Visit to Waddesdon Manor Buckingham.
Departure times 10.35am (Abbey fields) /10.45 (Clock) - return 5.00pm
Waddesdon Manor is a country house just over an hour away from Kenilworth, set in the village of Waddesdon, in Buckinghamshire, England. Owned by the National Trust and managed by the Rothschild Foundation, it is one of the National Trust's most visited properties, with over 463,000 visitors in 2019.
Currently there is a waiting list as this outing is fully booked, however, there has been several cancellations. Please check with the outings team before sending any money.
Christmas is a special time at Waddesdon, offering magical displays inside the house, captivating illuminations in the Grounds with a Christmas Fair on the Manor Drive. There will also be a Food Village. Our visit will start from 12 noon where there will be free time until our booked slot to see the house at 2.10pm. After the self-guided tour, we will again be free to explore the attractions and eat some goodies.
Waddesdon Manor was built between 1874 and 1889 by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild. He wanted a French Renaissance-style château, typical of the Loire valley, but with 18th-century interiors to house his collections: magnificent English 18th-century portraits by artists like Gainsborough and Reynolds, as well as French 18th-century boiseries, Savonnerie carpets, tapestries, furniture, Sèvres ceramics, books, Dutch Old Master paintings and Renaissance treasures. Subsequent members of the family added noted collections of paintings, Limoges enamel, arms and armour, maiolica, manuscripts, prints and drawings. Opened to the public in 1959, Waddesdon Manor is managed by the Rothschild Foundation, a family charitable trust, on behalf of the National Trust, who took over ownership in 1957.
To visit their Web Site:- Waddesdon Manor The Website offers the chance to take a virtual tour and see inside rooms that may not be available us during our visit so please take advantage of this if possible. More details of garden walks are also featured.
The Gardens
Waddesdon's gardens were the vision of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, what began as a bare hill in 1874 is now an exceptional example of Victorian horticulture including formal gardens, trees and walks. There are many different areas to explore – the Aviary garden and the beautiful parterre, Rose Garden, Water Garden and more.
Eating
Eat at the Manor Restaurant, Stables Café or Coffee shop - or enjoy seasonal food-to-go, all in addition to the Christmas Food Market
Shopping
The Gift and Wine shop offers a selection of fine wines, gifts, fashion and unique pieces inspired by Waddesdon’s art collection.
Accessibility
There is a regular shuttle bus service which is fully accessible and has spaces for up to two wheelchairs and it is advisable to take shuttle bus from the fountain to the Stables (no charge for wheelchair users). There are steep and uneven paths on the way to the Stables and down to the Dairy. The boardwalk through the Woodland Playground and the path from the Powerhouse to the Stables are steep in places so may be unsuitable for some mobility requirements
Wheelchairs are available upon request (first come, first served basis).
There is an accessible toilet on arrival at the Welcome Pavilion
Grounds: partly accessible, some loose gravel paths and steep slopes.
Accessibility to the Manor
There are ramps which enable entry via the main entrance of the House, visitors need to be self-sufficient when entering and exiting the building. Once inside there is step free access, however, there is limited access to certain areas, depending which are currently open. The historic lift, which services the first floor, is quite limited on space and not all scooters or wheelchairs can be accommodated. Please obtain advice on whether your mobility aid will fit in the lift at the point of admission to the House. There are chairs available in most rooms, please ask a member of staff to point them out if needed. Some of the walkways are quite narrow, and to avoid congestion we don’t allow carry chairs or seat sticks to be used inside the house. There is an emergency evacuation procedure in place for wheelchair users and those with problems navigating stairs when inside the house.
Accessibility to Rothschild Treasury Exhibition
Visitors using a wheelchair wishing to visit the new Treasury Exhibition need to follow an alternative access route. A member of staff will go with you in a lift to the second floor. You will then need to be able to transfer yourself from your wheelchair to a chairlift, and back again. This will take approximately 15 mins, so please allow more time in your visit.
Large Bags/Rucksacks
When visiting the House, any large bags must be stored with Visitor Information or be kept at your sides/ at the front of the body if smaller.
Booking forms can be found on the Ku3a website or are available from the Outings table at Open Meetings. We also ask those booking to make a member of the Outings Team aware of any issues that may affect their ability to travel or enjoy the outings, so that these can be discussed with a view to obtaining a reasonable solution.
Post trip Review
In rather abysmal weather we visited the wonderfully decorated Waddesdon Manor.
The theme of the indoor displays was the fairy story of Sleeping Beauty, told over many spectacularly decorated rooms. The imagination and creativity of those involved in making each room so different was amazing.
Outside as the light soon faded, there was a light show projected on the house itself, depicting many scenes, including Christmas, a snowstorm and the war years with sound effects and music. There was also a light trail for those with energy left and good rainwear. Rows of chalets made up a lovely Christmas Market, with a wide range of goods and food on sale.
Alison Lucas for The Outings Team