Exploring the parkland at Hatchlands

Visiting Hatchlands in wet weather 

You can always access the cafés and courtyard via hard-surfaced paths, but if you’re planning on exploring a little further, it’s likely that you’ll encounter some mud. Please remember to dress for the weather, with wellies or walking boots strongly recommended, even if you’re not planning on walking very far.  

If you're planning to push a buggy through the park you may want to consider your route; just ask the reception team for the best paths to take. 

Children’s natural adventure play area 

Head into Great Wix Wood to discover Wizard Wix's Willow Warren. Get to grips with hand-crafted willow tunnels, domes, balance beams, sculptures and a totem pole. There are even wood piles for den building and picnic benches for tired parents. 

Picnic spots   

You’ll find great picnic options all over the park. Throw a rug down on the lawn in front of the house or head further afield to one of the many picnic spots. Picnic areas are cow-free zones, so you can enjoy your food in peace. Pick up a map on arrival and look for the areas marked with a picnic table. 

Donkeys at Hatchlands  

Hatchlands is home to two fostered donkeys, Callum and Morris. Here they have a happy and safe home where they can spend their days roaming the fields and their nights tucked up in the stable. Morris is the more outgoing of the pair, but Callum is blessed with very attractive stripy legs.   

You’re welcome to stroke their noses or provide a tickle behind the ears, but we would ask that you never feed them by hand. This encourages them to expect food from everyone and fingers can look deceptively like carrots to a donkey. 

The temple and ice house   

Discover two of Hatchlands’ best kept secrets. A short distance off the beaten track on your left heading towards visitor reception, you’ll find a classical stone temple installed by Hatchlands' last private owner, Hal Goodhart-Rendel, in memory of his mother Rose Ellen Cooper. Look out for the inscription that reads, ‘Placed here as a memory of Rose Ellen Cooper who long lived at and loved Hatchlands’. 

As you leave the garden, passing the London plane tree, and proceeding along Fanny Boscawen’s Walk you'll notice the ice house on your left. It was built in the late 1750s by the Boscawen family, at about the same time as the house.  

The ice house is surrounded by box hedging and sits on the edge of the dell. It has a shaft with straight sides and is cut into chalk which allows the water to filter through it. The walls are extremely thick for the purposes of insulation but the concrete base you see today was put in during restoration work in 1983. 

Accessibility options  

Should you need some assistance to access the countryside trails, you could try using a Tramper or an MT Push vehicle.  

Tramper

A Tramper is a single-seater, all-terrain, off-road Personal Mobility Vehicle (PMV). It operates in a very similar way to a normal PMV but features slightly chunkier wheels to cope with more testing terrain. If you’re comfortable with a normal PMV then you’ll find the Tramper just as user-friendly. 

MT Push

MT Push is a buddy wheelchair, with the ability to push over a wide variety of terrain. An adjustable push handle, located behind the user, provides the steering and braking for use by the rider’s buddy. Developed and evolved following discussions with the National Trust, Hatchlands is one of a growing number of sites that provide these all-terrain wheelchairs for visitor use. 

Availability for both vehicles is limited and so booking is essential. To book a morning (10.30am) or afternoon (1.30pm) session, or for more information about accessibility at Hatchlands, you can email us or call 01483 222482.