stop and enjoy views across the South Downs towards the Solent.

A new larger walk will take advantage of rights of way routes around Uppark.

Walkers can also use Uppark as a place to join the South Downs Way, for access to many more miles of routes, or as a tranquil place to stop off on one of those longer walks.

We’re working in partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority to build a map of local walks, to help you find the best routes for you.

The woodland at Uppark is now closed, along with the woodland walk, as the steps to access it were unsafe and had to be removed.

Accessibility

There are six designated Blue Badge parking spaces at the top of the car park, no more than 250 metres from the house, and two more spaces directly outside the house. There is also a designated drop-off point outside the house.

There are wheelchairs available at Uppark – we recommend pre-booking these by emailing uppark@nationaltrust.org.uk

There's ramped access to the Visitor Reception at Uppark. Tours of the house are accessible, except for the final display in the Lower Servants Hall. Assistance dogs are welcome. There's a small amount of seating in each room of the house.

We have a portable induction loop in the house. With notice, we can arrange a BSL guided tour of the house.

In the gardens, there are new fully accessible routes around the Wide Glade, Gothic Seat and East Pavillion, and several seating areas.

There is an accessible toilet next to the bookshop and one in the basement of the mansion, via the lift.

The house team at Uppark are trained to support safe evacuation for people with access needs.

Food and drink

There will be an outlet serving refreshments at Uppark, with indoor seating in the East Pavilion and the usual outdoor seating on the lawn.

You're also welcome to bring your own picnic. There's a picnic area with benches on the green opposite Visitor Reception, but you're free to picnic anywhere around the grounds.

Second-hand bookshop

There is a second-hand bookshop in the East Pavilion.

We've restocked the bookshop, so look out for a wide range of pre-loved titles new to the shelves.

Toilets

There are toilet facilities outside next to Visitor Reception and in the Tunnels, via the East Pavilion.

There are accessible toilets by the bookshop and, via a lift, in the basement.

There are baby-changing facilities in the bookshop toilet.

Bringing dogs to Uppark

Dogs are welcome anywhere in the gardens and grounds at Uppark when kept on a short lead. They're not allowed in the house, except for assistance dogs.

We have water bowls and dog waste bins on site and all our walks are dog friendly. 

Find out more about visiting Uppark with your dog. 

What improvement work has been done at Uppark?

During the closure, we made a number of essential improvements to the infrastructure at Uppark.

We fitted a new fire alarm system and emergency lighting, improved CCTV and security systems, replaced our aging boilers and installed a new drinking water system. 

We upgraded the heating system in the house: a first step towards providing the stable conditions that will help protect Uppark's historic collections.

We also carried out a major project to replace the sewage system at Uppark, connecting it to the mains at South Harting for the first time. 

Along with these vital works, we completed a number of smaller indoor and outdoor conservation and renovation projects while Uppark was closed, including new planting throughout the wide glade, decorating the bookshop and Golden Gate kiosk and a small refurbishment of the tunnel toilets.

Is there still work going on?

The main work has been completed but we are now carrying out some additional conservation joinery and external decoration to the south face of the house.

This means there will be some scaffolding on this side of the building until October 2025.

Once complete, this extra work will improve the look of this side of the house and will help to preserve Uppark for the future.

Contractors will be working on site on weekdays until 4.30pm. You may notice some noise from the work during your visit.

There's currently no work planned at weekends but it's possible this could change if there are unavoidable delays to the schedule.