Wollaton Hall Picnic

Saturday 5th July 2024

South Street, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65 1BR

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You are invited to a summer picnic in the grounds of Wollaton Hall.
A stunning Elizabethan house, surrounded by formal gardens set above an extensive deer park and landscaped grounds, Wollaton Hall is a short bus ride from Nottingham city centre, and easily accessible by car and public transport.​

The park is open from 9am until 9pm, but the main Guild picnic time will be between 12-2pm.

Kat and Gary will be there from 11am onwards to welcome you.

The hall and museum is open from 11am till 4pm if you want to take a look around (an admission fee does apply to the house and museums), and there is a guided tour of the house if you really want to explore (bookable on the museum website – links below).

Wollaton is a fine late Elizabethan house, built in the 1580s by the architect who would go on to build Hardwick Hall. It stayed in the Willoughby family for generations until it was sold to Nottingham City Council in 1925 and became home to the city’s natural history collection.

This is an Open Dress Code event with anything from 1580, when the house was founded, to our usual cut off date of 1914 being suitable. 

So, if you fancy getting out your best Elizabethan bling, walking the gardens in your Georgian or Regency finest, enjoying the landscape Romantic style, or exploring the parks and woods in your Victorian or Edwardian summer walking gear, perhaps hunting for samples to add to the museum collection, the choice is yours.

Meeting Point: This will be in the formal gardens by the Camellia house, which dates from 1823, and is the only of its kind in the UK to survive. The Camellia house is marked on the map in the links below. There is a path up from the stable block (where the toilets, café and shop are) to a gate in the garden wall, that gets you directly to that spot.

Cafés: There is a café by the playground at the main entrance, and another two in the stable block near the house. There are also shops here as well, so plenty of places to get ice cream.

Toilets: Toilets are in the stable block. There is an accessible toilet. 

Accessibility: The park and gardens are well laid out with good paths and step free access to most areas, there are arrangements for wheelchair access into the house and separate Blue Badge parking up there as it is quite a trek up the (steep) carriage drive to the main house from the car park. The site can be hilly in places, but generally the access is good, and the car park, stables and house and formal gardens are close together, and can be accessed without very long walks.

If you have any specific accessibility questions please email us at info@historicalcostumemakers.co.uk and we'll do our best to help. 

Dogs: Think carefully if you are considering bringing a dog. Your dog may be a delight to you but not all attendees might feel the same. We are happy for you to bring well behaved dogs, but please consider the nature of the event and other attendees and if you think your dog will tolerate it. 
The venue welcomes dogs, but be aware that there are deer in the park and to be aware of your dog at all times and use a leash when any deer are within sight.

Parking: There is extensive parking, including Blue Badge parking, with a charge of £6 at weekends.

Links

Venue website: https://wollatonhall.org.uk/ 
Details of access and parking: https://wollatonhall.org.uk/visit/
Opening and closing times:
https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Wollaton-Park-Closing-times-2025.pdf
Site map:
https://wollatonhall.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/wollaton-park-map.pdf
Accessibility: https://wollatonhall.org.uk/accessibility/