Opening Times

The Park grounds are open to the public: 8am - 4pm every day except Christmas Day (B&B guests please press the gate buzzer or call 01767 641007 for entry outside these times). There is a free car park.

Orchard Tearoom: 10am - 4pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

The Grounds

Moggerhanger Park is a Grade 1 listed Georgian Historic House set in 33 acres of parkland and woodland, sculpted by Humphry Repton. 

Humphry Repton and records of this work exist in his Red Book for Moggerhanger (1792) and supplement (1798). The estate at that time consisted of more than 2000 acres.

The Landscape is being restored through the hard work of our Head Gardener, Tim Kirk, along with his team of volunteers. if you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please get in touch with tim@moggerhangerpark.com.  

Entry to the grounds is free, but we would welcome a donation towards the upkeep of the park, or please consider joining the Friends of Moggerhanger Park. There is ample car parking and dogs are permitted on leads.

walled garden

There are two parts to the walled garden at Moggerhanger Park.

The old Kitchen Garden is beside the car park and is known as the Stephen Thornton Garden. It is currently laid to grass. We have a long term plan to grow our own produce for use in the Tearooms, if we can raise enough funds to restore the walls to keep out deer and rabbits.

The main walled garden is known as the Godfrey Thornton Garden. It has been lovingly restored by Head Gardener, Tim Kirk and his team of volunteers. It includes a fantastic collection of Iris that make a great show in June.

Woodland Playground

Set in the coppiced area close to the Orchard Tearooms and the woodland walk, the playground is intended for 4 to 12 year olds. The playground also includes two pieces of play equipment designed for 1 to 3 years old, an organically shaped shelter with play space underneath: an organic ‘cruck’ shaped swing frame made from traditionally jointed green oak with one toddler cradle seat and a slide.

The orchard tearooms

Located in the Orchard, just past the Walled Garden and next to the Woodland Playground.

We serve tea, coffee, cakes, ice cream, treats and a light lunch. Children's menu available. Well behaved dogs on leads are allowed in the Tearooms.  

Either take the woodland walk from the car park or the Walled Garden path and find the Orchard Tearooms at the end of the path. 

The Education Room at the back of the Orchard Tearooms houses an exhibition of the history of the House and the original Thornton family.

Picnics are permitted within the park grounds, but the tables outside the Tearooms are for the use of customers only.

Orchard and woodland walk

Past the walled garden is the Orchard. This was re-planted in 2013 with traditional Bedfordshire varieties of apple and pear. The grass is kept long as a summer meadow, which is then cut short in winter to encourage wildflowers. At the side of the orchard, there is also a smaller secluded walled garden containing the old Aviary and a building known as Tudor Cottage. This is being restored as a plant centre that will also sell gifts and second-hand books. Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering in the shop.

The woodland walk is a 20 minute stroll and has something of interest all year round. January and February is snowdrop time, in April and May you can see the carpet of bluebells and in Autumn there are many species of fungii to see, including some rare ones.

Following the Conservation Management Plan for the Park, we are currently recreating a Rose Garden at the entrance to the Orchard. This area was a Rose Garden at the time the Dawlish family lived in the Park, around 1860.

Longer term plans

Although used as arable farmland at the moment, the Preservation Trust owns a further 42 acres to the right of the current entrance drive. If we can obtain grant funding, we plan to reinstate the wooded pasture that was part of the grounds in Repton’s plan. We can then extend the walk to traverse a meadow, go through Bottom Wood and then return along the avenue of Lime trees that was once the entrance to the Park.

HOUSE TOURS

The House is open for B&B and event guests every day. We run guided public House Tours on selected Wednesdays and Sundays. These take place mostly during the Summer months, but there are occasional tours during the winter. Visitors are asked to book in advance through our partner Beyonk and meet in the Courtyard from 1.45pm. Tours start at 2pm prompt and last about an hour.

Charges:

• Adults - £10 each,

• Children (5-16 years) - £5.00,

• Under 5 years - Free.

• Students - £5.00 (on production of NUS Card)

• Historic Houses Association (HHA) - No charge (on production of valid HHA card)

• Carers - Free. This is for a person who has to accompany an individual who would otherwise not be able to enjoy the House eg wheelchair user, signer for a deaf person, a guide for a blind person, a carer for dementia or a mental health patient.