It was a secret destination with a secret lunch reservation, but Mummy realised where we were going when we approached the entrance to Lyme Park, as Daddy needed to show Mummy's lifetime membership card to gain free parking.
The heavy snowfall the previous day had shut the estate, and there was clear evidence of this everywhere. The car park was rather muddy, and there were banks of snow that had obviously been piled up as staff attempted to clear it. The house only opened at 11am and we were there not too long after, so it wasn't too busy. There were plenty of dog walkers putting muddy dogs back into cars so the grounds are clearly a popular early morning walking spot. As we left, the car park was getting busy, though there was still the odd space or two.
With plenty of time to spare before our lunch reservation we decided to visit the house first. We were greeted at the courtyard entrance by a friendly volunteer who pointed out the buggy park, toilets and ticket office for us. We had taken the carrier in anticipation of the no pushchair rule. The buggy park wasn't particularly large, but it did have locks provided which was a nice touch. There were also lockers in which we could store coats and changing bag until needed, no charge.
A quick trip to the ticket office and we were ready to visit the house.
Every room guide we met was friendly and keen to share their knowledge, with at least one or two going out of their way to interest and entertain children walking around with their parents. There didn't seem to be (though I must admit I didn't go out of my way to look for one) a trail for children to follow, and there were a couple of children who seemed to be rather bored.
One particularly interesting feature which I haven't seen before, was the costume department, where children and adults could dress up in Edwardian clothing, and then visit the rest of the house, or the tearooms, or even the grounds in their new attire. We didn't give it a go on this occasion, but it seemed a popular idea.
Mummy and Daddy enjoyed their visit; the house was larger than I had realised, with some interesting history to it. There weren't too many people wandering round either which meant we could take our time (as much as Baby would allow) to view all of the rooms.
After a quick change and feed for Baby, we made our way to the Cellar for our reservation. Although the reservation was for afternoon tea, Daddy has made it for lunchtime, because he knew Mummy wouldn't be able to wait til mid afternoon to eat.
There weren't too many tables in the Ale Cellar so I was glad we had a reservation. In fact I think it may have been reservation only. There is an afternoon tea on offer usually but this was a special one being offered for Mothers Day.
Tea and coffee were included, but any other drinks were extra. As I don't drink tea or coffee we had to add on a soft drink. The table wasn't very big, even just having the drinks on the table made it very crowded, so when the food stand arrived it was tough to find space. Even tougher was making sure everything was far enough from Baby to prevent her getting her hands on anything.
The afternoon tea was scrumptious. A good selection of sandwiches, plus scones and small squares of cake. Daddy ate most of the sandwiches and Mummy ate most of the cakes. There were two of each cake, which included brownies, victoria sandwich and lemon drizzle. There were plenty of sandwiches too. Staff were more than happy to put the leftover cake in a takeaway box for us, when we were too full to continue. I did hear another (quite large) party further down complaining that there wasn't enough food, but there was more than enough for us.
A lovely first Mothers Day in beautiful surroundings, with wonderful food.
Key Facts:
Month of visit:
March
Weather for visit:
Sunny but very cold. Heavy snowfall the previous day had actually shut Lyme Park.
Is it pushchair friendly?
Not particularly. Pushchairs aren't allowed in the house for obvious reasons. There is a buggy park with chains to lock your pushchair up by the entrance, and they loan slings to carry babies around the house. On a previous visit in October we took the pushchair around the woods, and whilst although the initial paths were fine, once in the woods, they were very muddy and the pushchair wheels got so clogged with mud they just stopped turning.
How are the baby changing facilities?
We used the ones in the house, which looked like they had been refurbished very recently and were lovely and clean. There was a specific baby changing room, next to the ladies toilet, which had a drop down unit, sink and chair. Last time we were there we used the changing facilities by the woods, which were reasonably cold, and just acceptably clean.
What about somewhere to feed?
There was a specific room in the for feeding with a comfy chair and a microwave. It was very small though so only room for one person. Plenty of cafe options too.
Is it worth a visit?
Yes. Especially for older children who will love the adventure playground in the woods, and the large grounds to explore. The room guides were all very friendly and made a big fuss of Baby which allowed Mummy and Daddy to get a little bit of culture.
Baby's highlight?
The large mirrors in some of the rooms; Baby loves to look at her reflection.
Lyme Park,
Disley,
Stockport,
Cheshire,
SK12 2NR
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme
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