Sudbury Hall

Sudbury Hall and the Museum of Childhood are a great day out for the whole family. This 17^th century hall is fascinating and full of exquisite carvings and beautiful paintings. The room stewards in the hall are friendly and so knowledgeable, every single room has interesting features. The Museum of Childhood is a delight for all ages, it really brings out the child in us all with plenty of displays and activities. The outdoor woodland play area by the lake is also perfect for children. I would also recommend a look round All Saints Church yard (not National Trust) which can be reached through a secret blue door in the garden wall (this door was magical when I was a kid — still is!) For food there is tea room, quite nice but over priced. There is also the Vernon Arms pub across the road but this is also average, my advice — bring a picnic! Sudbury village itself is also gorgeous for a walk round.

Sudbury Hall is National Trust property in the heart of Derbyshire. The car park is a fairly large marshalled area, on the opposite side of the road to the house, so there is a small walk to the house (disabled parking is to the rear of the house). The car park does fill up quickly though, so to avoid being shepherded onto the overspill field, get there for mid morning. The walk to the Hall snakes through the grounds, which are punctuated with mature trees like sweet chestnut and ash. The hall itself is a very impressive building with an imposing façade, which has been kept in magnificent condition.
The path then splits, one side takes you to a church, whilst the other takes you into a courtyard of sorts, which houses the café, shops and the Museum of Childhood. There is also a temporary marquee, in which for small fee, you can learn a craft. Beyond this area is sizeable area of gardens and the front of the hall, which made for some great photographs. The grounds are well kept, but be aware that they are adjacent to large lake, frequented by Canada Geese and Swans, so tread carefully to avoid their numerous droppings!
The café at Sudbury Hall is fairly large with both outdoor and indoor seating, with indoors having two levels. A good range of both hot and cold dishes, as with most National Trust properties, strawberry desserts, soups, casseroles, flapjacks etc. I plumped for what was obviously a homemade cheese scone, looked great, tasted awful, because it was way too salty. I can eat most things, but this was quickly put to one side, just proves looks can be deceptive!
I was a bit sceptical about the Museum of Childhood being less than impressive, but I’m glad to report that these fears where unfounded. It was a fascinating insight into the history of toys and childhood, which worked with everybody because being young or old, there were toys here that sparked the memories. In the main room there was also three bedrooms from around the 1940s, 1970s and 1990s, stuck to the ceiling, a great use of space! One thing that struck me as we finished our visit was how well old toys were made in the past, rather than the built in obsolescence of today’s counterparts.

National Trust property situated in Sudbury, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire. This beautiful 17^th century house is well worth a visit. The house itself is beautiful, as is the Museum of Childhood. My favourite though is the gardens which back on to a river.
There’s a small gift shop and tea room or take a picnic. It’s free to park but about £6 for adults to visit the house and garden, or just over a pound for just the garden. National Trust members get in free.