Things to See and Do
Parterres and Woodland
Discover over 90 acres of beautiful gardens showcasing French, Dutch, Italian and English styles side by side. Fancy French curves and bold Italian geometry provide an opportunity for contrast through our dynamic bedding displays.
Explore Wrest Park's sweeping landscapes and woodland walks. From an explosion of colour in spring to the lush greens and browns of summer and autumn, Wrest Park changes its coat of colour with every season.
Hidden Garden Gems
Keep an eye out for our hidden gems in the gardens. These include an ornate marble fountain, the 18th century Bowling Green House, a Chinese Temple and Bridge and over 40 statues dotted around the grounds. Can you find them all? The Chinese Temple and Bridge originally formed part of a tableau imitating scenes found on Chinese willow pattern plates.
The Long Water is encased on either side by walkways leading to the spectacular Archer Pavilion. Built by Thomas Archer between 1709-11, this baroque pavilion, with its stunning interior, is the focal point of the gardens.
Dairy Sculpture Gallery
Take a trip to the Dairy Sculpture Gallery, which showcases some of the estate's most beautiful statues, now restored to their former glory.
The dairy which used to supply butter and cream for the de Grey family, was converted into an gallery, bringing together precious garden statues too fragile to remain outside.
Look out for a magnificent Portland Stone Neptune and an elegant bronze sundial from 1682.
Archaeological Collections Store Tours
Join our collections team in the Archaeological Collections Store and discover a treasure trove of unique and special objects spanning 2,000 years of England's history. These are objects not normally on display, and form around a third of our total stored collection.
Tours take place from April to October.
Booking is essential and tours cost £5 for both members and non-members in addition to the normal admission price. For more information and to book please call 01525 860000 option 5.
The Revitalisation Project
Wrest Park is one of the few places in the world where visitors can see the evolution of landscape gardening over the last 300 years.
Taking ownership in 2006 English Heritage launched a 20-year master plan for Wrest Park which started with the Revitalisation Project. The project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the J Paul Getty Jnr Charitable Trust and English Heritage.
Work included new visitor facilities, new interpretation in the mansion, and the restoration of the rose garden and the Italian garden. In 2012 the French Parterre was restored and a new sculpture gallery opened. Most recently the Ladies' Lake was restored to its former glory with reinstated paths and repairs to the waterworks.
We will keep you up to date as work continues to the gardens.
Eating and Shopping
Feeling peckish? Head to our café with its selection of delicious hot and cold meals and snacks, including a homemade soup of the day and freshly made sandwiches.
Take inspiration from history at the shop where you can pick up jams and chutneys, wines, beers, books, garden gifts and more.
Or you can shop online before or after your visit.
Children's Play Area
Make the most of the outdoor space and play. Families with energy to burn can grab an activity backpack and audio trail designed for kids, and head out to explore the grounds.
Bring a picnic and wear the children out playing hide and seek. They will be thrilled to discover the fantastic play area inspired by the property, which includes its very own pavilion to climb, and even a zip wire.
It's right next to the café so parents and grandparents can relax with a cup of tea whilst keeping an eye on the little ones.
Garden Tours
Make sure you join a Wrest Park volunteer guide for a tour around the gardens. These free tours (with admission) cover one of a variety of routes which take in the delights of both the Upper and Great Gardens or one of our popular tree tour routes. Please ask a member of staff at the admission point about booking on to a tour (subject to availability).
You can also enjoy an audio-tour at Wrest Park by picking up a handset at our admissions point.
Wallpaper Tours
Join us on the first Sunday and third Thursday of the month between April - October at 11am and 1pm for a unique peek inside the mansion house at Wrest Park as we explore rooms rarely open to visitors – the amazing wallpaper rooms. See the stunning ‘Eldarado’ papers in the French Room and the intricate hand-painted papers in the Chinese Room as our knowledgeable volunteer guides explain the history of these rooms and the family’s use of them.
Tours are free with your admission ticket and booking is not required, however we do recommend arriving early to ensure a space on the day.
Secondhand Bookshop
Looking for a new book or have a few that you'd like to donate? Visit our secondhand bookshop in the Bothy building, located in the visitor car park.
During our opening hours, the Bookshop will be open from 10am to 4pm with proceeds going towards projects at Wrest Park.
Why not pop in and have a look? We've got lots of perfect reading spots in our stunning grounds.
