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Best picnic spots
Pack your favourite food, grab a blanket and visit one of the best picnic spots in our care. Whether it's beside a grand house, in rolling parkland or beside the sea, these are the best places to go for a picnic with a view. Please remember to take any rubbish home with you.
- Acorn Bank, Lake District
- The Top Orchard at Acorn Bank is bursting with fruit in the summer. It’s quiet and there’s space to roam, with a view back down through the garden towards the red-brick house. We recommend using a picnic blanket, which you can borrow for free from the Shepherd's Hut. The nearby café opens seven days a week, serving hot drinks and light bites.Visit Acorn Bank
- Allan Bank, Lake District
- Roll out your blanket on the lawn overlooking Grasmere and take in views that were enjoyed by Wordsworth and his family when they lived in the house. If it rains unexpectedly, there are tables to use inside, and you can help yourself to hot drinks in the Butler’s Pantry. Follow the rugged woodland path to explore the historic features of this 19th-century pleasure ground.Visit Allan Bank
- Arnside Knott, Lake District
- Walk to the top of Arnside Knott and you’ll be rewarded with a picnic spot with a far-ranging view. From the Knott you can see from the Lakeland fells to the Yorkshire Dales, down into Lancashire and out over the sands of Morecambe Bay. A picnic blanket is a good idea as the ground is uneven. Stock up on picnic supplies beforehand from the little shops on Arnside’s promenade.Visit Arnside Knott
- Belton, Lincolnshire
- The Belton Estate includes vast gardens and parkland, so there’s plenty of space. Wander through the formal gardens, then settle for a picnic in one of the quieter areas. From the Pleasure Grounds you can admire the house’s architecture. Throw down a blanket or bring a deck chair. Should you need extra snacks, the Stables Café is a short walk away in the Stableyard, as is the Joinery Ice-Cream Parlour, which opens seasonally.Visit Belton
- Branscombe, Devon
- Nestled between Branscombe Village and its beach are three picnic tables alongside a level footpath. The 1km-long path follows a stream through a valley of farmland and hedgerows. The tables offer views of the East Devon countryside, far from any traffic. Instead, you might hear farm animals, bird song and the babbling of water. A café on the beach sells refreshments and lunches.Visit Branscombe
- Brownsea Island, Dorset
- On the south shore of the island there's a small cliff with secluded spots for a picnic overlooking the sea. Choose from a number of picnic benches or spread a blanket out on the sandy grassland. There’s always shade available and you can watch the breeze ripple across the water from Poole Harbour towards the Purbeck hills. The island’s Villano Café is a 15-minute walk away, selling hot food, sandwiches, cakes and drinks.Visit Brownsea Island
- Cherryburn, Northumberland
- The lawn outside the farmhouse at Cherryburn is well equipped for picnickers. There are blankets for visitors to borrow, as well as lawn games. The picnic area is flat, with tables and benches dotted about and views across the Tyne Valley. In warmer months, deckchairs and hammocks are brought out to use, as the garden bursts into life.Visit Cherryburn
- Cliveden, Buckinghamshire
- At Cliveden, a flat, grassy bank lies next to a boathouse alongside a stretch of the River Thames. Tuck into a picnic here and you can spot pleasure boats, geese and moorhens drifting past. There are some picnic benches, but a blanket is recommended for sitting on the ground. At weekends, holidays and during summer there's a concession truck selling drinks, sandwiches and ice creams, otherwise the Conservatory Café lies up the hill.Visit Cliveden
- Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire
- There are streams to discover in this wooded valley, as well as hidden spots for a picnic. Lay a blanket in the meadow, where children can run between butterflies. Walk through the valley afterwards for a quick swim at Amroth beach or if there’s a chill in the air, make a campfire at the seated fire pit near the valley bottom. The Bothy Tea Room is nearby and offers refreshments.Visit Colby Woodland Garden
- Cragside, Northumberland
- Following waymarked trails through the grounds of the Victorian house at Cragside can be thirsty work. There’s a grassy picnic area between the visitor centre and Tumbleton Lakes. Picnic tables are set serenely on the banks of Nelly's Moss Lake and Slipper Lake. Bring your own lunch or stop by Crozier’s kiosk, in Crozier car park, for refreshments. It’s situated next to Nelly’s Moss Lake and the adventure play area.Visit Cragside
- Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan
- Choose between the South Lawn and the Arboretum when picking the best picnic spot at Dyffryn. The South Lawn has views of the 19th-century house and provides ample room for frisbee throwing. The glade in the Arboretum (bring a blanket) is often bathed in the dappled light. During summer, the Gallery Café opens nearby, so you can add to your picnic provisions or grab an ice cream.Visit Dyffryn
- Flatford, Suffolk
- Flatford is at the heart of Constable country and Dedham Vale. Head to the Granary Garden to tuck into a picnic and absorb the views that artist John Constable loved. With the River Stour creating a path through the landscape, relax by the water’s edge or take shelter under a shady tree and imagine you’re in a pastoral scene from years gone by. The nearby Tea Room has a selection of light lunch options, homemade cakes and biscuits.Visit Flatford
- Lamb House, Sussex
- Spread a blanket out on the wide expanse of grass at Lamb House or choose one of the few benches beside stone pathways. This is the largest walled garden in Rye, filled with seasonal flowers like wisteria, roses and irises. The red Georgian brick house frames one end and there’s also a small vegetable garden. Cafés sell picnic provisions in Rye but please wait until you're in the garden before getting food out as it's not allowed in the house.Visit Lamb House
- Pentire, Cornwall
- Take your lunch down to the restored orchard on this coastal headland. It’s wheelchair and buggy-accessible and has natural play areas, with a nest swing, willow tunnels and a family fairy trail. The headland is rich in birdlife, so keep an eye out for skylarks, barn owls and buzzards while sitting on one of the picnic tables beneath ancient apple trees. It's a 15-20 minute walk afterwards to the beach at Pentireglaze Haven. Nearby Pentyr Café serves take-away food and drink.Visit Pentire
- Plas Newydd, Anglesey
- Take a blanket onto the lush, green lawn in front of Grade I-listed Plas Newydd house and soak up views of the shimmering Menai Strait. It's framed by Britannia Bridge to the left and the peaks of Eryri (Snowdonia) to the right. On a warm day, the Sunroom Kiosk around the corner sells locally made Red Boat Ice Cream.Visit Plas Newydd
- Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire
- Spread your picnic blanket on the lawn and admire the gardens, which have been kept as the author George Bernard Shaw liked them. In summer, the herbaceous borders are a riot of colour, filled with bright alliums, yellow achillea, foxgloves and delphiniums. Once you’ve eaten, you can lay back and look to the skies in search of buzzards and red kites. There's no café, so make sure you bring your own food and drinks.Visit Shaw's Corner
- Stowe Gardens, Buckinghamshire
- Take your food down to the bank of Octagon Lake at Stowe and have your picnic in a Georgian landscaped park. You can gaze at the three arches of the Palladian bridge, which was built in 1738, as you tuck into your sandwiches. There are also views up to a Gothic Temple on the hill. Bring a blanket if there’s been rain. There’s a café at New Inn, at the entrance to the gardens, for picnic supplies.Visit Stowe Gardens
- The Vyne, Hampshire
- This is one of the best picnic spots for fans of Jane Austen. The novelist visited the 17th-century house on several occasions and knew the Chute family well. She would have been familiar with the huge lawn which stretches down to the lake. Flick out a blanket and soak up the views of fields and woodland that remain largely unchanged since Austen’s day. The lawn has shady spots, plus you’re only a minute’s walk from the café.Visit The Vyne
- Wimpole, Cambridgeshire
- Picnic in the North Park and you can gaze at the estate’s restored Gothic Tower while you eat. The 18th-century tower was designed to look like a medieval ruin. You’ll also be able to see right across the estate, with its mansion, lakes and woods. Pop by the Farm Café to top up on hot and cold food, drinks and ice cream.Visit Wimpole
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