Things to see and do at the Sherborne Estate

Adult and child stop to look into the pond at Lodge Park, Gloucestershire — Visitors looking into the pond at Lodge Park | © National Trust Images / Trevor Ray Hart

Nestled in the Cotswold countryside, Lodge Park and the Sherborne Estate are just waiting to be discovered. Immerse yourself in history by exploring Lodge Park's deer park, grandstand, historic collections and the parkland designed by Charles Bridgeman. Venture further onto the Sherborne Estate to enjoy walks, take in the views and spot wildlife including endangered birds and otters.

Things to see and do at Lodge Park

Lodge Park's Stuart grandstand

Lodge Park is England’s only surviving and arguably most opulent 17th century grandstand. Created in 1634 by John ‘Crump’ Dutton, Lodge Park indulged his passion for gambling, banqueting and entertaining.

The building has been modified many times over the years and questions remain about who's responsible for the remodels.

Balcony views

Explore this fascinating building and soak up its rich history. Take in expansive views of the park land surrounding Lodge Park from the balcony, and see how the landscape has changed since the grandstand was first built.

The deer park

There was already a park here when John 'Crump' Dutton inherited the estate in 1618, but he soon set about enclosing it. A warrant signed by Oliver Cromwell in 1655 allowed him to take bucks and roes from Wychwood Forest to fill this new park. The gentry used to hold brutish deer coursing events here with the grandstand at the centre.

The Sherborne collection at Lodge Park

Lodge Park houses the best of the Sherborne collection. Inherited from Lord Sherborne in 1982, its highlights include two chancellor’s chests, Kent furniture and family portraits.

Discover the fascinating architecture of the building, such as the fireplace in the Great Hall, wood panelling and original kitchen features.

Bridgeman's landscape at Lodge Park

In 1726, renowned landscape designer Charles Bridgeman redesigned the parkland at Lodge Park. Although very little of his planting remains today, his designs are still largely intact.

Rare surviving Bridgeman landscape

In fact, this is the only surviving Bridgeman landscape not to have been overlaid by the better-remembered designers William Kent and Capability Brown.

Follow the footpaths to the rear of Lodge Park and take in the stunning landscape.

View from inside the Great Room looking out through open doors into the park at Lodge Park, Gloucestershire — View from the Great Room at Lodge Park | © National Trust Images / Nadia Mackenzie

Walking on the Sherborne Estate

There are three waymarked walking routes to choose from, varying from 30 minutes and 2.5 hours. Leaflets showing the walks can be found in the Ewe Pen Barn, which is situated next to the car park.

Sherborne village

Sherborne is a small and scenic village, including a village shop and tea-room (not National Trust). The family walk will take you through the village past the shop, as well as through woodland and parkland.

From the Watermeadows car park there are a series of paths to explore. This area has a lot of wildlife including kingfishers and you may spot signs of an otter visiting too.

Path improvement work

Work has nearly finished on improving access on the estate, including improving the paths and waymarking. By the end of the work, the paths will have better surfacing and will be able to be used all year round.

While the team finish these works, diversions will be in place so please follow the signs during your visit.

Wildlife on the Sherborne Estate

The Sherborne estate is home to a wide array of wildlife, including raptors and birds.

Wetland birds

On the restored 17th century water meadows, a spectacular environment for water birds has been created. Look closely at the rivers and the fields nearby and you'll find lots of common and rare wetland birds – from kingfishers to the occasional osprey – thanks to the work of the ranger team and partners.

Winter ducks

If you look closely at the ducks on the rivers you might spot the brown heads of wigeon among the regular mallards. Together with teal, these are winter visitors who add variety to the heron, egrets, swans and other water birds.

An egret wading in the shallows — An egret wading in water | © National Trust Images / Hilary Daniel

Little egrets

Looking like a small heron with white plumage, little egrets were once very rare visitors but can now be found fairly commonly in southern England. This is possibly because of rising temperatures due to climate change. As well at Little Egrets, Sherborne Park also receives occasional visits from the rarer Great White Egret.

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Farmland birds

Changes in traditional farming techniques and habitat loss means feathered friends have been in rapid decline in many places.

Skylark populations have more than halved since the 1980s and linnets and corn buntings have unfortunately found a place on the red list of endangered birds.

Dedicated habitats

Bucking this downward trend is Sherborne Park Estate, which has shown how sustainable farming can help welcome these traditional birds back to our farmland.

Parts of the estate have been dedicated to creating habitats in which the birds can safely nest, feed and breed. As a result, these species are beginning to make a comeback.

Yellowhammer

This songful bird can often be seen perched upon a hedgerow, singing its joyful melodies. Its bright yellow head and underbody makes it stand out from the crowd and will brighten up any countryside walk. By maintaining hedgerows, ditches and margins for nesting and ensuring a supply of seeds and insects, they can often be seen at Sherborne Estate.

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Birds of prey

The Sherborne Park Estate is a haven for birds of prey, also known as raptors. The variety of habitats on the estate mean that different species can be seen in different locations.

Wherever you are, the chances are high that you’re being watched by a pair of powerful eyes. Look up at the sky anywhere on the estate and you’re likely to see buzzards or kites soaring overhead.

Barn owl, perched in early evening at Orford Ness, Suffolk — A barn owl in the early evening | © National Trust Images / Andrew Capell

Barn owls

Barn owls are best seen at dusk, hovering over field margins and rough grassland. Known as the ghost-bird, they almost seem translucent or glow soft white in the half-light. Their bodies appear front-heavy and their wings broad, but specialised feathers on the legs and wings mean they hardly make a sound when flying, which is useful for hunting small mammals with good hearing.

A juvenile hobby perched in a tree — A young hobby | © National Trust Images / Jim Bebbington

Hobbies

Hobbies are the classic ‘falcon’ shape with long pointed wings, but they’re quite small compared to other birds of prey – in fact they can look like small peregrine falcons. They will occasionally hunt on the ground but most of their prey is caught ‘on the wing’, with their agility and rapid acceleration allowing them to chase big insects and small birds such as swallows and martins.

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Otters

The river corridors at Sherborne Park are secluded, so there's little disturbance to otters’ habitats. There’s also a good amount of varied bankside vegetation, with plenty of trees and shrubs – the perfect cover for when they want to move around unseen.

The cover also allows opportunities for underground holts (an otter home) between roots, as well as above ground areas called ‘couches’ where otters rest during the day.

Water voles

Water vole numbers have been declining even more drastically than otters in recent years. However, thanks to habitat conservation work, Sherborne’s water vole population is booming – but they are very tricky to spot.

When to see water voles

Spring and early summer are the best times of year for seeing a water vole. At this time, there is less vegetation growth meaning that – in theory – they should be easier to see.

Looking along the banks for their burrows or signs of feeding and droppings will give away their territory.