GARDENS & FALCONRY CENTRE TO OPEN!
We are delighted to be able to welcome you back to Holdenby Gardens & Icarus Falconry Centre and tickets are now on sale!
During lockdown we have been working on exciting new plans.
Firstly, as Falconry has been practised at Holdenby since King James I owned it, we are this year offering the exciting addition of visiting Icarus Falconry’s magnificent resident birds of prey as part of your visit.
Secondly, as you explore our beautiful Grade I listed gardens, you will find plenty of new features and information evoking the time when Holdenby was a royal Palace for James I and a prison to Charles I. You can even stand on the exact spot where King Charles I once stood when he was taken away from Holdenby by Oliver Cromwell’s men in 1647, just 18 months before his execution.
And this year we will not just be open on Sundays but also on Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays from 18th April to 10th October 2021.
Rest Assured – Our opening will be Covid-careful
The safety of our visitors and staff is paramount and we will be working to the current Covid guidelines to ensure your visit is safe and enjoyable, as outlined in our Visiting Information below. Do please contact us if you have any questions or concerns, we are confident that we can put your mind at rest.
Opening Times
What you need to know when visiting:
The Gardens & Falconry Centre are open on Saturdays, Sundays & Bank Holiday Mondays from 18th April – 10th October 11:00 am to 4:00 pm (excluding Sunday 27th June, Saturday 24th July, Saturday 31st July, Sunday 1st August and Saturday 2nd October).
If guidelines allow, we hope to open the House on Bank Holidays and Event weekends from 31st May, keep watching the website for updated information!
Admission
All tickets should be purchased in advance via our website to a maximum limit of six people per booking. This allows us to monitor visitor numbers and comply with track and trace guidelines. Following new Government Guidelines, please be aware, you must scan the QR code at the gate or provide us with your contact details for all members of your party. Please note all children 16 years and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Upon entry, you will be asked to read out your ticket number. You can either print a copy of your tickets or keep a copy on your phone. Historic House Members will need to pre-book a ticket below using the free “Historic House Member” ticket. You must bring along your ticket number and your Historic Houses pass, otherwise entry may not be granted. We are part of the Gardeners World 2 for 1 Scheme, to claim your free ticket, one ticket must be purchased and shown upon entry along with your Gardeners World 2 for 1 pass
Food and Drink
In line with government guidelines light takeaway refreshments will be available from Connie’s Vintage Travelling Tea Room. We hope in due course to open the tearoom itself with a more extensive menu, further information will follow shortly.
Please note in the case of inclement weather, Connie’s Travelling Tea Room may close early.
Tickets
Tickets are now available via the book tickets button below!
Adults £8.50, Concessions (Over 65’s) £7.50, Children (5-16 years) £4.50, Family (2+2) £24.00
Visiting Information
We have done everything possible to make your visit not only enjoyable but Covid safe.
Hand sanitisers will be available at the entrance and in the toilets and sneeze screens at the entrance booth. As the visit is outside, face coverings are not compulsory, however, if you wish to wear one you may do so.
There will be a one-way system around the gardens to preserve social distancing. Please follow the arrows and observe all notices. There will be a free map and a description of the gardens available.
The one-way route contains gravel and several steps. We hope you will understand that as a result, regrettably, access to certain areas of the garden may be restricted for wheelchair users. Please check with our team for alternative routes and we will continue to consider other solutions. Pushchairs may still be possible but are likely to need to be partially or fully carried in some areas.
Only assistance dogs will be permitted until restrictions are relaxed further.
Our car park closes at 4.30pm and we would ask that you kindly exit the car park following the signs accordingly.
For the safety of our visitors and staff, if you or anyone that you have recently come into contact with develops COVID - 19 symptoms or feels
unwell, we would ask you not to visit and to stay at home and self-isolate in line with government guidelines. If you cannot attend due to being in self-isolation you will be able to contact us HERE.
Lastly, we cannot wait to welcome you to Holdenby Gardens & Icarus Falconry Centre. We have missed you!
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