goddards house visit - Bubbablue and me
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Goddards House and Gardens – a York surprise

N just like to moan about me dragging him to National Trust places but when she’s there usually enjoyed himself. Quite often the playgrounds turn to be aimed at younger children but some of the places we’ve been have had great natural playgrounds or equipment suitable for all ages. Some properties like Goddards House and Gardens have other activities which suit all ages and the outdoor games certainly suited N on our recent visit.

goddards house visit - Bubbablue and me

I didn’t think we would make a National Trust visit while we were in York but when we got off the bus outside the Marriott Hotel we were staying in we noticed that literally a few steps away was Goddards House and garden. N couldn’t make an excuse really as we could very easily drop in just before heading back for a swim at the hotel.

There’s no parking at Goddards House which means it’s probably quite a quiet property although the tea room was very popular with a slight queue when we walk past it.

Goddards House drive
Goddards House

We went round the house first of all which was 3 ground floor rooms and similar number upstairs. They were volunteers most of the rooms to ask questions of and you could also wait to speak to a man at the entrance to a tell you about the house before you could head round. We didn’t bother because N just likes to get in and out of the house as quickly as possible so we just ambled around at will.

Goddards House is an arts and craft house not over the top but somewhere you could see a normal family living. Allbeit a family with some means.

through the window at goddards house

N’s highlight was the recreation room otherwise known as the games room where you could sit and play the piano or play games alongside reading about the family who live there and looking at photo albums.

piano in goddards house recreation room
york chocolate factory pictures

You could find out more about the people who lived there in the bedrooms where they were newspaper cuttings showing the sports teams that they played in and they’re achievements as well as seeing examples of shaving equipment and clothes.

bedroom at goddards house

The gardens where the highlight for us. It seems never ending with winding paths through recreational garden areas, beautiful terraces with wonderful tulip displays, and formal planted gardens. You could wander at will and not see other people that you could hear them. There was obviously a big group of friends with babies and toddlers could come for a picnic as their buggies and coolbags were all at the side of the tennis area while two of the parents were setting up an Easter egg hunt and the children were laughing and chatting somewhere else in the garden.

overlooking the gardens at goddards house
pond and statue

We had a couple of games of croquet first of all (comedy watching N trying to use a full-size croquet mallet).

red tulips

Then onto the lawn tennis complete with wooden rackets. I don’t think N had ever had a go with a wooden racket and I certainly haven’t used one since my mum’s old badminton racket as a young child. The balls weren’t the best with a wild bounce and let’s just say we struggle to get a rally of more than 2 but had good fun trying. I’m not sure the two mums appreciated us playing where they were trying to hide Easter eggs but it’s a public place and they can’t really take it over just because they want to.

wooden tennis racket

We were planning to have an ice cream but the tea room looked more formal than somewhere you could just pick up an ice cream so after an hour or so at goddards house we walked the short way back to the hotel.

tulips in front of goddards house

If you’re in the area and driving past or going past on the bus, Goddards House and Gardens is worth a short stop off. If you’ve got a picnic you might get a couple of hours there, although I think you’d be hard pushed to spend more time there than that.

But it’s another tick off there National Trust places we visited and N was happy that there the things for him to do that.

Have you ever been to any of the York?

york castle museum
whitby beach
marriott hotel
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