We visited sudbury Hall and the museum of childhood recently, which is a national Trust property. Entrance cost to both the hall and the childhood museum is £13.50 adults, £6.75 children, £20.25 family (1 adult), £36.75 full family ticket. You can just go to either the museum or the hall separate which is just over half those prices. I had looked for any sort of vouchers like buy one get one free but because he attraction is a national Trust property you don’t get these kind of offers. There is parking just about 200yards down the road though there is disabled parking just in front of the main hall. Also according to their website there is also reduced rates for people arriving by bicycle or public transport.
We decided to go to the childhood museum first, as we was doing both the childhood museum and the hall. At the desk to pay we ended up getting a full years national trust membership as was a reduced rate. Though if you go to the national trust website you can get a reduced rate also (which for us would have been just under a tenner cheaper 🙂 but this is good value as even if you visit more than three national Trust properties over the year works out cheaper.
He first room you go into in the childhood museum has a few display of older toys and also toys that can be played with from the older times, which the kids enjoyed playing with. Before you go through the the next main room there is a display with a fireplace and someone that explains about the lives of children in the olden days as chimney sweeps the kids can go in through the fireplace and cone out another say so that the car see what it would have been like for a child all those yeas ago, which really want the long ago and also what other children would have had to do as jobs being so young. The next room has loads of displays and some large dolls houses. Remember to look up at the ceiling in this room as there is three full bedroom displays on the ceiling through different era’s. I think this is a great display and a very interesting way of displaying them.
Then there is the old school room set in Victorian times, you are treated to a lesion on how children left in those times. The lady that was being the teacher was absolutely great as was so fun for both the adults and children. I think this recreation of a school room is better than any others been too including the black Country museum. This is because of the lady being the teacher made it great fun and the lesson shall we say went in for about half and hour.
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There is also the reading room, this room is beautifully decorated around the walls and ceiling of a gorgeous scenes with what looks like pieces of paper with a letter on flying about. There are loads of books that you can read, there are some soft seats and bean bags for you to sit on also thee ae a few pair of headphones for you to listen to some of the stories. In the same room there is a dressing up section for the kid to dress up in different costumes.
The main display room is separated into to pars with loads of display of old toys covering s many years. You will see loads of toys from your childhood no matter what age you are, and will bring back some many memories of when you were younger, again remember to look up as there is a train on a track going above your head. Some of the toys and displays are interactive and you are welcome to have a go at some of the toys. In this room the is a dedicated area are with toys that can be played with.
If you are only visiting just the sudbury childhood museum and not going for the hall it is a great attraction and well worth the money as it does bring back memories of your younger year’s.
Outside in the ground there is a children’s play area with climbing frames, swings etc. If you goto the reception there is a sheet with a trail to follow. This is great fun for the kids to explore the grounds as the sheet gives you clues and once to figure out the answer in place throughout is another clue to follow. This trail takes you all around the grounds. As we was following the trial in the woods area there was a brick wall with a gate in the led to??? Church which was open. It is a small church but like any church is very nice inside. Now myself I’m not religious in anyway but love looking around old churches. Outside there is a well maintained grave yard.
After walking around outside and by the main lake we the had something to eat as we had taken a picnic. Though there is a nice cafe on site for food and refreshments. We the went into the main hall.
The main hall as you would expect from this type of propity is very grand, you can get a little quiz sheet for the children to do, which involves questions that they have to look around each room. Every few rooms their is someone if you want to know more about the items and the room that you are in. Also in some of the rooms their are demonstrations of what the servants would have done when was a manor house. Here is a little history of this country home, The mansion was built in the late 17th century for the Vernon family. It has a great staircase, fine long gallery and loads of portraits, there is a mixture of architectural sytles inside, with murals, are very detailed plasterwork. Just outside the hall is the formal gardens. The museum of childhood as now is, is housed in the old servants wing. The building are grade 1 listed and have been restored over the years. It was gifted to the national trust by the Vernon family in 1967.
We had a great day at Sudbury hall, and would recommend to anyone for either family day out or even just to visit on your own, no matter what the weather.
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