Best National Trust Sites in Essex and the Surrounding Areas

The National Trust is an organisation that maintains various gardens and historical properties throughout England. Many of the places within the National Trust are free to visit, but some do cost fees or have car park fees nearby them to help maintain them. We ended up getting a National Trust membership, which allows us to park in carparks for free, go to a bunch of places that do cost, and otherwise attend National Trust seasonal events. There is a lot on in the National Trust, and many places to visit. As we live in the Essex area, we decided to explore as many of the local National Trust sites as we could, and we’ve picked out a bunch of our favorites from our county and the bordering ones! Let’s get into our list of the best National Trust Sites in Essex and the surrounding areas.

Explore Inside a Castle at Bodiam Castle

Bodiam Castle is one place that really stood out in our mind! This massive castle sits inside a mote – something we had not seen in real life before – and has a large area within it to walk around. Though the inside of the castle does look more like ruins, the outside stands tall and strong. There are plenty of signs on the inside, that tell you what various parts of the castle are, what rooms use to stand here, and about the time period the castle stood best in. Bodiam Castle also has a cafe on the premises, slightly away from the castle itself, and some nice trails nearby too, if you fancy a bit of a walk. The mote around the castle was full of life, especially ducks and birds which are fun to feed.

Have a Walk through Danbury Common

Danbury Common is less of a huge manor or historical site, and more of a well maintained walk that has the option of being in an open field and also in a forest. As Danbury Common is maintained by the National Trust, there are various small bridges built up, so that streams can continue to grow and thrive, while allowing people like us to walk around. Branches of large trees have supports under them, in places where they would otherwise be left to fall and rot, and the trails themselves are well maintained. It’s a cute little area, great for shorter walks or general den building in England – and it’s ever too busy there either.

Go back in time at Standen House

Standen House is another property that has a variety of different events. We actually visited during their Christmas Trail, which was a lot of fun for the whole family. There is a pretty sizable grounds around this massive manor, including gardens and forest areas to walk through, with many sub buildings that you can take a look at. These buildings often have signs – though ours were for Christmas specifically – to allow you to learn more about the family that lived in this home in its prime. Informational about the Beale Family continues in the home itself, which has beautifully decorated rooms that take you back in time, and look as if people might still live there today.

Have a Picnic at Bourne Mill 

Bourne Mill is another smaller site, but as such, does have a lot going on! There are often seasonal events at Bourne Mill, which are fun to take part in. The mill itself is the main building on this property, with a view of a large pond and small river too. You can watch the water go into the building, running the mill, showcasing how this building would have helped the surrounding town during the time. Along with the mill, the grounds around it provide a fun little walk, which is full of bug houses, various designated areas for picnics, and lots of signs to tell you about the natural wildlife. The carpark is small, but this mill is well worth a visit.

Find Ancient Trees at Hatfield Forest

Hatfield Forest is an ancient forest, with trees that look like they’ve come out of fairy tales. The forest itself is huge, with various buildings where you can get coffee or snacks, as well as small places where you can stop and see seasonal decorations at. We’ve visited various parts of Hatfield Forest over the years, including its house made of seashells and its massive lake that always has at least a few dogs walking around. Hatfield Forest is very peaceful, and is an essential forest to visit, if not for the fact that it is so old and full of ancient life, large trees, and is a wonder to walk around.

Visit some animals at Wimpole Estate

Wimpole Estate is probably our most visited National Trust site. This place is massive, easily a place that could take you days to visit. There are various manor houses as well as smaller houses, gardens, farms, flower gardens, animals to visit, ruins, playgrounds, and beautiful walks. You can spend an entire day exploring the folly up the massive hill or going inside the manor house to see what it is like inside there – with each of its beautifully presented rooms. There is a massive walled garden, full of blooming flowers, as well as a working farm, where you can see very young goats if you happen to come at the right time of year! There is a bunch of little shops and cafes inside one of the court yards, towards the entrance of the whole place – it’s just a joy to explore and a place that never seems to end.

There are a lot of other places that can be visited using your National Trust membership or that are maintained by the National Trust. We have really enjoyed exploring nature and seeing historical buildings – and feel that we got a lot out of our membership. Being mindful of the special, seasonal events is also a must, as there are so many themed trails and days well worth exploring.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!