Stansted Park
On this walk, children will enjoy an afternoon at Stansted Park with access after the walk to the walled garden with its Tearoom, Farm Shop, Garden Centre, Maze and Miniature Railway.
The Basics
For this walk, we will give three different options. A pushchair walk, a longer walk and a summer walk past a sunflower field.
Time: 55 minutes for the pushchair walk, 1 hour 20 minutes for the longer walk and 1 hour for the sunflower walk
Distance: 3.7 km for the pushchair walk, 4.58 km for the longest walk
Terrain: The pushchair walk has paved or well surfaced tracks, the longer walk also has fields that can be muddy and the sunflower walk includes some kissing gates. All are flat.
Pushchair: See above
Dogs: Yes, but should be under close control due to deer and livestock around the park. No dogs in the walled garden attractions.
Refreshments: Pavilion Tea Room
Toilets: Yes
Parking: Stansted Park, free car park for the pushchair and longer walk (Postcode: PO9 6DX - W3W: proclaims/straddled/beginning). For the sunflower walk, park at The Slip car park just north of the saw mill - closes 5pm (Postcode: PO9 6DU - W3W: interests/move/reviews)
Stansted Park stands in 1800 acres of parkland and forest with miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore. This guide gives you three family friendly walks to chose from that can all be combined with a visit to the house and other attractions.
The Routes
Pushchair walk and longer walk:
Exit the car park and walk back out onto the paved access road you came in on. Turn right and follow this towards the house with the iron gates ahead of you. The path will turn left here to pass in front of the house with a fence on either side of you.
After you have passed the house, you will come to a T-junction where you should go right and continue along a paved access road. It will curve around, passing the entrance to the house and then go slightly up hill.
At the cottages, veer to the left and ignore the path going to your right in front of them. The paved access road eventually levels off and continues past Lumley Seat. Just after this house, you will see some cottages as the paved access road ends. Turn right here and walk along the track with open fields to your right.
The track will bring you to a cross road. For the pushchair walk, turn right here and it will lead you back to the cottages at the start of section 3. For the longer walk, continue straight and go through the gate into woodland.
The path will very soon veer to the right and head diagonally across the middle of a field. Cross into the next field, following the same path. There are some lovely views of the back of Stansted House along this section.
At the end of the field, turn left after the gateway and the very shortly you will come to a crossroads. Take the permissive byway to the right. Follow this enclosed path and then turn right at the footpath sign, following the path through fields with fences on either side of you.
Another gate will take you across the middle of another field. Turn right after a gate on the other side of the field to enter a little copse and the path will lead you out into the overflow car park.
Sunflower walk (usually August):
Our walk began by heading down The Slip. This is accessed by the kissing gate beside the road and labelled Monarch’s Way. It is a wonderful grassy avenue that gives views back to Stansted House.
Eventually you will see a path to the left, heading into a copse. You can recognise this as the correct path as you will see a wooden cross as a memorial to a world war two pilot. The path heads out of the copse and then heads in a straight line across a field.
At the other side of the field, go through the gate and then immediately turn left along a stony farm track. This will eventually take you through a gate and into the yard of Holme Farm. Continue straight past the stables and come out onto a little lane.
Turn left passing the front of the farmhouse and just after you will see Holme Farm Sunflower field on your right. You can pay to enter and pick your own sunflowers.
After the sunflowers, cross the road and take the footpath directly opposite. The path twists right and then onto the approach lane to Stansted Park. Continue along the paved access lane towards the house.
Pass the car park on your right and meet the wrought iron gates in front of the house. Turn left and walk with the house to your right between fences. At the end of this path, turn left. Look out for the path on your right at the edge of the woodland singed Octagon Way. Take this to walk along the edge of the woodland. Take the first left footpath to head through the woodland directly back to the car park.
We recommend viewing the map as a ‘Trails Map’ to ensure all the paths are visible:
Did you know?
In 1900 a devastating fire tore through the house leaving nothing but the original vaulted crypt. The house was painstakingly rebuilt over the following three years on the exact footprint of the old house.
The woodland around the park is a good place to find bluebells in spring.