We love the National Trust and enjoy spending our spare time exploring the Surrey Hills and working our way through our #50things. Recently we got to discover the parkland that surrounds Ickworth House in Suffolk while visiting POD’s grandparents.
It’s a wonderful place to visit with 1,800 acres of parkland, 70 acres of gardens and a Rotunda that houses one of the largest ambassadorial silver collections in the National Trust. There’s also a stumpery that offers a world of dragons, fairies and wildlife.
Plenty of opportunities exist to build dens, climb and generally have lots of fun. Unsurprisingly POD spotted the natural play area as soon as we arrived.
There she discovered swings, a tunnel and a wigwam she could only just fit into. She’s growing so fast these days – hard to believe she’ll be four on Christmas Day.
POD got to practice her balancing skills and strength by walking across a wobbly chain
and hanging onto the monkey bars. As you can tell by the expression on her face, she did incredibly well with the bars managing to hang on for a good few minutes.
While enjoying a walk in the parkland with her grandparents, POD met another little girl almost the same age as her. They walked down this path hand in hand chatting away to themselves.
After chasing each other around we reached the Rotunda. Built in 1795, and taking 37 years to complete, it houses a collection of portraits, furniture, Doccia and silverware collected over the years by generations of Hervey’s.
Inside POD discovered draughts taking great delight in piling the pieces on top of each other to make towers.
Other brilliant games we discovered included Ludo, Dominoes
and one which involved knocking soldiers over with a ball on a string.
Back outside we got to enjoy more of the beautiful parkland
before embarking on a game of hide and seek. POD was convinced if she closed her eyes we wouldn’t be able see her!
Of course we couldn’t leave without a spot of obligatory tree climbing, not to mention an impromptu lie down.
Linking up with #whatsthestory here on PODcast and #CountryKids at Coombe Mill.
Fabulous pictures and what a gorgeous dress! She is super cute #WhatsTheStory x
It looks like a beautiful place and the traditional games look fun. I love the tree climbing photo at the end.
This looks like a fabulous day out. It’s great that POD made friends with someone else whilst you were there. It looks like a very tranquil place to visit. Popping in from What’s The Story.
Looks like a wonderful day, lovely to see POD climbing everything as usual 🙂 Love the hide and seek photo, it’s so funny how they think we can’t see them if they can’t see us!
Just popping back from #CountryKids! Hope you’ve had a good week lovely x
Looks like a gorgeous place to visit and I so want a dress like that.
Yet another fantastic-looking place I’ve discovered through your blog! And that dress is just gorgeous xx
Fab pictures and I am loving POD’s dress in these photos. I love all the places you visit and the photos you take. Great post #whatsthestory
Sigh – I think I should have visited more National Trust properties before I left British shores!!
I hoped this would make Country Kids, POD is growing in to such a beautiful girl full of expression and fun in all her outdoor adventures.
Gosh Pod looks so gorgeous – and love her expressions. You’ve made me want to visit Ickworth again. We stayed at Ickworth Hotel when the kids were little when it was covered in snow!
I love Ickworth – being a Norfolk girl it was never too far to go to – although I haven’t been in years! Must take the children there next time we visit my old stomping ground! We’ve definitely got the NT covered this week, that blog looks like a good idea 😉 #countrykids 🙂
What beautiful photos as always. Loving her pretty dress and traditional games. Definitely somewhere we’d like to visit x
Loving POD’s dress and looks like there is so much to do there. A county we need to explore more #CountryKids
It looks wonderful there, and I do adore POD’s dress. We haven’t visited an NT place for several weeks, so you have me itching to get to one now! x
Yes, love the dress! Looks like a brat place to explore-I really like the vista of trees especially 🙂
I love that last photo of her on a tree branch! I can only imagine how big this tree is! #countrykids
We’re huge NT fans too. The best present we ever had was an annual membership! Ickworth looks stunning and right up our street! Stunning photos as ever especially the last one. That’s a framer! #countrykids
Clearly Ickworth House is amazing, clearly! The architecture is awesome and the decor and home furnishings are so inviting, however your daughter is stunning. Her dress suits her to perfection.
Nipping over from Country Kids.
Gorgeous pictures, I love the look of concentration on her face when on the monkey bars, thats pure determination. And of course you can never go wrong with a game of hide and seek. Closing your eyes definitely makes you invisible.
Such a beautiful park, I love all your pictures, but especially the one with the tree. Must get out with my boy and do some tree climbing soon!