Cliveden House Gardens

KidRated’s Cliveden House Gardens Top Tips:

• To see Cliveden House too, check the website to book timed tickets in advance on selected days
• Bring a picnic to enjoy outside
• Under 11 3/4? Pick up your free ’50 things to do before you’re 11 3/4′ for some great outdoor suggestions

The Cliveden National Trust Gardens are a series of magnificent gardens overlooking the River Thames. Cliveden House and its gardens were originally built in 1666 by the 2^nd Duke of Buckingham, George Villiers. After housing several generations as a private estate, Cliveden’s House and Gardens have been open to the public since the 1960s. The gardens are open all year round, with a range of attractions to please all the family.

Gorgeous sights such as floral displays and statues adorn the gardens. Walking along avenues encompassed with trees or getting lost in wilderness on a woodland walk will help you truly retreat into nature for the day. Kids will love spotting wood carvings of their favourite storybook characters in the Storybook Play Den. Visit the woodland play trail to test your climbing and balancing on logs, stepping stones, balance beams and rope swings. For an even greater challenge, try to wind your way through the incredible Cliveden Maze, whose paths twist and turn across 500m.

Make sure to check for special events, from supervised tree climbing and zip-wiring to outdoor theatre performances.

Cliveden House itself is open on Thursday or Sunday afternoons in summer, but most of the time functions as a luxury hotel. However, the Doll’s House Café is the perfect dining spot for families: here, you can make your own pick and mix picnic boxes – making it ideal for families with even the most fussy of eaters!

Booking Advice:

• Pay on arrival. There is a small additional charge for a timed house tour
• The maze can get busy during peak times