Since getting our National Trust membership last year we’ve been trying to go to as many new places as possible. If we go on a longer journey, National Trust properties are great places to stop. Anglesey Abbey was a much-needed stop on the way to an overnight stay for the Harry Potter Studio Tour!
Where is Anglesey Abbey?
Quy Road
Lode
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB25 9EJ
Contact information
Telephone: 01223810080
Email: angleseyabbey@nationaltrust.org.uk
How to get there
By road
If traveling via the A14, please take junction 35 and drive through the village of Stow-Cum-Quy towards Lode (on B1102), where you’ll find the entrance gate on your left.
Parking: Our car park is free to use for both members and non-members. There are accessible parking spaces, as well as family parking bays. The Visitor Centre entrance is 50 yards from the car park.
Sat Nav: Cb25 9EJ Please note that our postcode may not be accepted by some older models of Sat Nav. If you are unsure, it may be safer to enter ‘Lode’ into the Sat Nav, rather than CB25 9EJ if possible.
By train
The nearest train station is Cambridge (7.1 miles) or Newmarket (8.9 miles) and transport via taxi can be arranged. Please let one of the team know if you need to call a taxi to return to the train station.
By bus
The Stephenson’s No 11 service between Cambridge and Newmarket passes Anglesey Abbey. The service runs hourly Monday to Saturday. Alight at the crossroads in Lode. Please ask a member of the team if you wish to see a timetable.
Parking at Anglesey Abbey
Anglesey Abbey has quite a large car park, with an overflow area for busier days. There is limited space for vehicles over 2.1 meters.
Entry prices
*Prices correct as of September 2023
Entry to Anglesey Abbey is free for National Trust members and you’ll need to scan your card at the entrance.
Anglesey Abbey, Lode Mill and Gardens
| Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £17.60 | £16.00 |
| Child | £8.80 | £8.00 |
| Family | £44.00 | £40.00 |
| 1 adult and up to 3 children | £26.40 | £24.00 |
Off-peak (January, February, November and after 2pm daily)
| Ticket type | Gift aid | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £12.10 | £11.00 |
| Child | £6.05 | £5.50 |
| Family | £30.25 | £27.50 |
| 1 adult and up to 3 children | £18.15 | £16.50 |
What is there to do at Anglesey Abbey?
One of the great things about Anglesey Abbey is that there is so much to do and see. You can easily spend the whole day here if you want to, but it’s also a great place if you only have an hour or two.
Follow a walking route
National Trust properties are great at marking out different routes and walks for guests. You can find maps at the entrance to Anglesey Abbey and it’s a good idea to take a picture of these before you head off on your adventure. Paper copies are available though if you need one. Anglesey Abbey has three walking routes, each clearly marked out on the map. By following one of these routes, you get to see plenty of the of the grounds.
Winter Garden
1.2 miles
30-45 minutes
Suitable for wheelchair users but there is some uneven ground
Circular Route
1.3 miles
30 minutes
This route is accessible but can get quite muddy depending on the season
Long Explorer’s Route
1.5 miles
45 minute to 1 hour
Partially accessible
Visit the gardens
Anglesey Abbey is a fantastic National Trust property to visit if you really enjoy looking at different kinds of gardens. Here, you’ll find a different garden for each season including a rose garden, dahlia garden, spring garden, winter garden and wildflower meadows.
The extensive landscaped gardens of Anglesey Abbey are absolutely beautiful to walk around and depending on when you visit, give you a different experience each time. There are plenty of statues in the gardens too, and we enjoyed looking for these as a family. You’ll also find the gardens to be quite relaxing places if you need a sit down or a break. During quieter times, you can easily find a peaceful bench to for a rest.
Lode Mill
As part of the Winter Garden walk, you will come across Lode Mill about half way around. The mill as it stand now was built in around the late 18th century however, it is thought that there was once a watermill on the land as far back as the Domesday survey in 1086. Inside the building you can learn more about Lode Mill and it’s history as well as restoration work which has been happening recently.
Discover the house at Anglesey Abbey
Something I love doing at a National Trust property is to walk around the house, if there is one. Anglesey Abbey is home to a beautiful country house, which was built on what was once the site of a priory.The priory was closed in 1536 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries and Jacobean-style house was built on the site of the ruins in about 1600.
There as been plenty of owners over time, including Thomas Hobson and his Parker descendants, and three local clergymen. The last private owner was Lord Fairhaven who lived in the house from 1926 until he died in 1966. Lord Fairhaven made many extensive additions to the house to accommodate the things he loved, such as collection of furniture, art, and books. When Lord Fairhaven died, he left the house and its contents to the National Trust.
The house is really beautiful and so interesting to walk around. There’s a fantastic collection of clocks here, and if you’re visiting with children that’s a fun thing to go around and count. Rooms such as the living room and oak room give insight into every day life, while the library is a bit of a show stopper. Lord Fairhaven had a very clear love for books and this was definitely the favourite room for all of us. Unlike in many National Trust properties, here, you can actually sit on the sofas in the library and really take it all in.
Due to the delicacy of some of the items in the house, you might be asked to either wear a backpack on your front, or take it off and leave it at the entrance with staff. There is also a shoe cleaner outside of the main entrance to the house to ensure carpets etc. stay clean during bad weather seasons.
Visiting with kids? Don’t miss the play area
A highlight for us as a family was getting to visit Hoe Fen, Anglesey Abbey’s woodland play area. We have been to Anglesey Abbey previously and only visited this area. It’s around a 15 minute walk from the entrance and has it’s own small outdoor cafe which serves hot drinks, cold drinks and cakes.
The play area is home to a fantastic castle play area, tree top lookout, wobbly bridge as well as swings and climbing equipment. It will be hard to convince the kids to leave this area because it really is so much fun. We now make it the last place we visit on our day out and head home afterwards.
Don’t forget your National Trust passport!
If, like me, you like collecting stamps and stickers, make sure you have a National Trust Passport. At many properties, you can collect stamps from your visit. It’s very addictive and you’ll love getting a new one when you visit a different National Trust Property.
Be sure to read our blog post all about National Trust Passports to find out more.
How long should you spend at Anglesey Abbey?
To make the most of your visit, 5 hours would be a good amount of time. This is how long we spent on our most recent visit to Anglesey Abbey and we were able to do quite a long walk, visit most of the gardens, have a picnic lunch, go inside the house AND stay at the play area for around an hour.
Other National Trust properties to visit:
- Oxburgh Estate (Norfolk)
- Blickling (Norfolk)
- Felbrigg (Norfolk)
- Sheringham Park (Norfolk)
- Sutton Hoo (Suffolk)
- Anglesey Abbey (Cambridgeshire)
