Belly laughs at Hatchlands Park

Hatchlands Park is one of our favourite National Trust places to visit and open 363 days a year. Situated in East Clandon in the Surrey Hills, there’s over 400 acres of parkland to explore – more than enough to blow away a few cobwebs.

The country house (open April to October) was originally built in the 1750’s for Admiral Edward Boscawen and his wife. Since then it’s housed wealthy families, a finishing school for girls and even a printing press. These days the mansion is a family home with tenant Alec Cobbe’s paintings and furniture on display, Europe’s largest collection of keyboard instruments (Bach, Chopin and Elgar) with architect Robert Adam’s work in ceilings and fireplaces throughout.

Hatchlands Park is one of the nearest National Trust properties to us so it’s somewhere we visit most often. On this particular day, we’d decided to go to Winkworth Arboretum (also National Trust) but the car park was full so we went on a magical mystery tour before heading to Hatchlands – where we were going in the first place! The time we’d spent in the car meant cabin fever had well and truly set in. Suffice to say our walk was one of the most entertaining we’ve had at Hatchlands with all three of us getting the giggles.

On this particular visit, there was an old fashioned carousel in the courtyard at Hatchlands Park. A ride on that was the obvious first stop – POD displaying various moves as she passed us each time! From serious looks to waving, to throwing one arm out and leaning backwards. Of course she wanted to go on again but we opted for a walk instead.

There are a few waymarked trails at Hatchlands Park which vary between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours depending on where you go. Our favourite is probably the Wix Wood Walk or our own variation of that. The main walk goes past the cattle (you may also see the two resident donkeys) and up to the Great Wix Wood. There’s an adventure play area on the left (Willow Wix’s Willow Warren) which has tunnels, beams, a tree house and a bug burrow. You can walk on from there to the Little Wix Wood aka the bluebell wood and from there have a couple of options back towards the house.

With it being New Year’s Day, it was busier than usual so we opted to go in a direction to everyone else as it was quieter. We headed towards Sheepwash Pond, where you can follow the Long Walk trail (just under 3 miles), although we were larking around so much we didn’t actually do it all. Too much fun to be had climbing in, off and over trees, not to mention playing silly games with a handbag and chasing each other.

Sometimes those days are just the best, aren’t they? You know when a plan doesn’t quite work out but you have the best time in one of your favourite places. We love the variety at Hatchlands Park, sometimes the simplest things in life really are the best aren’t they. And we got to blow away the cobwebs too.

You can walk in the parkland (and stop for a bite in the Kitchen Café) at Hatchlands all year round with the exception of 24th and 25th December. The house and gardens are open between April and October.