National Trust - Upton House and Gardens
BEST FOR
Ages 5-17
ENTRY
from £9
SETTING
Outdoors
BUGGY FRIENDLY
Yes
What it’s like
Gardens with steep steps and sheer drops to explore, a house tour on an app, and a lawn where the under-fives can pedal about on bikes.
The garden's the main event here, and it's not a flat stroll round a lawn. You get the South Lawn, the Sunken Garden and the Quiet Orchard, plus terraces that drop away in a way that's genuinely dramatic rather than just a National Trust turn of phrase. That's lovely for older kids who like a proper view, but the site is upfront that there are sheer drops and open water about, so it's not one to let a five-year-old run off ahead in.
Under-fives get their own bit of fun, oddly enough, with scooters, balance bikes and bikes with stabilisers allowed on the flatter paths under close supervision. Inside, there's a Smartify app tour of the house that takes about an hour, covering the accessible ground floor rooms. From 17 July to 8 November 2026 there's also a Rembrandt exhibition, first come first served, so if that's the reason you're going, get there earlyish.
Entry isn't cheap: £18 for an adult, £9 a child, or £45 for a family of five. Members get in free, which is worth remembering if you visit National Trust places more than once or twice a year. The house shuts its doors at 3pm for last entry and closes at half three, so this is a morning-into-early-afternoon visit rather than an all-dayer, though the garden runs on to 5pm if you fancy lingering after the house has locked up.
Practically, the car park is 300 yards from the house, and pushchairs aren't allowed inside the main building, though there's a summer house to leave one in and hip carriers to borrow instead. Picnics are fine on the South Lawn or in the Sunken Garden if you bring your own rug, and the Pavilion Café does light lunches if you'd rather not carry sandwiches. Wheelchairs are available to borrow, and there's a volunteer-driven buggy for anyone who can't manage the walk from the car park.
Facilities
Need to know
- Best for
- 5 to 17; under-fives can scoot about but the drops need watching
- Last entry
- 3pm (last entry)
- Parking
- Car park 300 yards from house and garden, locked outside opening hours
- Food
- Pavilion Café serves light lunches, snacks and hot and cold drinks with indoor and outdoor seating
- Picnics
- Allowed on South Lawn or Sunken Garden (bring own rugs or chairs)
- Pushchairs
- Not accommodated in main house
- Wheelchairs
- Indoor and outdoor wheelchairs available to borrow
- Dogs
- Well-behaved dogs on short leads welcome
- Getting there by bus or train
- On the A422 between Banbury and Stratford upon Avon
- Worth knowing
- Free entry for National Trust members
- The house closes for the day at 3.30pm, so this suits a morning or early afternoon visit rather than a full day
- Picnic tables are in the courtyard and overflow car park, not by the café
- The full site is closed on Friday 16 October and Tuesday/Wednesday 3-4 November
- Bring your own bike or scooter if you've got an under-five, stabilisers and balance bikes are fine on the paths
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
£18 for an adult, £9 for a child aged 5 to 17, or £45 for a family of two adults and up to three kids. National Trust members go in free.
What time do we need to arrive?
Last entry to the house is 3pm and it closes at 3.30pm, though the garden stays open until 5pm. On busy days house tickets are timed and given out first come first served, so turning up early helps.
Is it suitable for a toddler?
There are sheer drops, steep steps and open water around the gardens, which the site flags as risky for young children. Under-fives are welcome to scoot or cycle on bikes with stabilisers under close supervision, but this isn't a let-them-wander sort of place.
Can we take a pushchair round?
Not inside the main house, but there's storage for it in the summer house and hip carriers you can borrow instead. The garden beyond the South Lawn also involves steep steps and slopes.
Is there anywhere to eat?
The Pavilion Café does light lunches, snacks and hot and cold drinks, with seating indoors and out. You can also bring your own picnic for the South Lawn or Sunken Garden.
How long should we plan for?
The house tour on the Smartify app takes about an hour, plus however long you want in the gardens. Given the house closes at 3.30pm, an early afternoon arrival gives you the fullest run at it.
Where do we park?
There's a car park 300 yards from the house and garden, though it's locked outside opening hours so don't plan on an early or late dash back to the car.
Are dogs allowed?
Well-behaved dogs on short leads are welcome, though facilities for them are limited. Assistance dogs can go everywhere.
Is it wheelchair accessible?
The ground floor rooms of the house are accessible, and there are indoor and outdoor wheelchairs to borrow along with a volunteer-operated buggy for the walk from the car park. Beyond the South Lawn, though, garden access involves steep steps and slopes.
What's the Rembrandt exhibition?
It's called Meet Rembrandt: A Slow Looking Experience, running daily from 17 July to 8 November 2026. Tickets are limited and first come first served.
Do we need to book ahead?
There's no booking link listed, but house entry tickets are handed out on a first come first served basis on busy days, so arriving early is your best bet for a specific time slot.
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