Monday, 16. February 2026
Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire
On Monday Mum had the day off work so we did a National Trust visit to Newark Park, near Wotton-under-Edge.
I last went to Newark Park in April 2022….This time it was noticeably colder than back then: Proper cold February air! It was still worth the trip. The snowdrops were out lining parts of the grounds. It’s that in-between time of year: not quite spring, but full of promise.
Perched high above the valley, Newark Park offers spectacular views. On a clear day you can see as far as the Mendip Hills, some 30 miles away. There’s something special about standing in Gloucestershire and looking out across such distance – fields layered into the horizon, hills and trees fading into the pale winter light.
We started by walking one of ther suggested routes; The yellow route is the shorter of the walks but it felt like the right choice: Not too ambitious. Just enough to stretch the legs and breathe properly. After the walk, we rewarded ourselves with a hot chocolate in the café.
Then we went to see the house. Originally a Tudor hunting lodge, the house at Newark Park has that layered feeling of history – you can sense it’s been adapted, loved, reshaped over centuries. It doesn’t feel frozen in time; it feels lived in.
The last tennant lived there until 2011 – fairly recently then! That sense of continuity gives the rooms a different atmosphere. It’s not just “history” in the distant sense; it feels connected to the present.
It was a simple Monday outing – but sometimes those are the best kind. Fresh air, wide views, snowdrops hinting at spring, and good company.
FH.
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