Since my first review of Claydon House in Buckinghamshire the National Trust (or possibly the family that own Claydon) have completely changed how everything works on-site! There used to be a separate charge for the house and the gardens, even for NT members. Now it’s all one price.
One thing that Claydon House is famous for is the connections it has with Florence Nightingale. She was related to the owners by marriage and was a regular visitor. That’s why she helped design The Royal Bucks hospital in Aylesbury.
The house
Claydon House is one of those properties that the National Trust have largely left in an “as is” state. The paint is peeling in places and there are cracks. There’s not a whole ton of furniture in many of the rooms. But don’t think that means they’re all an empty shell with bare walls, because that also isn’t the case.
One of the rooms that is fully furnished is Florence Nightingales’ bedroom. It’s set up how it (apparently) was when she was staying there. One thing you will notice is that this review doesn’t have any photos in it, because Claydon House don’t allow photography. The best I can do is this photo of the outside;
The top floor has a very eclectic mini museum. There’s all kind of things that have been collected from around the world.
The gardens
The gardens at Claydon House are really quite small for a house of this size! When you had to pay separately for the gardens much more of them were open. Now there’s just a large lawn (although TBF I’d be more than happy if it was my lawn) and a small border garden.
There are a couple of public rights of way within the grounds of Claydon House that you can explore as well.
How family friendly is Claydon House?
TBH of all the National Trust properties in the local area, Claydon House is probably the least family friendly. There’s not a huge amount for them to see in the house, and the gardens are so small. I don’t expect there to be a children’s play area, in fact Stowe is really family friendly and they don’t have a playground, but there’s not really a family vibe.
We were only on site for about 2 hours, and that included stopping for a quick picnic. We didn’t eat in the cafe this time, but I have had cake there before. It’s not run by the National Trust and it was so long ago I cannot remember if it was any good or not!
This review of Claydon House is based on our experiences at the time of our visit. Things can change over time, including the facilities available. If you have any specific requirements such as access it’s always best to check with the site directly before visiting. If anything I’ve said in this review is no longer accurate then please do let me know. Thank you.
Our Claydon House review
Despite being one of the closest National Trust properties to us, I’ve only been here a couple of times. It really doesn’t have that much to see or do here. It’s nice to tick it off the list, but I won’t rush back in a hurry,
Admission cost
2A + 4C = £27.50 / 1A + 4C = £16.50. National Trust members go free (Affiliate link)
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Free, on-site
Address – Middle Claydon, near Buckingham, Buckinghamshire, MK18 2EY
Toilets
On-site
Food
Picnics allowed, cafe on-site
What else is there to do nearby?
Waddesdon Manor is just down the road and you can easily spend a full day there. There’s also the Bucks Railway Centre and Hogshaw Farm & Wildlife Park.
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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
