We’d been considering joining the National Trust as a family for a while, so when we were looking for things to do over the Christmas holidays and saw that Cliveden were doing a Pantomime Trail, we decided to take the plunge! As non-members, admission, plus the trail would have cost £50 for our family of two adults and three children, whereas a year membership is under £10/ month. For that, we can visit any National Trust grounds, as many times as we like with only a small fee payable for extra seasonal activities like the Pantomime Trail (£5/ child). Parking is also free for members and if you visit beaches regularly in the U.K., it can save you a fortune in car parking fees! For joining that day, they gave us the Pantomime Trail free, saving us £15, a nice touch and great start to the day!

Once we were signed up and wrapped up warm, the kids were given their trail packs and we began.

Buzymum - Off we go on the pantomime trail!
Off we go on the pantomime trail!

The Boy loved spotting the stars, hanging from the trees, indicating that we were on the right path and following the arrows that pointed the way.

Buzymum - Stars in the trees let you know you were on the right path  Buzymum - Arrows pointed the way on the pantomime trail

Lou enjoyed reading the map, provided in the pack, to tell us where to go and K read each clue, as we found the numbered stops and made sure everyone got involved in the activity!

Buzymum - One of the stops on the pantomime trail Buzymum - Puss-in-Boots asked them to ring the bells

 Buzymum - Looking in the magic mirror at the Snow White stop Buzymum - The carriage at the Cinderella stop

Buzymum - Fun with Widow Twanky's washing line! Buzymum - The Beauty and the Beast stop

Families with children of all ages were getting involved, with the paths being accessible to buggies and wheelchairs but there were also plenty of opportunities to explore the woodland, just off the trail. My children are more happy with a stick and a tree stump than a full play area so this was right up their street! Some of the views from the trail were absolutely breathtaking, the formal gardens and the natural landscape beyond both equally beautiful. With the trail only covering a small amount of the grounds, there is still plenty more to discover, when we visit again. 

Buzymum - The views while walking around Cliveden

Around half way through, we came across Aladdin’s Cave where the children were asked to write a wish and post it to receive three (chocolate) gold coins. They were then told that they needed a disguise to help Aladdin escape and were given a package each, to open. Here they are, in disguise!!

Buzymum - They had to wear a disguise to help Aladdin!

Towards the end of the trail was the maze, the only part that isn’t accessible to buggies (the paths are too narrow), but you don’t have to go in, to complete the trail. We must have spent over half an hour trying to get to the centre of the maze- we were truly rubbish but it was great fun! The Boy managed to lead us out in under five minutes- luck or genius? I’ll leave you to decide!!

Buzymum - Getting to the centre of Cliveden Maze

We were then led passed the beautiful water gardens, where the children couldn’t resist crossing the stepping stones over to the centre and back again. Of course, we had to do it too, for safety reasons!

Buzymum - Using the stepping stones to cross the water garden at Cliveden

At the last stop, the kids were given a present (bubbles) and a bag labelled ‘Fairy Godmother’s New Year Spell Mix’ (oats and glitter in a draw-string, gold bag) and they were told how to cast their New Year spell!

Buzymum - The final stop of the pantomime trail at Cliveden

Buzymum - Blowing bubbles at the end of the trail

Unfortunately, the play area at the end of the trail was closed due to ice, that day, but as I said earlier, my lot are happy with a leaf and a stick and there were plenty of them around so we decided to explore the grounds a bit further before finally heading home. They spent over half an hour in this big hole, running down one side and up the other! I love watching them playing outside and enjoying being outdoors!

Buzymum - The Boy spotted a little stream  Buzymum - Running up and down a large hole!

It was a great day out and will hopefully be the first of many, exploring the various National Trust locations in our area. There are so many to chose from that cater to every age with many activities on offer. I think our next adventure will include a bike ride so if anyone has a suggestion for a good National Trust place for cycling, please let me know!

Are you a member of the National Trust? Is it something you’ve ever considered? What did you get up to with the kids over the Christmas holidays?

This is not a sponsored post for Cliveden or the National Trust, we just had a great day out and wanted to share! If you are interested in joining, here is a link to the National Trust website, where you’ll find more information, ways to join and places to visit near you.

3 Little Buttons
ethannevelyn
A Day out at Cliveden, National Trust

10 thoughts on “A Day out at Cliveden, National Trust

  • 17th January 2017 at 9:24 pm
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    Oh this looks lovely! I love the national trust, we’ve had some fab days out with them! Lovely photos too. #dreamteam

    Reply
  • 20th January 2017 at 9:45 pm
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    We love National Trust visits and I keep nagging at “Daddy Pig” to let us do the annual membership as I’m sure it would save us a fortune. I love the pantomime trail idea – what a nice thing to do for the new year after the sparkle and fun of Christmas has faded. This sounds magical! Thanks for linking to #DreamTeam x

    Reply
  • 22nd January 2017 at 4:07 pm
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    Sounds like a great trail. We love visiting Cliveden but haven’t been there since last year! Hopeful we’ll get to see the snowdrops and daffodils x #DreamTeam x

    Reply
  • 24th January 2017 at 2:09 pm
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    Wow! That is a really great deal! We are a member of the English Heritage already but the trail at the National Trust looks so good too! Looks like the kids all had a fabulous time, even though the the play area was close. Thank you so much for linking up with us on #FabFridayPost

    Reply
  • 24th January 2017 at 3:04 pm
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    That looks great!! I’ve never been to cliveden!

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  • 14th March 2017 at 7:54 pm
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    great post! Glad you guys had such a lovely day at Cliveden. I have actually been there once, briefly – Its a beautiful site. I grew up in Norfolk where I had access to some of the absolutely stunning East Anglian National Trust owned coastline, places like Blakeney Point where theres a seal breeding site and huge flat salt marshes covered in purple sea lavender. You should visit the coast there if you get the chance! I’ve just recently become a volunteer countryside ranger for the National Trust at Bath Skyline – I absolutely love it! We have acres of wild flower meadow that we conserve that come into their full glory in May/June – a rare beauty these days – and its a fantastic place to walk and see wildlife – not so good for cycling though. I technically have two memberships at the moment (teehee!), as I got one free with my volunteership but had already bought one as a member of the public. Anyway, it’s lovely to hear so much enthusiasm for the outdoors and the Trust – I hope to read more about your family’s adventures.
    Best wishes
    Alice

    Reply
    • 14th March 2017 at 8:38 pm
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      That sounds amazing- the kids would love to see seals and those meadows sound beautiful! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, hope to hear from you again soon xx

      Reply
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