When I first realised that Compton Verney in Warwickshire is an art gallery, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be worth me doing a review for the blog! Would the kids enjoy it? Let’s face it, most art galleries aren’t top of a child’s to-visit list. Then I did a bit more research and they’ve got loads of kid-focused stuff there so I thought we’d go down and see for ourselves.
The gallery
Well, actually there are six permanent galleries at Compton Verney. Before you go into the galleries make sure you grab one of the activity packs. There are ones for ages 0-3, 4-5, Hidden treasure for ages 6+ and Exploring through drawing for ages 8+. We got the one for Smallest Child, which didn’t actually come into play until the top floors. The boys decided they didn’t want to take one on our first visit, but we tried the other kits out on our next visits.
The ground floor is probably the least interesting for children. That said we still found things that they liked and could talk about. Some of the more religious art is fairly graphic. Explaining why there was a dead baby on the floor in the judgement of Solomon was interesting! Middle Child wasn’t keen on some of the coral carvings. That opened up a whole debate about why people used materials like coral and ivory in the past, but we wouldn’t do it now. Honestly, this floor was a bit parenting intense!
Don’t worry, the rest of the galleries at Compton Verney are much more interesting for kids. There’s some pretty cool stuff in here, particularly the folk art galleries. I am a bit concerned that some of the artists don’t seem to ever have actually looked at sheep or cow before painting them! Rectangular sheep? Even I could do better than that!
The best bits of Compton Verney gallery for kids
First of all has to be the staff actually. They were great at engaging the kids and showing them things that they might be interested in. Every staff member we spoke to, which turned out to be quite a few, was really knowledgeable about the art on display.
Throughout the galleries there are various craft carts with activities to do that relate to that gallery.
Behind the Chinese gallery is a family and craft room which is wicked. Right up our street. We were in here for about half an hour before rumbling tummies made us move on. Little tip – maybe take your own glue sticks. That’s the only thing they’d run out of, but it was pretty essential to a lot of the things we wanted to make. Ultimately we got through a lot of masking tape instead.
There’s also a family room with instruments, books, mirrors and some other activities. This seemed to be somewhere they use for their family play sessions as well.
On the top floor you’ll find the Marx-Lambert galleries. In one of these there’s a cabinet with some comfy cushions and some pattern making games for the kids to do. This was another area where we ended up staying for ages. We were actually in the gallery for over 2 1/2 hours!
The grounds
The grounds here are incredibly family friendly. There’s so much to explore here. In fact, on our first visit to review Compton Verney we didn’t get to see it all. We’ll just have to go back! As well as lots of walks around the parkland and lakes, the gardens in general are good for a wander.
on the parkland they have massive art installations, which do change. The Village is fun for the kids to run around (but not climb on) and also links with the bee village in the back garden.
Near the lake you’ll find “nature’s art box” which is an area that has loads of natural materials for the kids to make their own artistic creations. Not just a cleaver name! There’s also a giant sand pit, which I knew about, but deliberately avoided this time because the weather was a bit rubbish. Somehow I didn’t fancy dealing with wet sand AND mud if I could avoid it. I had a sneak peak on our next visit and it’s actually four small sand pits with benches. Bring your own bucket & spade.
The one bit we did visit was the bird hide and pond dipping area. After my disaster at the CS Lewis Nature reserve I didn’t take the nets though –
The bird hide was good though. As well as look out over the lake, they’ve put a load of bird feeders up next to the bird hide so there’s pretty much always something to look at. Helpfully there’s also massive boards up with pictures of the birds you might spot. It just makes it more interesting for the kids. Keep an eye out of the den building area next door as well!
The playground
Compton Verney has got a small woodland playground area hidden behind the car park. This is also where the forest school and the labyrinth is. It was muddy as hell when we visited and this is very much a woodland playground so the kids will get grubby here. Go prepared! There’s a couple of swings, a den, zip line, climbing frame and activity trail. It’s not a huge playground, but it does the job.
The forest school at Compton Verney looks epic! They run sessions on a regular basis, particularly during the school holidays. It costs £7 per child (price correct when this review of Compton Verney was published). We’ll have to try and book into one. Just behind the forest school is the labyrinth for the kids to explore as well.
Our Compton Verney Review
They have gone out of their way to make Compton Verney as family friendly as possible, both inside and out. There’s loads for the kids to explore outside and they have tried really hard to engage the kids in the gallery as well. We were there for most of the day, and in not great weather, and I know there is still lots that we haven’t seen. The great thing is that we can use our membership to go back! If your kids are into nature or art then this is a great place to visit!
Admission cost
First up – Kids go FREE! £17 (£18.70 with gift aid) gives access to the grounds, galleries and exhibitions. There’s no longer a cheaper ticket that excludes access to the exhibition.
All prices quoted in this review are correct on the date of publication but please visit the Compton Verney website for the most up to date prices.
Compton Verney review update – since our first visit they have changed how their membership scheme works. The guest passes have gone for single membership, there’s now a cheaper auto-renew option and you can get either joint or member + guest. We were able to visit 3 times a year as a family for £37. Now we would have to get £75 joint membership (or the £60 auto-renew option).
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Free on-site parking
Address – Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park, Warwickshire. CV35 9HZ
Toilets
On-site, including baby change
Food
Cafe on-site, and food carts in the grounds. Picnics welcome
What else is there to do nearby?
Compton Verney is only 12 minutes away from Upton House and just 7 minutes away from Charlecote Park. Baddesley Clinton and Packwood House are both less than half an hour away as well. Unlike Compton Verney, all of these are National Trust properties so NT members can visit for free! Warwick Castle, the Children’s Play Village and Kenilworth Castle are all nearby as well.
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook
