Wollaton Hall (Wollaton Hall (Nottingham))

Member Name: astros89

Product:	Wollaton Hall (Nottingham)
Date:	05/12/08 (167 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great day out, Very informative, Cheap car parking and admission, Deer.

Disadvantages: None that I can think of.

Wollaton Hall is an Elizabethan country house in Wollaton, Nottingham. It is a grade 1 listed building that was built in 1588. The hall is surrounded by 500 acres of land. The park contains a wide range of wildlife habitats including wetlands, grasslands, woodlands and mature trees. There are herds of red and fallow deer roaming free.

This is an excellent place to visit on a day out, for picnics, a walk or to take photgraphs. You can go inside the house or take a walk around the park and gardens. Admission to the hall is free and there is an option to pay to go on a tour which costs £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for concessions.

The gate opening times are 8am on week days and 9am at the weekend. The closing times are different throughout the year and close between 5pm - 9:45pm. There is a big car park and to park your car it costs £2 for the whole day which I think is very good.

The hall itself is open daily April-October 11am - 4pm and November - March 11am - 4pm.

The park is very easy to get to both by car and bus. It is 3 miles away from the city centre and is well signposted. There are a number of buses which go to Wollaton and past the park.

The hall has recently had a £39 million restoration and now you can experience more than before.

In the hall you can see:

Tudor Kitchens - The original beehive ovens and charcoal stove have been fully restored and the kitchens furnished according to the 1601 inventory.You can experience the sights, sounds and smells of an authentic Tudor kitchen.

The Regency Dining Room - See it as it would have looked and watch a video featuring the family housekeeper.

The Regency Salon - Revamped with new audio visual interpretation and presented as it would have been in 1832.

The Prospect Room - Situated on top of the Great Hall with stunning architecture and panoramic views of the city and beyond.

The Bird Room - Recreated as it would have looked in the 1920s when Wollaton Hall first became a natural history museum. The museum has a great amount of specimens and minerals on display.

If you are just going to look around outside and not going in to the hall itself you will see a historic lake, formal flower gardens and The Camellia House which is the oldest cast iron glasshouse in Europe as well as the many animals that are around the park.

There is a cafe in the courtyard and a yard gallery with a exhibition space that has a changing program of exhibitions. They have a small shop inside.

Summary: A beautiful Elizabethan country house.