TL;DR: Hide & Secrets is Burghley House’s woodland adventure play area near Stamford, themed around William Cecil as England’s first Chief Spymaster. It’s open from 14 February to 1 November 2026, with advance tickets from £11 for adults and £8.50 for children. Booking ahead is strongly recommended.
If you’re looking for a family day out that goes well beyond a standard playground, Hide & Secrets at Burghley House is one of the most imaginative outdoor attractions in the East Midlands. Tucked within the historic grounds of one of England’s greatest Elizabethan houses, this woodland adventure play area combines spy-themed missions, clue-cracking trails and seriously impressive play structures in a setting that feels genuinely special.
The concept is brilliant for families. William Cecil, the first Lord Burghley and one of history’s most famous spymasters, provides the inspiration for the whole experience. Children follow in the footsteps of Cecil the Mole, the site’s resident spy character, picking up a free Spymaster’s Guide on arrival and working their way through a series of missions, codes and hidden trails across the woodland.
This is not a quick visit. Most families spend three to four hours exploring, and it’s easy to see why. There is a huge amount to discover, and children rarely want to leave.
What Is Hide & Secrets at Burghley House?
Hide & Secrets is a purpose-built woodland adventure play area set within the historic grounds of Burghley House near Stamford, on the Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire border. It opened in 2023 and has quickly established itself as one of the most popular family attractions in the region.
The play area is accessed through a hidden stone arch, the Queen Elizabeth Gate, which immediately sets the tone. You’re not just walking into a playground; you’re entering a spy’s world, full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
The Spy Theme That Actually Works
What makes Hide & Secrets stand out from other adventure play areas is how well the theme is woven into every corner of the site. The free Spymaster’s Guide activity booklet, handed out on arrival, gives children a structured set of missions to complete as they explore. They’re looking for hidden moles, cracking codes, following sneaky trails and scurrying through tunnels.
For children who engage with the story, it transforms a visit from a play session into a genuine adventure. Even children who aren’t particularly interested in the missions tend to get swept up in the atmosphere once they’re inside.
What’s Included in Your Ticket
Your Hide & Secrets ticket includes more than just the adventure play area. Every ticket also covers access to two of Burghley’s spectacular gardens:
- The Garden of Surprises – a Tudor-inspired garden full of unexpected moments, water tricks and classical mythology
- The Sculpture Garden – Capability Brown’s lost gardens, restored and filled with seasonal planting and outdoor sculpture
That’s a full day’s worth of exploring for the price of one ticket, which makes the value genuinely impressive.
The Play Zones: What to Expect
Hide & Secrets is made up of several distinct play zones, each with its own character. Together they build towards the centrepiece of the whole site: the Hidden Towers.
The Hidden Towers
The Hidden Towers are inspired by the distinctive Elizabethan architecture of Burghley House itself, and they are genuinely impressive. This multi-level play structure packs in:
- Two enormous slides, including one with a dramatic daring drop
- Climbing walls at varying difficulty levels
- Wobbly walkways and crawl tunnels
- Lookout nests at height
- A rope bridge spanning a deep gorge, leading to a treetop lookout platform
- Whispering funnels and code-cracking games built into the structure
Older children and adventurous younger ones will want to spend the bulk of their visit here. The structure is genuinely large and varied enough to hold attention for a long time.
The Woodland Play Zones
Leading up to the Hidden Towers is a series of landscaped zones, each themed to a different part of the spy world:
| Zone | What’s There |
|---|---|
| Butterfly Banks | Sky-high bug towers and wildflower planting |
| Mole Hills & Holes | Giant mole hills and a network of underground tunnels |
| Whispering Woods | Tactile sensory wall and shaded woodland paths |
| Woodland Play | A huge wooden Magpie’s Nest and supersized balancing logs |
| Den Building | Sticks and branches to build your own hideout |
| Woodhenge | A wooden storytelling circle for tales and imagination |
Each zone flows naturally into the next, which means children tend to move through the whole site without any prompting. It’s well designed.
The Toddler and Pre-Schooler Area
Younger children are not an afterthought here. Hide & Secrets has a dedicated toddler and pre-school zone with a mini slide, a rope bridge scaled for little ones and a balancing trail, all at low level and in the same area as the main play. Parents of under-fives will appreciate that they don’t need to chase a toddler across a huge site while keeping an eye on older siblings.
Hide & Secrets Tickets and Prices 2026
Booking in advance online gives you the best price and guarantees your spot, particularly during school holidays and busy weekends. Tickets are available through Day Out With The Kids, and advance prices include a saving of up to 10% on gate prices.
2026 Advance Ticket Prices
| Ticket Type | Advance Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16+) | £11.00 |
| Child (3-15) | £8.50 |
| Under 3s | Free |
| Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) | £35.00 |
Annual Pass Prices
If you’re planning more than one visit, or you live within easy reach of Stamford, an Annual Pass is excellent value:
- Adult Annual Pass: £33
- Child Annual Pass (3-15): £28
- Family Annual Pass (2 adults, up to 3 children): £116
- Under 3s: Free
Annual Passes cover unlimited visits throughout the full open season, which runs from mid-February to early November.
Good to know: Parking at Burghley House is free of charge, which makes the overall cost of a family visit significantly more competitive than many comparable attractions.
Opening Times and When to Visit
Hide & Secrets is a seasonal attraction, open from mid-February through to early November each year.
2026 Opening Dates
- February Half Term: Daily, 14 to 22 February 2026
- Weekends: 28 February, 1 March, 7 and 8 March
- Main Season: Daily from Saturday 14 March to Sunday 1 November 2026
- Opening hours: 10am to 5pm daily (last admission 4:30pm)
The Burghley House State Rooms open separately from 14 March, Sunday to Thursday (closed Fridays). If you want to combine the adventure play with a house tour, plan your visit on one of those days.
Best Times to Visit
Bear with us here! This one is worth thinking about before you book.
- Weekday visits in term time are the quietest and most relaxed, particularly in spring and early autumn
- School holidays are popular, especially the summer weeks and half terms; booking well in advance is essential
- February Half Term is a lovely time to visit if you don’t mind cooler weather; the gardens are full of snowdrops and the site is less busy than summer
The site is outdoors, so a dry day makes a significant difference to the experience. That said, the paths are hard-surfaced throughout the adventure play area, so light rain is manageable if you’re dressed for it.
Food, Facilities and Accessibility
Food and Drink
The site is well set up for a full day out, with several food and drink options across the Burghley estate:
- The Muddy Mole – the refreshment cabin right in the heart of the Hide & Secrets play area, serving hot dogs, snacks, hot and cold drinks. Perfect for a mid-play refuel without dragging everyone away from the action.
- The Garden Café – sandwiches, soups, salads and pastries, open daily
- The Orangery Restaurant – a more substantial option with a seasonal menu, kids’ menu, and gluten-free and vegan options. Open Wednesday to Sunday.
- The Potting Shed – smoothies, ice cream and coffee
You can also bring your own picnic and use the outdoor benches within the woodland. Barbecues and open fires are not permitted.
Facilities
- Toilets and baby changing are located centrally within the play area, making them easy to reach mid-visit
- Free parking on site, including accessible spaces
- Free Wi-Fi
- Gift shop on the estate
- Pushchair-friendly throughout the adventure play area (hard-surfaced paths)
- Wheelchair accessible, with wide pathways, a sensory wall, accessible platforms in the lower levels of the Hidden Towers and accessible lookout points across the gorge
Accessibility
The whole attraction has been thoughtfully designed with accessibility in mind. Think again if you assume a woodland play area won’t work for children with additional needs: the wide paths, sensory wall and accessible platforms make this one of the more inclusive adventure play sites in the region. Dogs are not permitted in the play area or gardens (assistance dogs excepted), though they are welcome on leads in the wider Burghley parkland.
How to Get There
Burghley House is located on the edge of Stamford, Lincolnshire, and is well signposted from the surrounding area.
Address: Burghley House, Burghley Park, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 3JY What3words for the main visitor entrance: bluffing.shadow.options Tel: 01780 752451
- By car: From the A1, take the exit for Stamford and follow the brown tourist signs for Burghley House. Free parking is available on site.
- By bus: The Delaine bus service stops outside the main visitor entrance on Barnack Road.
- By train: Stamford railway station is approximately half a mile from the parkland entrance and 1.5 miles from Burghley House itself. Bike racks are available on site.
Our Verdict: Is Hide & Secrets Worth It?
Absolutely, and it’s not close! Hide & Secrets is one of the best-value outdoor family attractions in the East Midlands. The combination of a genuinely imaginative spy theme, a seriously impressive play structure, dedicated provision for toddlers, free parking and two beautiful gardens included in the ticket price adds up to an exceptional day out.
It’s a popular destination for a reason! The site is designed for all ages, the missions give children a sense of purpose and direction, and the setting within the historic Burghley estate makes it feel unlike anywhere else.
A few things to keep in mind before you go:
- Book in advance to secure the best price and your preferred date; walk-up tickets are available subject to availability but not guaranteed
- Dress for the weather and bring a change of clothes for younger children who will inevitably find every tunnel and muddy corner
- Allow a full day if you want to make the most of the gardens and the play area together
- Annual Pass holders get the best value if you’re within easy travelling distance
Check availability and book your Hide & Secrets tickets here. You won’t regret it!