Visiting Ickworth with the family

A family walks along a trail at Ickworth Estate wearing cardboard bunny ears — A family enjoying the Easter trail together at Ickworth Estate | © James Dobson

There are loads of different family activities designed to help you explore and discover the Ickworth estate. However you choose to spend your day with us, your adventure starts here.

Head outside and enjoy all that Ickworth Estate has to offer this spring. Explore the Albana woodland with its emerging bulbs, or take a stroll through the parkland to discover the breathtaking views across the canal lake. Spend time with friends and family in the Italianate Garden and surround yourself with the season's fresh, colourful blooms.

A young girl in wellies pushing a wheelbarrow next to colourful bunting — A child playing along the Easter trail at Ickworth, Suffolk | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Easter Adventures

Bring the family and join us this Easter for fun in the great outdoors! Usual admission prices apply for anyone entering Ickworth Estate. Members of the National Trust have free entry to Ickworth.

Easter Trail

4 - 22 April

This Easter, a fun-filled, family trail will be returning to the Ickworth grounds. Children will be able to make their way through the Albana woodland to the long Yew Avenue, completing a number of activitiy stations there before collecting their prize at the end.

The Easter trail at Ickworth is always a firm favourite with families. This year the trail is a little different with a number of activity stations located in the Yew Avenue of the Albana woodland. Children can flit from station to station in whatever order they like, then head back toward the adventure play area to collect an Easter egg.

Start off by picking up a trail sheet at the Welcome Point in the main carpark, then make your way to the woods to find the different nature-inspired stations. You can take the short route, which is great for little legs, or the longer route which incorporates a pretty, meandering walk first. Both routes bring you to the same set of activity stations in the Yew Avenue and here you will also find an abundance of open woodland to run and explore in, paly hide-and-seek or build a den.

Once you are tired out, the woodland trail will lead you back towards the adventure play area where there will be a marquee from which you collect your chocolate prize.

The trail runs from Friday 4 April - Tuesday 22 April, from 10am - 3.30pm.

Trail sheets cost £3.50 each and come with a set of paper bunny ears and one egg per trail sheet. Dairy or free-from eggs are available. No need to pre-book.

Small child in pale pink bunny outfit, making 'wild art' in a garden, with a slate 'wild art' sign behind — Child in bunny outfit on an Easter trail | © National Trust Images / James Dobson

Spring crafts

4 - 21 April

For quieter times or rainier days, come along to the craft space in the West Wing Gallery. Located above the main café and shop, the Gallery is a large, bright space that is perfect for indoor activities. You can grab a takeaway coffee from the café below, and make an afternoon of it. Crafting is a self-led activity, so please make sure children are accompanied at all times. There will be all sorts of spring-inspired materials and supplies up there to keep little hands busy making something creative.

The craft space is open between 10am - 3pm. There is no additional price for the spring crafts and no need to pre-book.

A father and daughter doing crafts together at a table — Fun with crafts at Ickworth Estate, Suffolk | © National Trust/Tom Soper

Face Painting

5 and 6 April

Really get into the swing of things by getting your face painted before embarking upon your Easter trail! Sara, our face-painter, can turn you into a bunny for the day, or maybe you fancy decorative flowers to celebrate the spring. Come with an idea in mind, or let inspiration strike you on the day and see what she comes up with!

Face painting is based at the Welcome Point between 10am - 3pm. £5 per face and there is no need to pre-book.

Across the wider Estate

3 - 22 April

Explore on two wheels

The cycle hub at Ickworth is located in the main carpark. Usually it is open from Thursdays - Sundays but, during half term, it will be open daily. There are all sorts of bikes available to hire for different ages and abilities. There are also children's trailers for children who are older than 12 months and smaller than 1m 5cm tall. The friendly team will fit you out with a bike that suits you, a helmet if you need one, and direct you to the cycle-friendly routes.

Exploring on two wheels enables you to see a little more of the huge estate than you might have otherwise. There are lovely views of the parkland from the monument trail, which is the green route on the map.

Prices

£6 for two hours per bike or trailer

£12 for the full day per bike or trailer

Please note you cannot pre-book your bikes, the hub operates on a first come, first served basis.

Open 10:00 - 16:00. Last hire at 14:00

A visitor family waits to hire bikes at the cycle hub at Ickworth — The friendly cycle hub team will help kit you out with bikes | © James Dobson

Find our upcoming events

Planning your family visit

There are toilets, accessible toilets and baby changing facilities at the Welcome Point and on the lower ground floor of the West Wing near the second-hand bookshop.
The multi-use trail, Geraldine's, Erskine's and Albana walks are pushchair and buggy friendly.
Please note that when visiting the house, pushchairs will need to stay outside to protect the historic floors, but hip seats can be provided.
The team at the Welcome Point are always happy to provide maps and advice or point you in the right direction.
Bike hire and trailer hire is available from our cycle hub in the main carpark.

What to do when it's raining

We know that the British weather can often be unpredictable but we don't want to let a bit of rain spoil your visit to Ickworth. If you don't want to don your waterproofs and brave the rain then you can get out of it by visiting our hands-on and child-friendly basement in the historic house. You can open the drawers and discover the tools and materials that would have been used by the servants, seeing how they lived and worked. There are even some games you can try out in the servants' hall.

What to do when it's a bit warmer

We have plenty of shady spots to keep you cool in hot weather during your visit to Ickworth Estate:

The Servant's Quarters in the Basement are nice and cool and there's lots to keep youngsters entertained.
The Albana Walk is dense with trees and has plenty of leaf cover. There are always birds chirping and squirrels scampering around.
The outdoor seating area behind Porter's Lodge is great if you want to sit with a coffee or a bite to eat.
The Stumpery in the Italianate Garden offers cool dark relief from the sun when it's too hot. There are hardwood stumps, evergreen trees and shade loving ferns here all year round. (Sorry assistance dogs only).