Family-friendly things to do at Canons Ashby

Planning your family visit

Here's the information you need at a glance to make the most of your family day out at Canons Ashby:

• There are baby-changing facilities in the area outside the unisex accessible toilet and the ladies toilet. These are available to all.
• High chairs available - Please ask the team for help with your baby food if it needs to be heated.
• Pocket money books and games are available in the Coach House shop
• You're welcome to picnic in the Paddock and Parkland, but not the formal gardens
• Family trails can be picked up from visitor reception
• The grass can be uneven and boggy in some areas of the wider parkland and may not be suitable for pushchairs
• The garden has loose gravel paths that may not be suitable for some pushchairs and there are steps and slopes throughout.

Family-friendly events

Snowdrop Stories trail

3 February - 21 March, 10am - 4pm. Normal admission applies. 

Wander through Canons Ashby and discover what people have believed about these delicate and beautiful blooms through the years.

Snowdrops bring the hope of spring, looking ahead to light and warmth whilst it’s still cold outside. Historically, some people believed these flowers had powers.

Suitable for families or story-loving adults.

 

Love in Spring Trail

3 Feb - 30 March, 10am - 3.30pm. Normal admission applies. 

Inspired by nature, friendship, and love during springtime, come and explore the outdoors at Canons Ashby with this trail!

Perfect for getting your youngsters out and about, this trail is set around our paddock and filled with interactive activities. The trail is free, but there will be a voluntary donation pot in the Visitor Reception where you will pick up your trail sheet.

 

Easter Adventures at Canons Ashby

5 April - 21 April, 10am - 5pm (last entry at 4pm). Normal admission applies and £3.50 per child. 

Fancy an Easter Egg hunt with a twist? Try some nature-based yoga, sniff the Smelly Wellies, and discover more activities along our Easter Adventure Trail! Make your way along the route to find nature-inspired activities for the whole family. 

 

Plant a Sunflower

3, 4 and 5 May, 11am - 2pm. Normal admission and £1 per child. No booking needed. 

Plant a sunflower seedling in a compostable pot to take home and grow. Keep in touch with us on social media and let us know how high it grows. You can plant your sunflower outside in the ground, or in a bigger pot. Come back later in the summer to see how big our sunflowers in the garden are getting.

 

Canons Ashby Book Fair

24 May - 1 June, 10am - 4pm. Normal admission applies, no pre booking required. 

Our books speak volumes! Come to the medieval Priory Church and browse a wide selection of books which have been donated by our supporters. We have all genres from crime to cakes, new and old. Stock up for your summer holidays whilst raising funds for our special place.

 

Classical recorder performance in the Priory Church

Sunday 8 June, 2pm - 3.30pm. Normal admission applies, no pre booking needed.

Enjoy beautiful baroque recorder music in the Priory Church, performed by the Nene Consort. They play the full range of recorders from contrabass to soprano, and their repertoire is mostly renaissance and baroque music, with some compositions by modern composers and arrangers who specialise in recorder music.

 

The Tempest by Immersion Theatre

Saturday 5 July, 6pm - 8pm. Pre booking essential.  £16 adults (18+), £12 children (3-17), young children 0-2 years free. Family ticket £48 (two adults and two children). Best for ages 8+

Shakespeare’s most magical play bursting with mayhem, comedy, romance, and surprises!

Having developed a reputation for producing first-rate, critically-acclaimed, and highly accessible adaptations of Shakespeare’s work, Immersion Theatre – the multi-award nominated company behind last year’s smash hit “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, proudly presents The Tempest; Shakespeare’s unforgettable tale of magic, romance, comedy, and revenge! With heaps of audience participation, this mesmerising show will be brought to life in unforgettable style, perfect for both seasoned theatre-goers and newcomers to Shakespeare’s work. 

This is outdoor theatre at its best in the Paddock of Canons Ashby – bring a picnic, rugs or picnic chairs and wrap up warm!

 

The Wind in the Willows by Illyria

Saturday 16 August, 5.30pm - 7.30pm. Pre booking essential. £18 adults (18+), £10 children (3-17), under 2s years free.

Join Mole, Rat, Badger, and Toad on a whimsical journey through the English countryside, where friendship and mischief lead to unexpected adventures!

Mole yearns to explore the wide world. Gruff old Badger enjoys peace and quiet. And Rat likes picnics and just messing about in boats. Their idyllic lives on the Riverbank are turned upside down when Toad, bewitched by the roar of an engine and the screech of burning tyres, pursues his latest in a long line of extravagant obsessions: a fast, red motor-car. Multiple award-winning Illyria celebrates Kenneth Grahame’s timeless tale of friendship, laughter, the longing for home and the lure of adventure.

This is outdoor theatre at its best in the Paddock of Canons Ashby – bring a picnic, rugs or picnic chairs and wrap up warm!