Wimpole Estate is the largest house in Cambridgeshire and one of the National Trust‘s most varied family days out. The 2,500-acre estate wraps around the Georgian hall and the working organic Home Farm, with rare-breed cattle and sheep, a folly on the hill (the Gothic Tower), a stretching avenue of lime trees, and a walled garden with cedar greenhouses. It works for very different family configurations — the Home Farm side is excellent for under-eights, the parkland and folly for older children and teenagers.
Visitor essentials
- Address: Arrington, Royston, SG8 0BW, Cambridgeshire
- Operator: National Trust — www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cambridgeshire/wimpole-estate
- OS map: OS Explorer 209 — CambridgeBuy from OS →
- National Trust members: free entry and parking on showing your card. Non-members pay the standard property rate at the gate.
What to expect on a family visit
Plan for a full day. The estate splits naturally into three: the Hall (impressive but not wildly child-friendly), the Walled Garden and Stable Yard (excellent café, plant centre and gentle wandering), and Home Farm (real animals, real smell, very real fun). Lambs in spring are the headline draw at Home Farm. The walk to the Gothic Tower folly takes around 30 minutes each way along the parkland and rewards you with one of the best views in the county. The avenue of limes is best photographed early or late in the day.
Eating at Wimpole Estate
The Old Rectory
Main restaurant at Wimpole Estate · National Trust · SG8 0BW Cambridgeshire
| Monday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
| Thursday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
| Friday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
| Saturday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
| Sunday | 10:00 – 16:30 |
Hours verified against the National Trust property page on 28 April 2026; pattern applies through the open season.
🍽 Hot lunches, Sunday roasts♿ Step-free entry💳 Card accepted
Stable Café
Café at the Stable Yard, Wimpole Estate · National Trust · SG8 0BW Cambridgeshire
| Monday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Thursday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Friday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Saturday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Sunday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
Hours verified against the National Trust property page on 28 April 2026; pattern applies through the open season.
🍰 Cakes, hot drinks, light bites🐕 Dogs welcome
Farm Café
Family café at Home Farm · National Trust · SG8 0BW Cambridgeshire
| Monday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Thursday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Friday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Saturday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
| Sunday | 10:30 – 16:00 |
Hours verified against the National Trust property page on 28 April 2026; pattern applies through the open season.
👶 Family-friendly, baby-changing🥪 Children’s lunch boxes
Visiting more than three or four NT places a year? National Trust membership covers entry and parking — and there’s a Free Guest Pass on annual Direct Debits at the moment.
Correct as of 28 April 2026 — please check before you travel, especially on Bank Holidays, Easter and between Christmas and New Year.
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