Family-friendly things to do at Coughton Court

Through the Roof: FuturepROOFing Coughton Court

The new house experience now opened allows visitors to investigate and learn about the people that lived at Coughton Court and transformed the architecture to what it can been seen as today. Explore the Panelled Dining Room absorbing the information about the people and the collection in more detail. Have fun with interactive activities for all ages and get up close to the delicate chandeliers in the Saloon watching them sparkle in a new light display plus don't forget to share your historical dress up pictures with us.

From the 29 February visitors are invited to immerse themselves into the new interactive Through the Roof exhibition. Located in the Coach House visitors can dive deeper into the £3.3 million project learning all about the behind the scenes secrets. Hear from the experts that are supporting the project in the new behind the scenes video. Explore life as a Coughton Court bat in the new bat cave complete with sounds and smells. Get up close to various samples used from the project including bricks, slates and tiles. Plus there are plenty of interactive activities all ages can get involved with finding the historical people on the Tabula Eliensis, taking part in the Coughton Court coin drop and making your very own Coughton Court bat to take home.

For information regarding the Through the Roof project head over to the page 'Through the Roof Project - Future pROOFing Coughton' which we be updating regularly with news and updates from the project as it progress as well as updates on what you can expect from your visit.

Every penny spent at Coughton helps us to look after and support the care of this special place. Thank you for your support.

Planning your family visit

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

• Baby-changing facilities are located in the stable yard
• There are gravel paths throughout the garden
• Hot and cold drinks, light snacks and soft scoop ice cream are available in the café
• Picnic areas are located next to the stable yard and car park.

Dying Matters Week

As part of the ongoing partnership with the Myton Hospices, Coughton Court are partnering with them again this year for Dying Matters taking place between 6 May – 12 May*. Visitors during this week can use wood roundels taken from the estate to leave a personalised message for a lost loved one. These will be displayed along our memorial walkway, where visitors can hang their roundel leading into the Little Orchard where they can take a moment to pause and reflect. On the 15 May, anyone that has left a message on their wood roundel will be invited to come and collect it from its place on the memorial walkway as a keepsake to remember their lost loved one at home. *Please note that 7 May is a normal closed day the site will also be closed on 11 May due to a Throckmorton family day.

Coming soon

• This spring scale new heights with our visitor scaffolding, experience this once in lifetime opportunity to learn about the Through the Roof: FuturepROOFing Coughton Court in new ways by observing the work taking place, witness the stunning views of the Alcester countryside and see how fast your coin can land at the bottom of the scaffolding with our all new coin drop.
• Join us at Coughton Court on the 1 June where PIF PAF will be performing SEED also affectionately known as the ‘slug’ show. SEED is a one-man, high action comedy show which tells the story of Wilford, a tree-planting, rockabilly anarcho nomad. There will be performing throughout the day for selected performances these are free for visitors but normal admission fee applies for non-members
• Come, watch and sing-a-long to one of your favourite films in the grounds of Coughton Court this June. We're showing The Greatest Showman (28 June), Mamma Mia (29 June) and Grease (30 June) . So warm up those vocal chords, don't forget to bring snacks, a comfy seat and blanket whilst you seat back and relax during these summer nights. Book your tickets here - Coughton Court | Outdoor Cinema in Alcester (adventurecinema.co.uk
• The Lord Chamberlain’s Men invite you to join them this summer for the timeless Shakespeare classic, Hamlet this July at Coughton Court. This open air theatre performance is by an all-male cast in Elizabethan costumes, music and dance. Book your tickets here - Hamlet at Coughton Court event tickets from TicketSource

To find out more information about Coughton Court’s upcoming events at Events at Coughton Court (nationaltrust.org.uk)

Sensory Backpacks

We want to make everyone's visit as enjoyable and comfortable as we can so we've recently introduced sensory backpacks free to borrow during your visit here. They include noise reduction headphones, sunglasses, fidget toys and communication cards.

Please chat to a member of the Welcome Team to find out more.

Family-friendly things to do in the garden

The Throckmorton family of Coughton Court spent long days relaxing by the river, playing garden games and spending quality time together, and a family day out here allows you to follow in their footsteps.

There are lots of adventures to be had, from spotting birds on the riverside walk and discovering ancient woodland, to seeing what's growing around the garden.

Enjoy a peaceful stroll along the lakeside and don’t forget to explore the giant plants growing in the bog garden, and there's lots of wildlife to look out for along the riverbanks.

'50 things to do before you're 11¾'

Pick up a '50 things to do before you're 11¾' booklet from visitor reception and start ticking off the activities you can do here at Coughton. From creating wild art to playing pooh sticks over the river, there ae lots of activities to tick off. Here are a few recommendations to get you started:

No. 4 Build a den

If you go over to the woods today you can try den building. There are lots of branches lying around so please don't pull any off the trees. Can you build one big enough to get into?

No. 7 Fly a kite

Cross over the river bridge towards Timm's Grove and there's a wide open field just right to practise flying your kite. Will yours fly?

No. 18 Create some wild art

Take a look at all the beautiful things lying around. Can you make a picture or a sculpture from them? Twigs can make a really artistic frame. Take a photo and maybe even print it out when you get home.

No. 19 Play Pooh sticks

There are several bridges here that you can use, one is by the ford which is on the family walk. Check which way the water is flowing before you throw.

No. 31 Make friends with a bug

Bugs often hide from predators so you have to hunt for them. Try turning over a piece of bark or moving some fallen leaves to see what you can find.

Timm's Grove

Over in the woodland discover the natural play trail where a lot of activity has taken place over winter with new stepping logs, a music wall and a mud kitchen. If you want to extend your walk head across the fields to the ford and see if you can spot any wildlife there before returning to Coughton.