National Trust Cafe

Welcomed by a very pleasant volunteer, who told us a little about the property and pointed us I the right direction! Visited the Kitchen café first for scones and coffee which we ate in the courtyard. Then it was time to visit the house, just six ground floor rooms, crammed with antique forte pianos. An interesting and relaxed visit.

It's a privately let residence, so no pictures inside the house, which is disappointing. The house is gorgeous and well maintained. It's not the biggest National Trust House, so you could see the whole downstairs area really quickly, but we always enjoy admiring the artwork and musical pieces. The volunteers are kind and friendly. On this occasion, one of them was playing the organ. It really was amazing. There is a cafe on site. The gardens are gorgeous and have lots of wild areas for beautiful walks. There is an adorable pond. The

A sweet place in Guildford. Owned by the national trust but privately rented. The house houses an amazing and phenomenal collection of art and statuary, but the highlights are the historical musical instruments. Featuring instruments from the 1580s through to early 1900s , it is an impressive collection. Includes Chopin's piano. You can only see part of the house as it is a private residence and as a private collection, you can't take photos. Grounds are gorgeous with varied walks. Cafe and second hand bookshop on site. Do go visit!

There's lots to do here for a great short family day out. The gardens are beautiful if not huge and amazing in spring. It's not really my taste of house as it felt quite dark and claustrophobic with a lot of stuff in every room. It's great if you like pianos as there's lots throughout the house with an information booklet on them. There's 2 cafés, 1 more for cups of tea and cake and 1 more for lunch items. The park is large with some lovely waymarked walking routes going around it.