Life as a SEN mum

Last weekend we went to Chatsworth House to celebrate my mum’s birthday. We have visited before, but for the Christmas illuminated walk so I was excited to visit knowing we wouldn’t be sliding all over the place thanks to ice.

Things to do

Chatsworth is so much more than just a stately home. Whilst it is one of the most beautiful stately homes I think I’ve visited they also have a farmyard, adventure playground, vast gardens and acres of parkland to explore. There is plenty to fill an entire day of exploring regardless of your age.

Accessibility

I’m going to cover this first before I really get into my views on everything else, as, after all this is what I’m here to look at. There have been quite a few changes since we last visited. It’s always been very good for accessibility for those that are physically disabled. There is a lift in the house for those who struggle with stairs as well as a lift in the farmyard. Alongside the usual features such as disabled toilets and parking spaces. One thing I noticed when booking was that free carer tickets are now available. When I mention this usually, I can literally hear the eyes rolling. However, for those who physically can’t access places without a carer it can be a barrier, on top of that, anyone requiring a carer may not be able to make the most out of the place they’re visiting and therefore end up having shorter trips than others. When you factor this in, having that reduced rate can help, particularly with SEN children.

When making your booking online, there is also a range of add ons, from the usual guidebooks to free “rental” of various things to make accessibility easier. Including a sensory bag. It’s little touches like this that really help. The sensory bag is a free add on and contains a few small sensory toys, including a magnifying glass, and ear defenders. Having the ear defenders provided was definitely helpful. I hadn’t taken any with us, thinking that stately homes generally aren’t that noisy. What I hadn’t thought about is that even with people talking quietly, when there are lots of people in a small space it can create enough low level noise to still be overwhelming. Most of our time in the house wasn’t an issue. However, there were certain rooms where Charlotte chose to wear the ear defenders, because the low level noise sometimes bothers her more than overly loud environments.

All the staff are also extremely helpful and very patient. This always makes such a difference when they are able to engage with SEN children and to be able to explain things in a way they understand, particularly when you have a child who refuses to listen to you about not sitting on the old furniture.

The House

You can’t really visit Chatsworth without visiting the house. It really is absolutely stunning, there’s always different collections on show depending on the season and despite this, the house is so vast and so detailed there will be things you don’t notice on every visit. Having visited a few times I would definitely recommend visiting at Christmas to see all the rooms decorated for the festive season.

Gardens

There is always something so peaceful about walking through the gardens when visiting stately homes. You really do understand why when watching period dramas, or even documentaries based around the royals and aristocracy, why they spent so much time in their gardens. Not only are they vast areas, but the designs are mesmerising. I have seen a few where the gardens themselves are reasonably “basic” but the houses all benefit from wider parkland. But the gardens at Chatsworth provide the beauty of structured areas, including that famous water feature, to more rugged wooded walks including a waterfall. Again, if you get chance to visit over Christmas and do the illuminated walk it really is one not to be missed.

Farmyard and Adventure Playground

It may only be a small farm, but it delivers on everything you might want. There are various different animals, and you can take part in Guinea Pig handling and there are milking sessions throughout the day. For smaller kids there are little tractors to ride around on, and from time to time there are activities within the covered picnic area and the oak barn.

The Adventure Playground is brilliant for kids of all ages. It takes a lot for me to look at a playground and really go WOW. But this certainly did it. There is sand and water play, swings, climbing frames, a zip line. You name it and it’s probably there. Whilst the playground is set on top of a hill, it is accessible, you’ll need to use the lift in the farmyard and then there is a ramp up to the playground itself. For adventurous kids there is also a hidden tunnel taking them from the farmyard to the playground.

Parkland

For those looking for a country walk, you can pay £5 for car parking which gives you access to the wider estate for beautiful walks through the Derbyshire countryside. We’ve never managed to explore the countryside, as there really is so much to do anyway. But you do get a sense of the beauty of the place when driving through the estate. Your carpark ticket will also grant you access to the shops and restaurants in the stables.

Food and drink

There are plenty of options for dining when visiting Chatsworth. We opted to take a picnic with us, as the weather was on side we were able to sit in the picnic area located in the farmyard and enjoy our picnic alfresco. If the weather isn’t onside, as it often isn’t in the UK there is a sheltered picnic area within the farmyard as well. You could also take a blanket and enjoy your picnic on a walk round the estates parkland. If you want to enjoy your food in the great outdoors, but don’t want to take a picnic, or even just want to grab a quick drink or snack there are plenty of food vans offering grab and go options dotted around the grounds.

If you’re looking for a sit down meal there are also plenty of options available depending on what you’re looking for. Within the stableyard are several options, The Carriage House, a family friendly, self service restaurant. This one always seems to be popular and always has a queue. There is also The Cavendish restaurant which is perfect for a more “regal” dining experience, offering afternoon tea and a seasonal lunch menu. This does need to be booked in advance, and unfortunately does not cater for children. If you’re looking for ice cream or cakes then you can also head to The Parlour, also situated in the stables. All of the eateries within the stable yard are accessible without the need to purchase a ticket. If driving you will need to pay to park but you can enjoy these as a lovely end to any visit.

If you are walking throughout the wider estate, or simply visiting one of the Derbyshire villages that still fall within the estate there are plenty of options there too. So whether you want to take a picnic blanket and your own sandwiches or just see where your walk takes you and know that there will be somewhere warm and friendly to stop for a bite to eat along the way the options are vast.

Overview

Would I recommend a visit to Chatsworth? Absolutely. Whatever your age, there is so much to do. I’d even go so far as to consider a membership, if it wasn’t for us living an hours drive away, and us already having so many places local with our National Trust and English Heritage Memberships I would probably have purchased a family membership by now

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