When the lockdown started to ease, we decided as a family to join the National Trust. We had wanted to do it for a while but never got round to doing so. With a yearning for escaping the house and get some fresh air in a new environment, I booked us tickets to visit a local NT property; Wightwick Manor and Gardens in Wolverhampton.

A new normal for the National Trust

With the ongoing pandemic, entry to a lot of National Trust properties is a little different to what we have experienced in the past. Firstly, booking is essential and you need to book in advance of your visit. I managed to log on to the National Trust website just after midnight on the previous Thursday and managed to secure tickets. Tickets are free for National Trust members but non-members can purchase tickets too.

The weather forecast on Tuesday was bleak but in a bid to get outside and enjoy the day, we threw out coats and umbrellas in the car and drove over to Wightwick Manor. On arrival, I gave our name to the member of staff waiting on the car park and we were allowed to park up and explore.

As I mentioned earlier, the restrictions in place currently mean that a few things are a little different than before. The hall, gallery and shop are currently closed but the gardens, toilets and cafe (for takeaway) were open.

Enjoying Wightwick Manor in all weathers

The boys collected a map and ran off up the hill to explore. The weather had turned for the worse as soon as we drove into the car park but I had two energetic children who needed to release some steam so we each grabbed our umbrellas and followed the pre-planned route around the grounds.

Wightwick Manor is a stunning Grade 1 listed property and the grounds are absolutely beautiful, tended to by a dedicated team of volunteers. I was a little worried that the boys would run across the grass and get a stern look but to my relief, they were invited to enjoy themselves and run around and explore the grounds.

We spent an a couple of hours walking around Wightwick Manor’s grounds and it was a brilliant few hours looking at all the beautiful flowers, checking out the very tall sunflowers, playing hide and seek, dodging the heavy rain showers and keeping an eye on the geese as we walked around the pond. The boys really enjoyed themselves and it was so good to be outside in the rain enjoying some post-lockdown freedom.

We will definitely return to Wightwick Manor when the manor opens properly as we can’t wait to look inside but for now, we’ll continue to enjoy the gardens and the puddles if it rains!