National Trust

A TRIP TO WALLINGTON’S CROCUS LAWN – NT

Published on March 24, 2025March 24, 2025 by simplycarinaxo4 Comments

I may have mentioned my anxiety in passing on this blog before, and I’ll probably talk about it in more detail one day, but for now, let’s just say my anxiety essentially impacts all forms of travel and just generally being out and about. I’m telling you this because for me a trip to Wallington wasn’t the easiest, but as part of my action plan to overcome my anxiety I have to face my fears head on in the hopes of creating positive memories; and thus I pushed myself to finally go tick another National Trust site of our list.

For us Wallington is about a 1h drive away depending on traffic, and for me a journey this long, is very anxiety inducing, especially when it’s one I’ve not done before. However, after multiple checks of google maps to see which way was the fastest there and locating a good halfway point should I need to stop, we eventually set off.

We decided to travel up the A1 and head for breakfast at The Running Fox cafe in Kirkhill before heading to Wallington, after seeing Chloe from New Girl In Toon’s recommendation on Instagram. Although this was another 10 minutes further than Wallington, I’d pinpointed Dobbies Garden Centre as a good half way point stop should I need it, which made the journey feel a bit less daunting. I ended up feeling okay as we reached the halfway point and I decided to brave it and continued on without giving into my anxiety to make a stop.

It was such a lovely sunny morning that when we arrived and saw there were outside tables we immediately decided to make the most of the glorious weather and sit outside. They had a decent menu with plenty of breakfast options and although I was very tempted by the French toast, I decided for the Avocado on sourdough with fried egg and siracha , whilst Luis went for the full English. Now usually I would be wary of eating a big breakfast and having a cup of coffee when out and about in case it upsets my stomach and raises my anxiety, however, as the drive from The Running Fox Cafe to Wallington was only 7 mins or so I decided to face my fears and enjoy breakfast.

The food was good, portion sizes were huge, and my filter coffee was ok. My only complaint would be that the coffee came quite a while before food and whilst it was nice to have something to sip on, I didn’t want to drink a whole cup of coffee on an empty stomach, and so it was lukewarm by the time I drank the majority of it alongside my breakfast. We took our time savouring breakfast and basking in the sun.

We were both rather full when we finally left and annoyingly my anxiety did end up spiking because as drove up to Wallington we ended up joining a very long queue to enter. The stop and start and uncertainty of how long we’d be waiting made me very anxious. What should have been a short 7 minute drive ended up taking at least 20+ minutes, but I made it through.

Once parked we grabbed a map and a very friendly lady greeted us and answered our questions regarding the site. We were told the biggest walk marked on the map which takes you around most of the site would take about 1h and so we slowly set off to enjoy a spring walk in the sunshine.

The sun was out the whole time we were there and it was warm enough to enjoy a walk without a coat which was so nice. The 1h walk meandered through some forest and along the river, with streaks of sunlight bursting through the trees making the water sparkle. Although it had been very busy on arrival, the path we followed wasn’t crowded and with a gentle breeze and bird song in the air, it was really rather peaceful. I would recommend sturdy outdoor shoes however, as the path was quite muddy in areas and not properly paved as in some other National Trust sites.

Just over half way round the circular walk, you come across these cute little stepping stones to cross the river and Maya, who does not like the water, was very unsure of how to cross. Luis tried to guide her across but she just ended falling straight into the water as if she didn’t quite grasp there was a gap between the stones and she had to hop over; it was rather amusing. Don’t worry though, the river isn’t deep so she didn’t get fully drenched. After her second attempt went no better than the first however, Luis decided to scoop her up and carry her across.

Once you’ve crossed the stepping stones, you soon come across Wallington’s famous crocus lawn and it really was stunning. We were so lucky to have snagged such a glorious day for a visit. This was definitely one of the busier areas as people stopped to admire and take photos of the beautiful purple crocuses.

Following our wander round the walled gardens we slowly made our way back to the main entrance. Passing small lakes and snowdrops scattered around the shady woodland we also came across some beautiful nature inspired sculptures and a tree that looked strangely like the Dark Tower from Mordor and was just missing the eye of Sauron haha.

By the time we got back to the car at around 3pm Maya seemed rather exhausted as she just plonked herself on the cool grass refusing to move – too cute! All in all we had a lush day out and I’m really glad I pushed myself to face my anxiety and make the trip.

Have you been to Wallington before? What are your favourite National Trust sites?

Opening Times:

All Week | 10am – 5pm

Admission:

Ticket type	With Gift Aid	Without Gift Aid
Adult (18+)	£22.00	£20.00
Child (5-17) under 5s free	£11.00	£10.00
Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children)	£55.00	£50.00
Family One Adult	£33.00	£30.00

Main Season from March 24th (includes house)

Facilities:

Car Park, Cafe, Shop, Kiosk, Adventure Playground for kids, Toilets (albeit, in my opinion, not many for the amount of potential visitors)

VISITING WASHINGTON OLD HALL – NT

Published on March 9, 2025 by simplycarinaxo3 Comments

On our way back from our holiday at the caravan a few weeks ago we decided to make a stop off at Washington Old Hall; another National Trust site which we’d not yet visited. Although it’s the second closest National Trust site to where we live, about 20mins in the car, we’d just never made the time to explore it yet, and so I was eager to finally go and make the most of our National Trust passes before they run out in May.

Having checked out of the caravan at 10am, we arrived at around 10.50am and found somewhere to park along the side of the road (which was free) as there didn’t seem to be any parking onsite.

Note: Being a weekday and not the best weather when we went, we didn’t struggle to acquire a parking spot close by, however, I’m not sure what the parking situation would be like on a busy sunny day.

Washington Old Hall is a relatively small yet picturesque National Trust site that sits in the heart of historic Washington village. The stone manor house and gardens feature parts of the original medieval home of George Washington’s direct ancestors, from where the family took their surname of ‘Washington’.

We must have come on one of the coldest days as snowflakes danced from the sky I wrapped myself up in my big scarf. The first signs of spring were slowly showing their face though as snowdrops were out in abundance next to daffodils still shrouded in their protective layers.

Exploring the Gardens didn’t take too long as in my opinion there wasn’t really too much to see this time of year (it would be interesting to see what is in bloom later on in the year). Saying that I do think that with the big field at the back, I can imagine it’s a great place for kids to have a run around on a slightly warmer day.

Dogs are welcome in the gardens, but not in the manor house, and so we took it in turns to have a quick look around, albeit a short one, as we didn’t want to leave the other waiting with Maya in the freezing cold outside for too long.

The manor house is set up to reflect gentry life following the turbulence of the English Civil War and incorporates parts of the original medieval home of George Washington’s direct ancestors. The staff are attentive, letting you explore in peace or at hand to tell you more about the history of the place.

Being a small enough exhibit means you can take your time to read all the information given without feeling overwhelmed or it taking too long. It’s a shame I only had time for a whistlestop tour on this visit, but perhaps I’ll get another chance when the weather is warmer to read all the information boards and learn more.

On our way out, near the entrance, the friends of Washington Old Hall also run a mini second hand book & antiques shop and although tiny, they allow dogs in, so we decided to have a quick nosy. There’s not much admittedly but I did find a cute little vase and bought one of their mystery books*. At only 50p a book I though it was a nice way to support them.

*the mystery book I ended up picking was Greyfriars Bobby. Although I loosely know the story from having seen a movie as a kid, it’s a classic I’ve not read before, so perhaps I’ll make time for it this year.

All in all we enjoyed our little mooch around Washington Old Hall and it makes for a nice half day trip I would say – especially when the weather is warmer and you can enjoy being outside a little more.

Have you visited Washington Old Hall before? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Opening Times:

Thursday – Monday | 10am – 5pm

Admission:

Ticket type	With Gift Aid	Without Gift Aid
Adult (18+)	£7.20	£6.50
Child (5-17) under 5s free	£3.60	£3.25
Family (2 Adults and up to 3 children)	£17.90	£16.25
Family (1 Adult and up to 3 children)	£10.80	£9.75

Facilities:

There is no cafe on site, but there are toilets, a picnic area and a small play ground for young children.

A SUNNY STROLL AT CROOK HALL

Published on August 25, 2024January 23, 2025 by simplycarinaxo2 Comments

Although it’s just down the road, we don’t often head into Durham City Centre, but with the weather being so nice that weekend we fancied a little outing and decided to head into Durham for some breakfast and a stroll around Crook Hall. We renewed our National Trust memberships again this year and wanted to make the most of our local sites with the closest being Crook Hall. These beautiful gardens set against the backdrop of a medieval hall are only 12mins in the car from us and thus perfect for a mini outing.

We opted for the Riverview Kitchen as it’s dog friendly and we hadn’t actually been before, so it was somewhere new to try. I chose the avocado on sourdough with bacon and eggs and Luis opted for the full English. Prices were expensive enough, but what you’d expect in the city center. Saying that portion sizes where generous and I struggled to finish. We enjoyed the food and the coffee was decent too, so we would definitely return. However I would say the atmosphere is not the cosiest as the tables are all very close together. I understand they want to maximize on space, but it does make it feel very cramped, and not very suitable if you have a dog. We were lucky and managed to snag a table in the corner with a bit more space which was great as we had Maya with us, but if we’d had any other table, I’m not sure it’d have been as enjoyable a experience, as we’d have to be continually watching Maya wasn’t in the way of anyone and she wouldn’t have settled.

Once we finished our breakfast we walked over to Crook Hall. We love having Crook Hall on our doorstep as it’s perfect for a gentle afternoon stroll enjoying some fresh air amongst the wonderful flowers and plant. It’s not admittedly very big, but filled with lots of little nooks to sit in and enjoy the gardens, it’s also the perfect place to spend an afternoon with a book on sunny day.

What I love most is being able to come back throughout the year and watch the garden transform. From the crocuses and snowdrops in spring to vibrant and lush scented roses in Summer, It’s beautiful to see.
If you have a National rust membership and love a good garden mooch – I would highly recommend, however at £3.30 parking and £8.50 per adult it it perhaps a bit pricey an entrance fee if you do not have a membership.