When to visit the house
During the day
The front door opens at 12noon, and the first 45 minutes can be pretty busy. If you want a more relaxing visit with fewer people and more chance to chat to the volunteers then it might be worth leaving it until a bit later in the afternoon.
But don't leave it too late - the door closes at 4pm (during the summer season, 3pm in the winter), giving you an hour to go around the house before it closes. However if you love Morris, Pre-Raphaelite art or Art & Crafts you might need to set aside more than just an hour. We have 28 rooms to see over three floors, and they're all bursting with things to look at.
During the week
Unsurprisingly we are busiest on the weekends, especially Sundays - the gardens are a great place for families and there's a fun atmosphere through the house with the piano playing and billiard balls cracking. During really sunny weekends we sometimes even run out of parking (although that's rare). The weekdays are a bit more relaxed.
During the year
The beginning of the year is always a good time to visit if you enjoy taking your time and enjoying the art. From Boxing Day until the middle of February only the ground floor is open, but these rooms have the main art collection in them. We get busier from Easter onwards, and our popular children's trails and activities start running through the school holidays. We always try and have a smaller family trail in the house to match what we're doing outside.
The busiest times in the house are through July and August and at Christmas, and at these times we tend not to do as many formal introductions, instead leaving you to wander and enjoy at your own pace. Christmas is an especially magical time - our volunteers work really hard and in a day transform the house with traditional decorations.
