We had a free trip to a National Trust property, using their autumn free pass. A friend recommended here and since it was a fair drive I was a bit concerned it may not go down as well as some others such as Belton House or Nostell because it doesn’t have an adventure playground but it was a really good one! The site consisted of the Workhouse, the Infirmary, a cafe and a shop. We started in the Workhouse, where the Victorian poor sought refuge. They had a digital guide which the older two enjoyed using – they needed to find a spot in most rooms which activated them when held on top and it would tell them some information about that room or a topic related to the room. It really was an interesting place to look around and learn about the people who lived there and their lives there.

When we’d looked around here, before going to the infirmary, we found some outdoor games in the outside area such as quoits, noughts and crosses, and a bat and ball swing game with a couple of picnic tables. The kids enjoyed some time playing here. It would be a nice spot for a picnic.

Following this break, we looked around the infirmary which wasn’t as big as the workhouse. We saw the ‘Knittingale Hospital’ which was amazing – a lady in her 90s had knitted a model hospital during the Covid pandemic including details such as trees and flowers. A really good visit to another National Trust property. We have had a membership in the past and I’m sure we will again. This was definitely an interesting one and made us feel very lucky!