Facilities
Shop
Except for Great Annual Re-Creation
The Kentwell shop is situated in one of Kentwell's octagonal gatehouse, here you can buy many things from fish food for the moat carp, to postcards and other souvenirs suitable for children and adults. This is also where you can buy Kentwell's Rare Breed Meat, from Kentwell's own animals reared in a traditional manner along Organic principles.
During Great Annual Re-Creation
We try to keep the 16th C and the 21st C separate. So the 21st C Shop is sited in marquees just otside the Time Tunnel by which visitors enter and leave the Re-Creation. Within the Re-Creation there is the 16th C Market usually sited by the Main Gate Entrance/Gate.
Refreshments
Except during the Great Annual Re-Creation
If you are keen to know what refreshments will be open on your day of visit, please call Kentwell (01787 310207) close to your visit date, as we cannot guarantee that any of the below areas will be open on any date. (There is usually one open however).
Undercroft - This is situated underneath the East Wing the house, with an atmosphere defined by a huge mural round its walls depicting Tudor and WWII life. We tend to serve hot lunches, cream teas and hot & cold snacks.It is possible in summer to take your refreshments out onto the adjacent Cedar Lawn.
Overcroft - This is situated in the Stableyard. It is a spacious oak-framed and oak-boarded structure. Here we serve similar fare to that in the Undercroft.
Stableyard Café - Often open on days which are usually busy or have a focus on the farm, we tend to serve burgers, sausages, bacon (all Kentwell's meat of course!), home made soup, chips, hot and cold drinks and (in summer) ice-creams.
Shop Tearoom - on some quiet days only this area (with its striking Ogee oak-framed roof and its panoramic view of Kentwell, Gardens & Park) situated over the Shop may be Open. Here we usually serve hot & cold drinks and light refreshments.
Spit Roast - On some busy days you may find that Kentwell has a spit roast of either Pork or Lamb, both Rare Breed meet from the Kentwell Farm.
Alehouse - The 16th C style Alehouse is usally open only on certain Re-Creation Days but not always even then. It usually serves ale and cider and simple fare and gives an idea of what things were like then.
Picnics - Kentwell does not allow picnics within the grounds. You may however picnic in our picnic area which is just next to the gatehouses, with a view of the house (except in the Great Annual Re-Creation), and also in the ancient Lime Avenue (popular on hot summer days) and Car Park Field (when it is being used for car parking).
During The Great Annual Re-Creation
As we strive to keep the 16th C and 21st C separate, the Undercroft Restaurant is not Open at this time but the Overcroft and Stableyard Café are usually both open; as is often (but not always) the 16th C style Alehouse to serve ale, cider, cordial and some simple fare (e.g bread - from the Kentwell Bakehouse - and Cheese) in a 16th C manner. There may also be some simple refreshments outside the Re-Creation near the time tunnel and on occasions there may be a Hog (or Lamb) Roast.
Disabled Access
Kentwell has disabled access to the ground floor of the house, disabled toilet, plus parking. Many areas of the grounds also have paths suitable for wheelchairs but the upper areas of the House and other buildings are not accessible by wheel chair but handrails are always there.
Car park
Kentwell has the advantage of parking within 100m of the entrance to the grounds etc.
Please look at our Interactive Map to see where everything is around Kentwell.
Dogs
For most events no dogs, except guide dogs, are allowed within the grounds. They may be exercised in our avenue or car park field, shady parking spaces however are not always available.