Discover Valentines Mansion and Gardens: a beautiful 300 year old country house and gardens in the heart of Ilford.

Set within the historic Valentines Park, families can enjoy heaps of hands-on fun:
Step back in time and visit the recreated period rooms, including Victorian Kitchen and Georgian bedchamber.
Enjoy the dedicated Family Room: Get all dressed up in Victorian costume and pose for a picture portrait, play cook at the mini kitchen range, get busy with the mini mansion dolls house, delve in to the history of Valentines on the touch screen computer, relax with a book or some jigsaws
Take a trail around the house or gardens
Borrow a games bag for traditional family fun or become a House Detective and explore the mansion
Explore the outdoors with our NEW Nature Backpacks: packed with fun activities including bird watching, a bat quiz, a plant and bug hunt. The back pack includes interesting facts and some fun questions.
Browse The Gallery for our latest exhibitions
Explore, Make and Do sessions for under 5’s run on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Free of charge, these drop-in sessions follow a different theme every month and include storytelling, arts & crafts and games.
The first Sunday of every month is Family Sunday, featuring free activities for the whole family.
Farmers’ Markets on the 4th Sunday of every month provide the ideal opportunity for families to visit.
A special events calendar runs throughout the year including school holiday activities.

Stop lunch in the Gardeners Cottage Cafe. Situated in the tranquil walled gardens with inside and outside seating areas, the cafe offers light bites and tasty snacks for the whole family.

Continue your day with a walk around Valentines Park. This lush green space offers a ‘natural’ play area, boats on the lake (during summer), and lots of space for a family picnic: you’ll have hours of fun at Valentines.

Visit the Gardener's Cottage Cafe, situated in the Walled Kitchen Garden at Valentines Mansion. The cafe offers light bites including sandwiches and soups and a wide selection of hot and cold drinks, as well as a fine choice of cakes and pastries. During the warmer months, treat the family to an ice cream and enjoy in the gorgeous gardens. Open seven days a week, from 10am to 6pm (or sunset during winter months). There is also ample space for a family picnic: enjoy in the gardens, but the long water canal or in the wider Valentines Park.

Choose from healthy salads and from a selection of fresh fruits and juices.

Complete your trip with a visit to the Valentines Mansion and Gardens gift shop: packed with pocket money priced souvenirs and traditional games for the kids and lots of treats for grown-ups too, including hand-made jewellery, unique pieces created by our Studio Artists, local jams and marmalades, and lots more! (Shop will re-open March 2012)

Disabled toilets on each floor, baby changing facilities available on the first floor.

Milk warming facilities are available in the cafe: please ask for assistance. Fresh milk is available to buy.

Getting to Valentines Mansion & Gardens Road Easily accessible from the A406 (junction for A12) and the M25 (junction 27 for M11, and follow on to the A406 East). Car parking is available at the mansion. Car parking charges (With effect from 1st October 2011) up to 1 hour: 70p / up to 2 hours: £1.30 / all day: £3 Tube Gants Hill Underground Station (Central Line). 5 minutes walk. Rail Ilford National Rail, direct line from Liverpool Street Station. Bus Take bus routes 396, 128, 179, 123, 296, 167 from Gants Hill Underground Station and 128, 296, 150, 396, 167 from Ilford National Rail to stop ‘Valentines Mansion and Park’.

Valentines Mansion has level access throughout with a lift top all floors. Baby change facilities are available on site and a space is provided to park buggies in the house. Designated car parking spaces are provided for disabled badge holders. The mansion has level access throughout, with a lift to all floors. Width restrictions apply to larger electric wheelchairs. Please call ahead of your visit for advice and assistance.

If you've had fun on your family day out to Valentines Mansion and Gardens, tell us about it your visit, so other people will know it's a great place to go as well.

http://www.valentinesmansion.com