Things to do for families at Brockhampton

A father pushing a stroller, a mother holding a toddler, walking at Brockhampton Estate. — Family strolls at Brockhampton Estate | © Arnhel de Serra

Head to the great outdoors for a family expedition at Brockhampton. Whether you want to burn off steam along our orchard play trail or explore the history of the manor house, there is so much to discover at Brockhampton. Here are just a few suggestions of how you can spend a fun-filled family day out here.

Temporary Weekend Only Opening

Brockhampton will be closed Monday to Friday and open only on weekends while drive repairs are underway. Kindly drive carefully and slowly when entering on weekends. Check our opening times for details and explore our Christmas offerings.

Autumn adventures

Pick your own damsons

There's an orchard full of damsons waiting to be picked here at Brockhampton, perfect for jams, gins, chutneys, and plenty of other sweet treats. See more info below.

Harvest celebrations at Brockhampton

From Friday 22 to Sunday 30 September, join us to celebrate the harvest season at Brockhampton. Throughout the week, you can also observe various demonstrations, from apple pressing to jam making, as well as enjoying some artwork and entertainment throughout the orchards.

October half term

Explore the orchards along the Monstrous mushrooms trail and see if you can spot any giant fungi, finding out more about some of the fascinating species that grow in the UK.

Head to our events page to find out more about what’s on this autumn and plan your next visit to Brockhampton.

Damson harvest at Brockhampton

Brockhampton's damsons will be ready to harvest towards the end of August. Take part in this year's damson harvest at Brockhampton, grabbing a bag from Visitor Reception and picking your own fruit to take home with. In late August, the fruit will still be quite hard and have a more sour flavour, and will taste better when cooked or used in a gin.

If you'd prefer to pick damsons that taste sweeter and are more ripe on the trees, considered visiting from early/mid-September onwards.

When picking damsons, give the fruit a gentle squeeze - if it feels slightly soft and can be plucked from the branch with ease, then the fruit is ripe.

Mother and child sat on a bench with house in background at Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire — Mother and child sat on a bench with house in background at Brockhampton Estate | © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman

Orchard play trail

The orchard play trail is fun for all the family. Wind your way along the hard-standing, accessible orchard paths through the old and new orchards. Discover the largest orchards cared for by the National Trust, including 21 acres of newly planted fruit trees, which span three fields. Can you spot all of the wooden orchard sculptures, hidden among the long grass?

Step inside the apple core, designed by artist, Walter Jack. These five chambers house different fruit trees from around the world and visually describe the tale of the eating apple.

Run, jump and skip around the natural play equipment that you find along the way, including tunnels, stepping logs and more. Become the captain of the 'Hereford Bull' trow boat, which takes pride of place in the new orchards. Although you might be surprised to find a boat in the middle of the orchard, trows used to transport goods, such as fruit and cider, from Herefordshire down the River Severn and River Wye. Step aboard and imagine sailing down the river with your freshly harvested orchard apples.

Walking on the wider estate

You can download or take a photograph of the walks map of the estate if you feel like going a little further. The walks meander through woodlands, dingles, streams and orchards and consist of some great panoramic views at the top of the estate.

If you’re planning a woodland walk then keep your eyes peeled for deer and birds of prey such as red kites, buzzards and kestrels. Lawn Pool, on the yellow walk, is a great spot to stop and watch fish and closer to the manor, in the moat, you can sometimes see newts sunbathing on warm days, as well as the resident mallards and moorhens.

A family exploring inside the manor house at Brockhampton, Herefordshire — A family exploring inside the manor house at Brockhampton | © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

50 things to do before you’re 11¾

Another fun self-led thing to do is to download or print a copy of the National Trust’s ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ guide to bring along with you. Here there are 50 activities to try as a family outdoors which can be used over and over again.

Medieval manor house

Discover Brockhampton through the ages in the manor house. The house volunteers are always willing to tell you more about the history of the house.

There is plenty to keep your little ones entertained, including dressing up, playing with the model house and taking part in the free spotting trail every school holiday.

An older man raises a steaming hot drink in a takeaway cup up to his mouth

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Eating and Shopping at Brockhampton

Find out the places you can rest and refuel or treat yourself to a pre-loved book to take home at Brockhampton. From classic favourites in the café to pre-loved stories in the second-hand bookshop, every penny spent in the café or shop helps us to look after Brockhampton for future generations.