Venue:Ragley Hall, gardens and play area

Where:Alcester, Warwickshire. B49 5NJ

What's on offer:

Ragley Hall is one of the earliest and best of England's great Palladian houses with exceptional interiors, it houses a superb collection of 18th century paintings, porcelain and furniture.

One of the main attractions is a mural in the south staircase hall, which was commissioned by the 8th marquess, known as Temptation'.

The hall is set in 400 acres of picturesque parkland landscaped by the prodigious Lancelot 'Capability' Brown with 27 acres of gardens to the rear and side of the house including the circular rose garden which can be viewed from the tea rooms. Whilst there you can visit the house, terrace, gift shop and the lakeside picnic area and woodland walk.

Near the hall are the working stables, housing a carriage collection dating back to 1760 and a display of assorted historical equestrian equipment.For children there is an adventure playground, which will suit young children through to adults and a unique 3D maze, a lake and the Badger's Cabin where you can buy gifts, drinks and snacks.

Opening Times:

Open daily in school holidays.
September Hours of opening are 10am to 6pm, last admission 4.30pm

How to get there:

From Worcester take the A449 up to junction 6 of the M5 then follow the A4538 Evesham/Pershore road, then the A422.
Follow signs for Stratford going through Broughton Hackett, Upton Snodsbury and Inkberrow. At a T-junction turn left on to the A441 then turn right back on to the A422 entering Arro.
At a T-junction turn right at Wixford and you will see the entrance to Ragley Hall. It is two miles south west of Alcester off the A435/A46 and eight miles from Stratford-upon-Avon, (roughly 24 miles from Worcester city centre).

There is free car parking.

Prices:

Adult £8, Child (5-16) £4.50, Senior Citizens £6.50,

Review:

A great place for a family fun day out. There is plenty to keep you entertained, from a walk around the superb gardens to going inside the spectacular house.

If you like fun then why not let your hair down and have a go in the 3D maze or, for those of you that still have excess energy levels, why not try climbing on the large play area. There is a long zip slide and cargo nets to climb as well as going down the giant slide.

There are two smaller climbing areas for the younger children to play, where you can watch them whilst having a cup of tea or a small snack from the Badger's Cabin. Here you can buy small gifts.

There is a vast area of open grass near the lake where also you can have a picnic if the weather is nice. Why not take along things to do like a bat and ball, or swingball, etc.It is well worth a visit and great value for money and suitable for all age ranges.

Review by Roni Skye