Family-friendly things to do at Hinton Ampner

Visitors in the Sunken Garden at Hinton Ampner, Hampshire — Visitors in the Sunken Garden at Hinton Ampner | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

There's lots of family fun to be had at Hinton Ampner. From running, chasing in the garden and wider estate, to nature trails, there's something for everyone. This summer the circus arrives and you are the star! Roll up for a season of adventurous family fun.

Family Theatre

We are hosting an array of fabulous theatre productions all set against the beautiful backdrop of our gardens.

In June we host Quantum Theatre's Great Expectations Outdoor Theatre. A brand new adaptation of Dickens’s most enduringly popular and atmospheric novel which delivers high comedy and dark drama as we follow Pip’s journey through adversity to discover the true nature of his ‘great expectations’. 21 & 28 June at 7pm.

Book tickets here

Then in August we have The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck Outdoor Theatre a delightful new adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s much-loved tale. 9 & 16 August at 6.30pm.

Book tickets here

Hinton Ampner's Summer of Circus

This summer encounter a circus themed adventure, try your hand at circus yoga, acrobatics and performance skills throughout the grounds and gardens. Saturday 20 July - Sunday 1 September.

We'll also be joined by the fantastic Storm in a Teacup Circus Company on 31 July, 20 & 28 August, from 11am-2pm. These free drop-in sessions will teach you how to master some amazing circus skills!

Children's Trail in the house

Inside the house you'll find 'eye-spy' booklets for children to search for treasures, images and objects within our collection. A great way to engage little ones with the history and art you can find inside Hinton Ampner House. Please ask one of our volunteers at the house entrance hall and do return the booklet to us when you are done.

Family walks on the Hinton Ampner estate

Stewkeley walk

The Stewkeley walk takes you across the Hinton Ampner estate towards the village of Kilmeston, before looping back to the entry of the estate. This moderately strenuous walk is perfect for walkers of any age and skill level. It's just under two miles and takes around an hour to complete.

Stewkeley walk

Ancient tree trail

The parkland at Hinton Ampner is home to many ancient trees, some with rather quirky characteristics. You can find out more about spotting the ancient trees by downloading the guide.

Follow this guide

Planning your family visit

Here's the information you need at a glance to help plan your day out at Hinton Ampner:

Baby-changing facilities are located in the ladies toilets and access toilets by the mansion in the courtyard
Pushchairs are allowed around the grounds and in the cafe but not in the house
Property maps are available from the visitor reception team. Maps of the estate walks are on the board by the church, follow the coloured arrows of your chosen route or take a picture on your smartphone
Picnics are welcome but please take your litter home with you.

An adult and child play frisbee in the garden at Cherryburn, Northumberland — Frisbee in the garden | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

'50 things to do before you're 11¾'

There are lots of ’50 things' challenges you can complete with the whole family at Hinton Ampner. Here's a few recommendations:

No. 1 Get to know a tree: If trees could talk, what stories would they tell? Get up close to a tree and feel the texture of its bark and leaves and notice all the different colours and smells. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?
No. 12 Have fun with sticks: When it comes to sticks, the possibilities are endless. Use them to become a gallant warrior, make a magic wand, create a home for a small animal or insect or create some wild art. There are lots of interesting sticks to find in the Hinton Ampner estate and parkland
No. 33 Go cloud watching: With a little imagination you can create whole worlds from the shapes you see in the clouds. Do they resemble anything, like animals, trees or cartoon characters? Invent a story using the characters you see in the clouds. Try writing your story down or drawing it on a sketchpad
No. 44 Watch a bird: There are many different birds that can be spotted in the gardens and woodland at Hinton Ampner. Birds get frightened off easily, so you'll need to be as quiet as you can, and not make any loud noises or sudden movements to stand the best chance of seeing lots.