This year the National Trusts’ Christmas trail is Percy the Park Keeper’s Winter Wander. Most of the National Trust properties across the UK are doing it, although not all of them are. In Bucks, Beds, Oxon & Herts you’ll find trails at; Hughenden Manor, Cliveden, Stowe, Grey’s Court, Dunstable Downs, Basildon Park, Upton House and more. Although the basics of the trail are the same, from what I’ve seen some locations have put in a LOT more effort than others!
The trail is based on the characters from the Percy the Park Keeper books so involves lots of woodland creatures. The premise is that you’re helping Percy and his friends to look after nature around the gardens. When you buy your trail you’re given a leaflet, a hat and a bag. I didn’t realise that the bag is actually the prize so you might want to hide it until the end as a reward.
The route
The route that you will take varies from location to location, but the leaflets are all the same! Spot an issue!?! They’re not a trail map, they’re just a list of what you’re looking out for. Generally each location will have chosen a reasonable length, buggy friendly route for their Percy the Park Keeper Winter Wander trails. We did our trail at Stowe and we were told that there’s no set route to follow, which is actually non-sense. Also at the beginning of the trail you can go one of three ways. Left is the correct way. Right takes you to the end and kind of slightly to your right takes you the longest way possible but there was no arrow sign at all. It was purely luck that we went left. I’ve seen reviews at other locations and they seem a bit more organised though.
You’re following boards to see what each one of Percy’s friends needs you to do to give nature a hand. For younger kids I think a fair amount of this will go straight over their heads, but they like spotting the characters and didn’t really care that much about what was on the boards. The story was too young for the older kids, but they were quite happy to do the activities we were asked to do.
How long is the trail?
You’ll find seven stations along the route. There are also a couple of activity stations with games for the kids to play. These were a big hit. It appears that these also vary by location, which I think it quite cool. We actually missed part of the route at Stowe so we only found one of the games, which was wheelbarrow racing. I know that Cliveden has welly wanging and covered wheelbarrows with holes in where you have to guess what’s inside.
We took about 45 minutes to do the Stowe trail, with a reasonable amount of dawdling, but also skipping a section of the route by mistake. If you’re going to Hughenden that will be shorter because it’s so much smaller.
What’s the prize?
Inside the bag you get a letter from Percy thanking you for your help (hence keep it until the end), a postcard, bookmark and pack of pencils. It’s all plastic free which I like. There’s no pink pencil in the pack which Smallest Child was most put out by! You need to sort that out out NT!! Don’t forget this is on top of your paper Percy’s hat.
Our Percy the Park Keeper’s Winter Wander review
Even if the kids aren’t that interested in the activities from the main boards themselves just having them there keeps the kids interested in the walk. They just like being able to spot the next one really and don’t necessarily care what’s on it! I actually think Smallest Child preferred the Peter Rabbit trail last year. Possibly because she knows those characters more. But I also seem to remember that the tasks the kids had to do for that were a bit more engaging. Or maybe that’s just me misremembering?
I’m a big supporter of the NT so it pains me to say this, but I’m also a big supporter of good value for money. You really don’t need to buy the pack in order to do the trail. When we arrived I spotted another mum with the bags and asked where she’d got them from as I’d been told the wrong place to buy them (not a great start!). The first thing she said to me was that they weren’t really worth the money. Sadly I’d already promised Smallest Child that we’d get one, but at least I knew not to bother getting one for Middle and Biggest. The purpose of the pack is to get the prize and to support the NT, which for the price isn’t bad at all.
Admission cost
£2 per participating child. Standard admission prices apply. Admission is free for NT members. Family membership starts at just £10.50 per month. Find out more about joining here (affiliate link)
Click here for lots of other Christmas events and what’s on guides
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
