Grandma and Grandpa accompanied Mummy and Daddy for the first outing. Baby was only 20 days old. A last minute nappy change and subsequent feed (how do babies know when you're trying to leave the house?), meant that Grandma and Grandpa were already there, and halfway through a delicious scone, when we arrived. This had its advantages though, as Grandpa could cuddle Baby whilst Mummy and Daddy ate in peace.
After lunch, we made the most of the sunshine and walked through the woodland. There were various knitted animals located throughout the wood, and although they were clearly reaching the end of their placement, they still added lovely touches of colour. The walk started on a clearly marked path which would have been fine for a pushchair, but in the middle it became a bit of a muddy field, before concluding with a gravel path by the side of the canal.
The woodland was followed by a walk around the house. It's not the largest National Trust property by any stretch of the imagination, but for Baby's first day out it was just the right size, especially given my body was still recovering from a 50+ hour labour. The room staff were all welcoming (the primary question being 'pink hat, blue cardigan, is it a boy or a girl?'), and it wasn't too crowded, which eased my rather neurotic worries about people bumping into her.
The actual hall wasn't too warm, which isn't really surprising given its size and construction, but the remainder of the house was pleasant. There were a handful of rooms downstairs and the same upstairs. Several of the rooms are rather small and can feel a bit claustrophobic with more than two people in them, but this was never really a problem for us, and the other visitors (as you might expect for a National Trust property) were all very polite and waited patiently for their turn on the rare occasion there was a queue.
All in all, a gentle introduction to the world of days out for Baby (and her slightly neurotic Mummy).
Key facts:
Month of visit:
September
Weather for visit:
Hot and sunny.
Is it pushchair friendly?
Not really. We used a baby carrier, partly because we wanted to test it out and partly because we knew there was no lift to the upstairs, it being such an old building. There are several tight corners to negotiate as well as steps up and down into rooms. In Summer the woodlands would be accessible with a pushchair but I imagine in Winter (or just whenever it has rained recently) the mud would be too much. The gardens do have lovely wide pushchair friendly paths, which fare better in inclement weather, but can still turn a bit muddy with heavy use and rainfall. We did see another new mum using a sling, and at other National Trust properties they are available to loan for no charge, so I imagine they're also available here.
How are the baby changing facilities?
There are baby changing facilities alongside the toilets in the main yard. While we didn't actually use them, we did have a sneaky peek. They seemed clean, if a little cold. As they were located in the disabled toilet, there wasn't anywhere to sit and feed a baby, should you be so inclined.
What about somewhere to feed?
As the baby changing was located in the disabled toilet, there wasn't anywhere to sit and feed Baby. The tearoom is small but shouldn't pose any problems for feeding.
Is it worth a visit?
Yes, especially in dry weather, as the gardens are lovely and children can have fun building dens and roaming in the woodland. They may get a little bored in the house, but it's not very big and there is a trail they can follow.
Baby's highlight?
All the attention she received!
Rufford Old Hall
200 Liverpool Road,
Rufford,
near Ormskirk,
Lancashire,
L40 1SG
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/rufford-old-hall
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