Newark Park
National Trust Tudor hunting lodge, later a family home, with informal period rooms, a hillside garden and parkland near Wotton-under-Edge.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Newark Park began as a Tudor hunting lodge built by Sir Nicholas Poyntz, a courtier who bought former monastic land from Henry VIII in 1544. He called it his 'Newwork'. The estate had earlier belonged to a Cistercian abbey, and its wealth came from sheep and the wool and cloth trade.
In the 17th century the house passed to the Lowe family, who doubled its size and turned it into a family home. The most important remodelling came in the 1790s under the Clutterbuck family, when the south front was re-faced, a porch was added and a winding carriage drive was laid out to give visitors a picturesque approach. From the late 19th century the house was let to a succession of tenants, many of them women, and it was offered to the National Trust in 1949.
In 1970 the American architect Bob Parsons took on the lease and spent almost 30 years restoring the house and gardens, with his partner Michael Claydon. After Parsons died in 2000 the National Trust opened the property to visitors. Today the house has a relaxed, lived-in feel. Some rooms are left as they were in the last tenancy, with furnishings from Tudor times to the 20th century, and visitors can also explore the garden, woodlands and estate.
Highlights
- Tudor hunting lodge remodelled in the 1790s
- Rooms left as they were during the last tenancy
- Tudor Sitting Room with a model showing the house's building phases
- Basement kitchens, with guided tours on some days
- Garden with a play field, folly and fairy doors
- Peacocks and views over the valley
Permanent exhibition
- Newark House – Tudor hunting lodge with rooms left as in the last tenancy, a Tudor Sitting Room with a model of the house and the basement kitchens.
- Operated by
- National Trust
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £15 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £7.50free up to age 4 · Child ticket for ages 5 to 17; under 5s are free. |
| Groups | –A group rate per adult (£14.25 with Gift Aid) is listed for the whole site. |
| Families | £37.50Two adults and up to three children. |
| Family ticket, one adult and two children | £22.50 |
Prices are for the whole site without Gift Aid; with Gift Aid the adult price is £16.50, child £8.30 and family £41.30. Free entry for National Trust members. Parking is £1.10 for one hour or £3.20 for the day, free for members.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The ground floor of the house is accessible, with a built-in ramp at the entrance, but there is no step-free access to the upper floors and an album of photographs of the upper rooms is available. Mobility scooters are not allowed inside the house. The area around the house is flat with gravel paths, but other paths on the estate are steep, uneven or sloped, and an accessible map showing the most level parts of the garden is available from visitor reception. An accessible toilet with a changing table is at visitor reception. A wheelchair can be borrowed on request and a Tramper off-road mobility vehicle can be hired by booking in advance. Disabled parking is on the right of the car park, and visitors can be dropped off outside the house. An induction loop is at the Tea Pavilion and a Braille guide is in the house. Only registered assistance dogs are allowed in the house.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £37.50 · Two adults and up to three children. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly: not available
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
The garden has a play field with a folly play area, crinkle-crankle steps and fairy doors, plus picnic spots and traditional lawn games in warmer months. Inside, children can dress up as Tudor lords and ladies in the Buff Bedroom and follow an animal spotter trail, and seasonal trails and activity cards are offered. Pushchairs are not allowed inside the house. An accessible toilet with baby changing is at the main car park.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Wotton-under-Edge (bus)
The nearest railway stations are Cam & Dursley (8 miles) and Stroud (10 miles). By bus, travel from Bristol to Thornbury, then connect from Thornbury to Dursley and alight at Wotton-under-Edge, 1¾ miles away. The Cotswold Way passes the property.
By car
Paid parking
The car park is 100 yards from the house and main facilities. Payment is £1.10 for one hour or £3.20 for the day via the JustPark app (location code 80633) or the pay and display machines; National Trust members park free after registering.
- Accessible parking
The property is 1¾ miles south of the junction of the A4135 and B4058; follow the signs for Ozleworth and Newark Park. The National Trust advises against using a sat nav, which can lead to a very steep single-track lane.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop: not available
The Tea Pavilion serves hot and cold takeaway drinks and light snacks, with plenty of space for picnics. There is no gift shop, but two second-hand bookshops, one with a reading corner. Toilets are at visitor reception and inside the house.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Volunteer room guides are on hand in the house, and guided tours of the basement kitchens run on some days depending on volunteers, so ask at visitor reception. A written guide is available. Dogs on short leads are welcome in the garden and estate. |
