Wimpole Estate is a National Trust property which has several separate areas – the Home Farm with a walled garden and adventure playground, the main park and the Hall and Gardens. We only visited the Hall and Gardens area. There are separate entrance charges for the Hall, Gardens and Farm though, of course, National Trust members have free access to all areas. It states that it takes 13 minutes between the Hall and the Farm but I think that means walking very briskly.
We started with a coffee in the stable block which is closest to the car park and where the shop, plant sales and toilets are situated. We then wandered around the house which has, in some rooms, to us a feeling of being in the between the world wars period. The chapel was decorated with wonderful corn dollies ready for a Harvest Festival. There is a large and very comprehensive library which is currently being “deep cleaned”. When we were there the dining room was closed for a wedding – they definitely had a lovely place and day – blue skies when we visited. The basement rooms are very interesting with the butler’s, housekeeper’s and steward’s rooms being furnished.
The formal gardens are beautiful and very well kept – red, white and blue bedding for the Jubilee year. We had visited a few years earlier in spring when there was a fine show of tulips. We then had lunch in the restaurant – a choice of 3 hot meals made with meat from the estate – we can recommend the sausages! All in all an enjoyable few hours – the volunteer staff in all the rooms were particularly knowledgeable.
