Burton Constable Hall & Grounds Reviews Summary

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Room guides are informative and only too willing to help."
• "Very friendly and helpful guides."
• "Such lovely people from reception staff to ground staff, spot on for cleanliness."
• "Our visit was made memorable by the staff! We've never before been greeted by so many friendly, cheerful, well informed and enthusiastic people."
• "All of the archery team were so good with Liam, you were very patient and understanding, it was so very much appreciated."
• "The staff and guides were well informed and so friendly and welcoming."
• "Every member of staff we came into contact with was just exceptionally lovely."

Cons:

• "Staff worked really hard as it was very busy and they seemed to be a bit short staffed."
• "Made arrangements with their marketing/ events manager to carry out a small activity on the estate over the phone. He then stopped replying to emails and didn't return calls."
• "Nice food at the cafe, lots of pots left on tables. Maybe due to short staff in the cafe area."
• "The only reason I'm giving this a 4 star is because the original women who served us needs some customer service training, you see she was a bit rude and disrespectful and extremely unhelpful."
• "Needless to say we will not be using the place again due to this ridiculous rule that has only been put in place this year and also the snotty attitude of the woman on the tills."
• "What a ridiculous place, so much potential, so little ambition. The building is nice and the grounds are lovely but there is literally nothing there... They have the potential to make it a real attraction but it's almost like they can't be bothered."
• "What a shame we went for the behind the scenes tour and afternoon tea but left with a feeling of sadness and disappointment this house has lots of potential but the family have left the house and the staff do their best but it is not good enough."

Facilities and Accessibility

Pros:

• "The grounds are extensive, with formal gardens and open pasture."
• "The house is full of interest & volunteer guides are very knowledgeable."
• "Lovely grounds and various routes to walk around."
• "The walk down to and around the lakes was very nice and flat with no hidden dips etc to trip up an unsteady walker."
• "There is a beautiful lake which you can walk around, there are also picnic areas."
• "The grounds are landscaped with a wooded walk down to the lake, a walk around the lake including the Capability Brown bridge and returning via the 100 acre field which may include some very inquisitive cows."
• "The grounds are designed by Capability Brown so far reaching vistas with trees, lake and plenty of grass."

Cons:

• "To access the upper floor, a transfer is needed to the stair lift (max weight 18 stone)."
• "I am disabled and couldn't visit the lake area as there is no accessible path."
• "One walked directly through a caravan park so wasn't perhaps the most scenic of walks."
• "We did try and do the Lakeside Walk as well, but even with an all terrain pram the going was very bumpy."
• "It was really boggy...take good walking shoes or wellingtons."
• "The disabled toilet was across a cobbled yard so very difficult and uncomfortable to get to."
• "I was disappointed with the grounds. I never imagined the rural country walk around the lake had been ruined by removing the woodland and scarring it with a lakeside carbuncle of a money making array of lakeside up-market static caravans covering the entire length."

Food and Dining

Pros:

• "We enjoyed a tasty lunch in the cafe and all reasonably priced."
• "Had drinks and cake. Service was quick and refreshments lovely."
• "Excellent food, very imaginative menu."
• "Homemade cakes to die for and coffee and especially hot chocolate with the works."
• "The afternoon tea was plentiful, with sandwiches, cakes, quiche, sausage roll and a scone with butter, jam and cream."
• "The cafe is reasonably priced and has a good choice of food available."
• "The food in the cafe was perfectly cooked/baked and reasonably priced."

Cons:

• "Lunch in the cafe was a big disappointment, NO breakfast items are served after 12pm here... what... really!?"
• "The cafe was fine but I didn't enjoy my prawn sandwich- a bit too soggy and little flavour."
• "Popped in the cafe for a coffee and a scone each with cream and jam which came to £15. Expensive but you can expect that when there's nowhere else to eat around abouts."
• "Nice cafe although the cafe is very expensive so I recommend taking a picnic."
• "The only reason we didnt give 5 stars is because the tea shop was a let down, the food was expensive for portion size, they had run out of the majority of things and the salad was past its best."
• "The bacon was so overcooked it was impossible to eat, it was dry and hard and impossible to chew."
• "The cream tea well it was awful sandwich like door stop and the scones not scones the cake cheap mix so all in all for £72 not worth it."

Value and Membership

Pros:

• "You can purchase a yearly membership pass, if you do this, you will get back your entry fee."
• "Loved this place, I recommend becoming a HHA member though as you can do many other historic houses."
• "The annual pass is a reasonable price, meaning you don't mind nipping here for a few hours."
• "We enjoyed our experience so much we purchased 'friends' membership which represented even better value and entitled the wife and I to multiple visits over the next 12 months."
• "Absolutely wonderful place to visit."
• "Very well worth a visit."
• "Extremely good value."

Cons:

• "It's very nice park to walk in and beautiful old house to visit but the price in my opinion is too high."
• "Not as pretty as I had hoped and not much to do."
• "Been pike fishing today not a thing paid £7 then told at the end of the day all the fish have been wiped out by otters was not happy so just to let everyone know to stay the hell away and not get ripped off like we did."
• "Very natural open spaces but no gardens of note so probably not great value for money."
• "Needless to say we will not be using the place again due to this ridiculous rule that has only been put in place this year and also the snotty attitude of the woman on the tills."
• "My only recommendation is that whilst the food in the cafe is lovely, it's quite expensive in comparison to like for like outside the grounds."
• "What a ridiculous place, so much potential, so little ambition. The building is nice and the grounds are lovely but there is literally nothing there... They have the potential to make it a real attraction but it's almost like they can't be bothered."