National Trust - Washington Old Hall Reviews Summary

Staff and Guides

Pros:

• "Volunteer guides very friendly and informative."
• "The staff are very knowledgeable and friendly."
• "Found the staff knowledgeable and helpful."
• "Staff were friendly all throughout the site too."
• "Amazing staff who have a real interest in history and are extremely friendly."
• "Staff knowledgable and very friendly and helpful."
• "Very friendly staff to welcome you."

Cons:

• "Very unhelpful person on the till today."
• "There was a member of staff who was a real jobsworth and was rather unhelpful."
• "Very disappointed that we couldn't even get past the front desk due to a very pushy sales woman."

Accessibility

Pros:

• "Dogs allowed everywhere except the hall but that wasn’t a problem."
• "The car parking is on the street outside however there is disabled parking on site if required."
• "Outside is mostly wheelchair accessible."

Cons:

• "The place has levels in the garden with many steps but no ramp. We had to carry the pram twice all the steps."
• "Wheelchair access is absolutely abysmal."
• "Parking is a nightmare especially if its busy."
• "We didn't use my wheelchair as we didn't think it would help due to the amount of steps."
• "Not fantastic for my disabled partner and wheelchair access is even more restricted."
• "Please be aware that the disabled access is very poor."
• "And the lift to the lower level was a joke!"

Cafe and Refreshments

Pros:

• "The cafe was small with just a few tables but more than enough for the amount of guests they had, food was lovely and staff very friendly."
• "We enjoyed a wonderful lunch in the café."
• "Fairly limited selection in the tea room, but what was available was very tasty."
• "Coffee shop is great, tasty coffee and perfect scones."
• "The cafe offers freshly made sandwiches and soups."

Cons:

• "Cafe closed."
• "The playground was just a small wooden castle with a slide that wasn't toddler friendly at all."
• "The coffee shop was permanently closed so we couldn't get any refreshments."
• "People have complained about the lack of coffee shop on the site."
• "The cafe was closed when we visited but they were hoping to open it soon!?"

History and Education

Pros:

• "Interesting History - home of the forbears of the famous George Washington."
• "Very enjoyable visit today. The hall is well preserved. It has an interesting history."
• "This is a unique property with beautiful gardens that reflect and promote a natural environment."
• "Historic house with compact gardens around it in the town of Washington."
• "Dating back to the thirteenth-century, this small manor house was home to the original Washington family."
• "Great place to roam through the ancestral home and gardens of George Washington."
• "Interesting place with obvious historical links to US first President."

Cons:

• "The Washington Room (about George) makes no mention of the fact that he owned hundreds of slaves."
• "If you're coming for the George Washington connection, be aware that it's genuine but very distant."

Gardens and Grounds

Pros:

• "This is a unique property with beautiful gardens that reflect and promote a natural environment."
• "Grounds are beautifully kept and a nice walk around."
• "A beautiful building and lovely garden. Small but perfectly formed."
• "Lovely gardens, place is full of wildlife, history and utterly spotless."
• "The gardens are well manicured and there is a fabulous play area for children."
• "Gardens are absolutely stunning."
• "The gardens are a perfect balance of Formal and neat at the hall and the wild garden which is still tidy yet perfect for nature."

Cons:

• "Gardens difficult to navigate without getting beaten by overgrown plants."
• "Shame the gardens are so small."
• "The only downside to the grounds was that the bird feeders never had any food in."

Family and Children Activities

Pros:

• "They have a couple of things to keep young kids interested like a mouse hunt within the building."
• "Plenty of child friendly activities in the garden area."
• "Very enjoyable walk with a very welcome area for little ones to play."
• "Nice little spot to throw away a few hour's, kids really enjoyed the small park and nature walk."
• "We visited at Easter and did the Cadbury’s Easter Trail which the kids enjoyed despite the rain."

Cons:

• "The playground was just a small wooden castle with a slide that wasn't toddler friendly at all."
• "There's not much to interest children."