Newark Park

Newark Park occupies a dramatic position on the Cotswold edge near Ozleworth, looking south and west from a wooded escarpment across rolling farmland and towards the Severn. The core of the house is a Tudor hunting lodge built partly from stone salvaged from the dissolved Kingswood Abbey; it was transformed into a more comfortable country house in the 18th century and has been cared for by the National Trust since the 1950s.

For families the appeal is in the grounds and the space to roam. The estate sits at the top of a steep wooded drop, and seasonal family trails run across the parkland and through the woodland below the house. Peacocks roam the formal garden and are a reliable draw for younger children. The Tea Pavilion opens from mid-morning and sits well as a natural mid-point: trails first, then a drink and a look around the house before heading back.

The house itself is manageable in scale. The Tudor core with its high ceilings and thick walls leads into later Georgian rooms, and the whole interior is compact enough to hold younger children's attention. The National Trust runs themed events and trails through the year, particularly around Easter and in the summer holidays, so the experience varies with the season.

The formal garden terrace and the paths immediately around the house are reasonably flat and gravel-surfaced. Other estate paths are uneven and the escarpment setting means most woodland routes involve a degree of slope — buggies work in the formal garden but are impractical beyond it. The parking is on site and charged by the hour for non-NT members.

Good for: history, outdoors, animals. Ages: 0–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8–11, 12+.