I’m not supposed to be writing this review of Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill just yet. I have reviews of other places we’ve visited that aren’t written up yet but this place was so good I wanted to tell you all about it before the half term holidays are over. If you’ve not come across it yet, Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill is a National Trust property near Cambridge. It’s about 1hr 30/45mins from Aylesbury and it’s worth every single mile!
Anglesey Abbey is easily one of the best National Trust properties for kids that I know of! Especially if your kids like outdoors & wild play.
Hoe Fen Woodland Play and Wildlife Discovery Area
Although the Hoe Fen Woodland Play is mentioned a few times on the National Trust website, I really don’t think they make enough of this. We spent three hours playing in the two woodland play areas at this end of the gardens. And that was in February; it was dry and sunny but not exactly warm. There is so much to do!
In order to get there it is about a 20/25 minute walk from the main visitor centre. That said, it’s a fairly gentle walk through pretty woodland that is packed full of snowdrops at this time of year (with tons of daffodils to come by the looks of it). Along the way there’s plenty of opportunities for climbing up trees, building dens and walking along fallen logs. Whilst the promise of getting to the woodland play area was a good motivator for keeping the kids moving, there was enough to keep them entertained and happy along the way.
Leaping Logs
The first time we visited Anglesea Abbey to do a review they have a log trail here and it was AMAZING. My kids spent so long playing on it during our first visit that I couldn’t wait to take them back. This is what it looked like before;
And this is what it looks like now! Honestly I’m so disappointed. They’re ruined it.
The Treehouse
This is one bit that is highlighted on the Anglesey Abbey website, and I’d assumed it would be a big part of the review. In reality I was a bit underwhelmed if I’m honest. It’s just a couple of platforms. When you get up there there’s nothing to do, and I think I was expecting something within the treehouse, but there’s nothing. Most people were only up there for a few minutes, ourselves included. The best thing we saw from up there was the main play area – the kids couldn’t wait to get down there!
The Play Area
Since our first visit and review of Anglesea Abbey they have refurbished the play area. Last time they had a massive haystack which was where everyone was playing. There was so much collaborative play and they were on there for about 45 minutes. But it’s gone! There seems to be a bit of a theme to this review, the best bits of the playgrounds at Anglesea Abbey are gone.
What they do have from before is the wooden fort, which is now the most popular bit of equipment, and what has to be the least wobbly bridge in the world. They’ve also added in a climbing frame, swings and nest swing.
The general consensus is that this is a a really good playground. Possibly one of the best National Trust ones, although nothing will compare to Belton House. We were in here for 90 minutes today, which is slightly less than last time.
Wildlife discovery area
After the roaring success of the Woodland Play area I had to practically drag the kids away kicking and screaming so we could look around the Wildlife Discovery area. As the name implies, this is more about wildlife than playing. The discovery cabin seems to be their education room, possibly used for school trips? There’s also an insect hotel, pond and watch hut. Generally, it’s a really nice walk through the woodland area. It’s a bit quieter than the play area so you’re more likely to be able to spot some wildlife.
There is a little bit of a play area along the way though with these balance beams;
The best bit for us was the den building area. Helped by the fact that someone had previously built an epic den, we had such a good time in this area. There was a good range of branches to use, and there were plenty of them. They were mostly nice & dry and a variety of lengths so you really could get stuck in. There were 6 or 7 decent sized dens that had been constructed, and there were still logs to spare.
Our den was not neat, but it was made with love and buckets of enthusiasm, including by Smallest Child. It really was just the perfect way to spend the day after being cooped up in all the recent storms. Both boys came over to me and said, quite genuinely, that they were having the best day ever *sob*.
Anglesey Abbey Gardens and Lode Mill
The first time I wrote my review of Anglesey Abbey I didn’t really explore the gardens that much, and we didn’t get to look around the mill. This time we got to explore more of the gardens. They are MASSIVE. Mostly grass and trees TBH but they also have lots of sculptures, particularly of naked men! You have been warned! We still didn’t get inside the mill though.
The gardens are famous for their snowdrops, but they also look stunning in the autumn. Everywhere you go there’s really pretty views like this;
Review of The House at Anglesey Abbey
Biggest Child declared it couldn’t be an Abbey because it doesn’t look like a church! I explained that Abbeys don’t really look like that but I’m not sure I convinced him. Any ho…. The house is really lovely. When it was left to the National Trust in 1966 it was under the strict instructions that everything had to remain the same. Nothing could be sold, nothing could be added to, nothing could be moved and nothing that was in storage could be put out on display. Apparently this is really frustrating because there’s some beautiful things visitors just don’t get to see!
The family still live in part of the house, but there are a really good number of rooms open. The library is beautiful. I’m so jealous. I want one like that! There’s lots of Tudor portraits around including the earliest known portrait of Henry VIII! You guys know I love the Tudors so that was pretty special.
The house had some of the most engaged and pleasant volunteers I’ve met recently. In pretty much every room the room guides were actively talking to visitors. There was no just sitting in the corner making sure no-one sat down! If they weren’t currently talking to anyone they’d seek people out (not in an annoying or intrusive way thankfully). They were really knowledgeable and definitely added to the day. They were all really good with the kids too.
There’s a Domestic Wing as you’re on your way out. I always enjoy looking around “below stairs” because, let’s face it it’s where I would have been rather than above stairs!!! There’s some delightful hanging pheasants and rabbits in one room. The kids thought they were real. They’re not.
Admission Cost
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Peak 2-adult family ticket £41.30 (including donation), off-peak family ticket £27.50. Off-peak 1-adult family ticket £24.80 (including donation), off-peak family ticket £16.50.
Parking / How to get there
There is free on-site parking, but it can get very busy, particularly during snowdrop season and school holidays. We arrived at 11 and the overflow parking was well over half full already. If you’re travelling any distance I’d recommend getting there as early as possible.
Address – Quy Road, Lode, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB25 9EJ. Once you’re close enough, follow the brown signs rather than Sat Nav. Lode should be enough for you to find your way.
Toilets
There are toilets and baby change in the visitors centre and house. It’s a 15/20 minute walk from the playground to the house and a 20/25 minute walk to the visitor centre. That’s it. Trust me, if you need the loo it’s a VERY long walk.
Food
Picnics are welcome and there’s loads of seating. In the summer there are some great picnic spots! There’s also tons of sheltered benches so even in autumn there’s space for a picnic. There’s a cafe in the welcome centre. Again, it can be busy but food was nice and we were served quickly. Can get muddy in winter.
Our Anglesey Abbey, Gardens and Lode Mill Review
As I mentioned before I’m going to have to update this review of Anglesey Abbey once I’ve been back because we still didn’t get to see everything. What we did see we really enjoyed though. Even though they’ve taken away some of my favourite bits in the playground, it’s still a really good playground. Both times we’ve been we’ve been here for five hours. That’s pretty good going.
Top tip – it does get quite muddy so wellies are a must! Take your lunch with you because the gardens are large so it would take you ages to pop back to the car to get lunch. Don’t forget Wimpole Hall is also nearby. Why not visit there too if you have the time??
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