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National Trust Waddesdon, home to Waddesdon Manor, a 19th-century French Renaissance châteaux in the British countryside.
The first time we visited Waddesdon Manor, we were on our way to the Cotswolds.
It was so good that we travelled an hour to visit again.
Undoubtedly, Waddesdon is one of the most impressive National Trust sites you will ever visit, and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in France.
There’s a good reason for the French architecture – read on to find out why!
A Brief History of National Trust Waddesdon
Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild built Waddesdon Manor between 1874 and 1885 to display his collection of French decorative arts, English portraits and Dutch Old Master paintings.
He also used the manor to entertain the ‘fashionable’ world, whatever that is.
Waddesdon Manor was opened to the public in 1959 and is now managed by the Rothschild Foundation, under the leadership of Lord Rothschild, on behalf of the National Trust, which took ownership of Waddesdon in 1957.
If you don’t know who the Rothschild family is, they are the most famous banking dynasty in European history.
They created a banking house in the 18th century.
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, they had considerable economic influence in Europe because they operated in the financial capitals of the continent, hence why they had the funds to build such a place.
Things to Do at National Trust Waddesdon
To fully enjoy National Trust Waddesdon, you should allow 3 to 4 hours for your visit.
That’s because there are a ton of things to do, and you’ll get lost in the astonishment inside the manor and wonder where the time has gone.
We’ve highlighted a few things below to help you plan a brilliant day at National Trust Waddesdon.
1 | Marvel at Waddesdon Manor
It’s suggested that Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild spent around £1.5 million to build Waddesdon between 1882 and 1897, including buying the estate, creating the manor, stables and ancillary buildings, landscaping the gardens and building the roads.
That’s an astronomical amount of money, even by today’s standards!
No expense was spared during the design, but you might expect to see it plonked in the middle of the French countryside, not the English countryside.
That’s because Baron Ferdinand wanted the house’s exterior to be in the style of the French Renaissance châteaux of the Loire Valley.
He even employed a French architect, Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur, to build it.
2 | Look Inside Waddesdon Manor
Once you’ve looked at the exterior of the manor, we recommend stepping in to look inside Waddesdon Manor before wandering the gardens.
Inside Waddesdon Manor, the Rothschild collections of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts are spread throughout 24 rooms, which you can access or view.
As you enter, pick up a copy of the Waddesdon Room Guide.
It contains everything you need to know about inside Waddesdon Manor, from the Oval Hall to the Smoking Room and highlights what you should look out for.
Inside Waddesdon Manor, you’ll also find the wine cellar, which isn’t marked in the guide.
3 | Peruse the Waddesdon Manor Shop
Any good National Trust site comes complete with a shop.
National Trust Waddesdon is no exception. Well, it is because there are really two shops: the usual National Trust gift shop (with some unique Waddesdon stuff!) and the Waddesdon Manor wine shop.
Much like any National Trust shop, Waddesdon Manor’s shop is good, but this one is a level up because it sells a ton of wine.
It also sells other things, like gin, honey, and local produce.
There’s even a Waddesdon Manor online shop that will deliver straight to your door.
4 | Explore the Gardens
Although you can’t access it all, the Waddesdon estate covers a staggering 6,000 acres, which has grown from the original 2,700 acres purchased in 1874.
You can access a small part of this extraordinary landscape, which highlights the Parterre garden, rose garden, Baron’s Walk, and aviary.
5 | Search the Aviary
Yes, Waddesdon has its own aviary, complete with birds.
Waddesdon’s aviary is filled with colourful and exotic birds.
Now beautifully restored, it plays an important role in conservation breeding projects of endangered species.
You can even meet the aviary keeper at 2 pm, from Wednesday to Friday.
6 | Enjoy a Picnic
National Trust Waddesdon is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic, unless it’s freezing cold or raining, of course!
Thankfully, the weather was on our side when we visited, and we enjoyed a picnic on the lawn in front of the house.
Waddesdon will make one for you if you don’t fancy taking your own picnic along!
They are available until mid-September.
Click here to view the menu and to order.
And don’t forget to take your rubbish with you!
You’ll find bins by the Manor Takeaway to the left of the house.
7 | Indulge in Afternoon Tea
If you don’t fancy sitting outside, you can indulge in afternoon tea in the Manor Restaurant. Click here for the menu and to book.
8 | Cycle Along the Waddesdon Greenway
You can cycle (or walk) to Waddesdon Manor, courtesy of the Waddesdon Greenway.
Alternatively, you can hire an e-bike from Waddesdon and cycle away from Waddesdon.
The Waddesdon Greenway is a traffic-free route designed to connect rural communities to their nearest rail station.
In this case, it connects Waddesdon to Aylesbury Vale Parkway Station. B-Bikes operates the e-bikes, and there’s a hire station right by the Welcome Pavilion at Waddesdon.
The route to the station is 3 miles, travels through the countryside of Aylesbury Vale and will take about 15 minutes.
9 | Visit a Special Event
We told you Waddesdon has tons of things to do, and the list doesn’t end at the things above.
Waddesdon hosts a variety of events, including concerts, ballet, wine tasting, festivals, theatre performances, open-air cinemas, and the Christmas Fair.
To book and for a complete list of events at Waddesdon, click here.
National Trust Waddesdon Manor Prices
If you have a National Trust membership or belong to the Art Fund or RHS, then access to Waddesdon is free!
Simply bring your membership card along to be scanned for free entry.
You can book in advance using the links below.
We just turned up and got in with our National Trust passes without a problem.
However, Waddesdon recommends you book your timed house entry in advance due to limited capacity, especially at weekends and holidays when it gets a little busier.
If you’re not a member of the above, you’ll pay a pretty penny to access Waddesdon Manor and gardens.
If you enjoy places like this, we recommend joining the National Trust. You can sign up by clicking here.
Back to Waddesdon…the prices are;
House & gardens – £25.20 per adult, £12.50 per child.
Gardens only – £13.20 per adult, £6.60 per child
Click here for everything National Trust Waddesdon has to offer.
To book the house, gardens, shuttle bus, and parking, click here.
National Trust Waddesdon Opening Times
Below are the opening times for National Trust Waddesdon.
Note that it isn’t open on Monday or Tuesday!
Waddesdon grounds – Wed-Sun, 10 am-5 pm.
Waddesdon Manor – Wed-Sun, 11 am-4 pm. The last admission into the manor is 2.30 pm.
How to Get to National Trust Waddesdon
When you get to Waddesdon, you will visit the Welcome Pavilion, where you can buy tickets and catch the shuttle bus.
There are also toilets and baby-changing facilities.
By car: If you’re driving to Waddesdon, there’s a huge free, 1000-space car park on-site. There are also dedicated spaces for Blue Badge holders and family parking.
Alternatively, you can pay for premium parking, which is available at the top of the hill and costs £20 per car. £20 per car! Ouch.
You can book premium parking online.
Click the map below for Google Maps.
It’ll take you straight to the free car park.
When you arrive at the gates of Waddesdon, follow the signs to your chosen car park.
By train: the nearest train station to National Trust Waddesdon is Aylesbury Vale Parkway, 3 miles away.
To reach Waddesdon from the Aylesbury train station, take a taxi, take a bus ride, or walk along the Waddesdon Greenway.
The Waddesdon Greenway is a 3-mile traffic-free route you can walk or cycle along from Aylesbury Vale Parkway to Waddesdon.
It’ll take about an hour to walk or 15 minutes to cycle.
If you don’t have your own bike, no problem.
You can hire an e-bike from B-Bikes.
By bus: If you arrive by bus, you can catch the Red Rose Travel bus number 16.
The bus runs from Aylesbury to Marsh Gibbon via Waddesdon.
Click here for the timetable.
Note that the service is infrequent and doesn’t operate on Sundays.
Once you’ve arrived at National Trust Waddesdon, you have two options for getting to Waddesdon Manor itself: you can walk or take the shuttle bus.
Walking: we chose to walk, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes (maybe 20 at a push!) and includes walking up a hill.
As always, we would recommend walking if you can.
Not only is it better for you and the environment, but you can also enjoy the peaceful surroundings before you’ve even made it to the main attraction and get an alternative, fantastic view of the back of Waddesdon Manor that you might not see if you take the bus.
Please note that the path up isn’t suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs because of the surface, which is woodchip.
Alternatively, you can take the shuttle bus, which runs approximately every 15 minutes. The shuttle bus runs from the car park to the North Fountain, Stables and back to the car park.
Due to limited spaces on the bus, tickets must be pre-booked for everyone.
You will also have to pay for the privilege.
The prices are £2 per adult and £1 per child.
Blue badge holders and accompanying carers are free.
The last shuttle bus to the car park is at 5 pm. Book your tickets online here.
Navigation information:
Address: Waddesdon Manor, Waddesdon, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP18 0JH.
Google Maps: National Trust Waddesdon Manor
What3Words: vanilla.swims.rules
FAQs
Do Rothschilds still own Waddesdon Manor?
No, they do not.
The Rothschild Foundation was set up to manage the estate on behalf of the National Trust, which took ownership of the Waddesdon estate in 1957.
James de Rothschild, who owned Waddesdon Manor at the time, decided to leave the estate and most of the essential collections to the National Trust before he died in 1957.
Can you walk around Waddesdon Manor for free?
Technically, no, you can’t walk around Waddesdon Manor for free.
If you are a National Trust, Art Fund, or RHS member, you can access Waddesdon and Waddesdon Manor for free; otherwise, you’ll have to pay.
How long does it take to go around Waddesdon Manor?
To walk around Waddesdon Manor, you should allow up to an hour and a half.
To visit the manor, have lunch and allow enough time to enjoy the gardens, you should allow 3-4 hours for your visit.
For more information on National Trust Waddesdon and Waddesdon Manor, you can visit the National Trust website or Waddesdon.org.
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