National Trust - Osterley Park and House
ENTRY
from £5
WHERE
Isleworth
What it’s like
Tudor walled garden, parkland dens and bike rides, plus an 18th-century mansion house you can wander on the days it's open.
The parkland is the free-range bit: den building, bike rides, and enough space that nobody's telling anyone to slow down. Inside the walled garden the Tudor planting is worth a proper look, and the 18th-century house itself has room after room of the kind of grandeur that makes kids either go quiet or start running. The upper floors are shown as a virtual tour rather than the real thing, which is a fair compromise given the house has stairs and no lift.
Monday and Tuesday you're paying for gardens only, £10 for an adult and £5 a child, because the house is shut those days (bank holiday Mondays are the exception). Wednesday to Sunday buys you the house as well, and the price jumps to £18 and £9. A family ticket for house and gardens is £45, which stings a bit for a day out, but under 5s go free and there's a cheaper one-adult family rate too.
Food-wise the Stables Café does hot food from midday to 3, plus cakes and cream teas, and there's a seasonal kiosk and an ice cream parlour for when the museum-pace walking gets too slow for small legs. Weekends bring a pizza pod. Parking is £7 a car via an app, which on top of the entry fee makes it a proper spend, though it's free if you're a member or holding a Blue Badge.
There's no pre-booking system, you just collect an entry ticket from the Garden Kiosk when you arrive. Worth building in ten extra minutes if you're driving in, as there's a road closure near the Thornbury Road junction that catches people out. A buggy shuttle runs from the car park to the house, subject to a volunteer being free to drive it.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- £7 per car, pay via JustPark app
- Food
- Stables Café with indoor and outdoor seating, hot food 12-3pm, cakes and cream teas
- Pushchairs
- Buggy shuttle service from car park to house and Stables courtyard (subject to volunteer availability)
- Wheelchairs
- Mountain Trike wheelchair, single/double powered mobility vehicles, outdoor wheelchair available to borrow (call 0208 232 5050 to book)
- Dogs
- Off-lead in designated area on front lawn during peak season
- Worth knowing
- Under 5s free
- Allow an extra 10 minutes driving in, there's a road closure near the Thornbury Road junction.
- The house has stairs and no lift, so the upper floors are shown as a virtual tour instead.
- Cycle hire runs Thursday to Sunday, 10.30 to 3.30.
- The second-hand bookshop keeps its own hours, 11 to 4.30.
- Coaches can park for £15 but need to be pre-booked.
Plan your visit
Do we need to book ahead?
No pre-booking system. You collect an entry ticket from the Garden Kiosk beside the house when you arrive.
How much does it cost?
Monday and Tuesday it's gardens only, £10 adult and £5 child. Wednesday to Sunday you get the house too, for £18 adult and £9 child. Under 5s are free.
Is there a family ticket?
£25 for gardens only on Monday and Tuesday, or £45 for house and gardens Wednesday to Sunday, covering two adults and up to three children.
Is the house open every day?
House and gardens run Wednesday to Sunday and bank holidays. Monday and Tuesday it's gardens only, apart from bank holiday Mondays when the house opens too.
What time does the house close?
The house is open 11 to 3.30 on the days it's running.
Can we take a buggy round?
There's a buggy shuttle from the car park to the house and Stables courtyard, though it depends on a volunteer being available to drive it.
Is the house accessible for wheelchairs?
The house is accessed via stairs with no lift. Outside, there's a Mountain Trike and powered mobility vehicles you can borrow if you call ahead to book one.
What's there to eat?
The Stables Café serves hot food from 12 to 3 along with cakes and cream teas. There's also a seasonal kiosk, an ice cream parlour, and a pizza pod at weekends.
What about parking?
£7 a car, paid through an app, but it's free for members, Blue Badge holders and motorbikes.
Can we bring the dog?
Dogs can go off lead in a designated area on the front lawn during peak season, on lead elsewhere in the park, but only assistance dogs are allowed inside the house.
Are companions free for disabled visitors?
Essential companions for disabled visitors and members get into the house and gardens free.
What can the kids actually do there?
Explore the Tudor walled garden, build dens and cycle in the parkland, look round the mansion house, and there's a virtual tour for the upper floors plus a 'Journeys' exhibition.
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