dyrham park

I really love the National Trust but Dyrham Park really didn't do it for me. £12 each for me and my mum to see the house, which included a measly 6 rooms which were all ridiculously dark (I know they have to preserve the interiors of the houses, but this is the worst lighting I've seen in this type of place). The restaurant was horrendously busy and crowded (I overheard a couple saying it had been the same when they'd been before) and also expensive (£14 for 2 bottles of apple juice and 2 bowls of soup). It's great to see NT properties being visited and supported by so many people, but it was just too crowded to be enjoyable. The lost terraces walk was a massive disappointment, too, as the leaflet didn't make it clear from the outset that the sites mentioned have disappeared; it read like they'd been recreated.The gardens were beautiful and the work that has gone into designing them is a marvel. However, if you don't want to go on a big walk (my mum was very much uninterested in that prospect!) then it's a bit of a rip off. My least favourite NT property by far. Very disappointing. Especially as I loved 'The Remains of the Day' and was looking forward to spotting some of the rooms used in the film.

We are Members of the National Trust an I have been to Dyrham Park many times. I love this old place because it is a lovely escape from the city and an opportunity to have a little walk. Although it is an interesting building and the trust do allot to cater for the whole family which they do well I come for the architecture, the view, the walk and the cream tea. Take it from me you won't be disappointed an you will be ensuring that this beautiful building will be around for generations to come.

We took our 5 & 2 ½ Y.O daughters here on a wet Sunday and had a great time. We have been several times before and no trip has been the same. We love: Scenic walks in deer park, trails, running down the steep hills (not walking up steep hill), gardens to explore, old farm buildings with tractors to climb on and Mud, no dogs either. The house is partially closed and clad in scaffold for roof replacement and conservation, which in itself is interesting. We will visit later in year when roof top access to renovation work is set up.

Visited on Saturday (opening day). House disappointing as only a couple of rooms open to view, so not worth long journey and special visit. NT staff welcoming at entrance. Grounds and views lovely and may look great when in full bloom. Deer around the grounds. Luckily it was a nice day so we could walk around grounds as not much else to do there. Lots of other NT properties with much more inside and out.

Had never heard of this place before booking a day coach excursion from our local area, and found the 3 and a half hours or so we had wasn't nearly enough to do it justice.I recall it was schools' half term and the car park was horribly overcrowded. Due to inconsiderate car owners it was impossible for our coach to park in our designated space.I note that a recent post, rather than being a review, is basically a rant against the no-dog policy here. There are hundreds of deer in the park and therefore it's obvious why this stand has been taken, and also many visitors - the silent majority - are happy to not have to put up with people whose pets are more important to them than the comfort and safety of others. There are plenty of places which are dog-friendly.It has an interesting history and has only been with the National Trust since 1961. The parking area is some way from the house. If you're fit enough it's a pleasant walk but there is a regular transport service between the two. The walk back is nearly all uphill.We found the rooms in the house well-presented, with interesting furniture and art works. All the staff and volunteers were friendly and enthusiastic. I asked a number of questions and when they didn't know the answer it wasn't any trouble to look it up or find out from other staff. Well done!The gardens and church are well-kept and worth allowing time for.There are plenty of walks and viewpoints around the park if you have the time and energy.

We enjoy visiting this park with our grandchildren...the views are great and it is good to see the deer. As other reviews have said the Tearooms are too small for the size of the property. The bus back to the carparking is a bonus as it is quite a steep walk back up the hill. One negative point...the website mentions a new wild play area which our granddaughters were looking forward to using. However this so-called play area is difficult to find...some sign posts would help...but when we actually did find it it was a waste of space....it is muddy and quite dangerous...the seesaw is just a plank of wood balanced precariously and the balancing logs are certainly not safe. It might well be using natural materials but it leaves a lot to be desired. Might I suggest somebody from Dyrham travels North to Clumber Park to see what a decent play area looks like!

This is my local NT place.The park is always open, the place is tranquil & vast. The house is interesting & changing. There are often events on & always something to do.

I have visited Dyrham park many times I find it verry peacefull and quiet it is nice to see all the deers roming free in the park the house set in the grounds is amazing so much history in there the estate is large with lovely views well worth a visit it is run by the national trust so if you are a member of the national trust you can use it to get in free .

This is a super house set in a valley within a deer park. It has Capability Brown gardens with water features. The house is lovely and there is plenty of it on show to the visitor.

A great day out with the family (ours ranged from 4yrs to 70 yrs) enjoyed by us all. The house, the gardens, the church and the Deer all worth a visit. Well done National Trust for maintaining this lovely house and piece of history.

Over 2 years ago I wrote a review for Dyrham and I'm still getting helpful votes.so I have decided to do an update. I think it's because people who have dogs find it useful. Most of my review was about their lack of tolerance towards people bringing dogs to the estate. Don't bother to go there if you want to walk a dog in the grounds. Because you can't. (Even if the dog is kept on the lead, and like a responsible owner and lover of national trust land, you will clean up after it. )We have even written to the head office about the fact that despite the hundreds of acres available to walk in, they will not allow dogs anywhere but the small enclosed area near the busy approach road. The reply was just full of excuses about problems they've had in the past with dogs chasing deer, mess etc. we know for a fact that there are MANY NT places that allow dog owners and I find Dyrham to be 'stuffy' and intolerant. We live about 15 minutes away and rarely go there because the dog is not welcome. In all honesty there is little to do there but walk around the grounds and go in the cafe. I think we would be regulars if our Welshie was allowed to come in too.They are probably missing out on a lot of extra revenue from people who would go there, and spend money in the shop and the cafe. The house isn't particularly interesting either. They could do a lot more to improve the visitor experience. If you walk from the car park across the fields you get the most stunning view towards Wales (on a clear day) and I for one, would like to be able to experience it more often with Dylan. I guess, in a nutshell, if you are reading this because you are not from the Bath area and you have a dog with you and are trying to decide whether to call in there, DONT BOTHER!!

Beautiful park! Perfect for walks with children - very nice (new) play yard for kids and unique wood carvings. Came past two flocks of deer walking freely in the park. From the view point at the end of the park, you can see the Bristol plane and even as far as Wales. Only a pity that the cars on the busy roads near the park can be heard everywhere.

It's clear from the NT website that the house and gardens are closed at present. What is not mentioned is that the children's farm play area is also closed. It would have been nice to know - we had two very disappointed children on a recent visit. We've had several pleasant days here in the past but it's probably best avoided at the minute, until they have finished the restoration work.

Dyrham Park is 270 acres of parkland with a main house, trails, orangery, gardens, picnic area, church, tea room, shop, roaming deer and children's area.There is quite a walk to get to the house, but during our visit they were holding a Halloween trail, which was very popular and made the walk interesting.The grounds are very impressive with sweeping hills, leafy trees and wonderful valleys. The views of the surrounding countryside are amazing.We followed the Halloween trail down to the Old Lodge (farm buildings and equipment) where our daughter collected a prize (Lollipop) for getting all the questions right.We continued walking in search of the house. We got to the point where we turned the hilly corner and the house was visible.The house is very impressive from the outside and in an excellent setting. We expected to see Mr Darcy come riding by!There is a shop just before you go into the house which had the standard National Trust items for sale.We entered the house, and from the external view, we were expecting great things However, the house itself has no personality or character. There was just… nothing. We didn’t pick up the vibe of times gone by that you generally do when visiting such places.Many of the rooms were empty due to being in storage whilst the leaking roof was being replaced / repaired.There was lots of signage and boxes requesting donations for the roof repairs. This was in addition to the 10% voluntary contribution being asked for at the entrance. All very off putting.We would not class this as one of the best National Trust property we have visited.We left the house and attempted to enter the tea rooms, but it was far too small for the number of visitors and packed so didn’t stand a chance really.There is a courtesy bus that takes you between the house and car park. We would seriously recommend you get the bus back to the car park if you are not physically fit. It is the hardest uphill walk ever. To make it worse, the courtesy bus does not stop in-between the house and car park so if you start the return walk, you have to finish it. Don’t do it; get the bus.The brochure quotes 200 roaming deer; we saw 1.The car park is gravel and large. Directional signage would be a benefit here.The loos around the site are OK but not great.Top tip: When leaving and going to main road, avoid turning right to bath; absolute nightmare to get out. Go left and double back further down the road.

I visited Dyrham park a while ago.. but felt I needed to leave a 5 star rating because It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been! My favorite thing where the deers which rome the park freely. Tea rooms where also very nice as well as the gift shop