October Half Term: Amazing Creatures trail and a WWII basement for curious kids
Looking for something to keep little ones busy this half term? Trent Park House has a family discount, accessible spaces and plenty to do once you're through the door.
Our first family trail is launching!
Explore Sassoon’s rooms to find some amazing creatures. Some of them are easy to see, but others are hiding in pictures, patterns and objects. The Amazing Creatures trail, for under 8s, is a fun way for children to discover the glamorous interwar years.
Pick up a free copy at our ticket desk, or download it before you visit.
Plus come and make your own secret door in our Clore Learning Room.
Trent Park House is full of secrets. Behind its grand doors, wartime Secret Listeners once eavesdropped on the conversations of captured German generals! Now it's your turn to hide a secret.Decorate the outside however you like, whether it's a spooky haunted house, a grand country house or a mysterious hidden passage. Then open it up and hide a secret inside. It could be a drawing, a message, a Secret Listener or something only you know. Who will you let peek behind your door?
When: Wednesday 28 and Friday 30 October, 11-3pm
Cost: Included with admission. No need to book, just drop in.
Suitable for: Suitable for all ages. Parental supervision required
The trail and the craft activities sit alongside the hands-on, family-friendly elements of our WWII Secret Listeners story. Start by marvelling at the scale model of the House frozen in time in 1942, then head down to the basement to discover the story of the Secret Listeners.
When little legs need a rest, pop into the Museum café for cake and coffee, or bring a packed lunch to the Clore Learning Room. There's space for buggies too. We also sit within over 400 acres of rolling parkland, so why not make it a full day out!
Halloween at Trent Park House Café
We will also have a limited-edition Halloween selection, available from 26 October to 1 November 2026:
- Ghost Brownies
- SPOO-KIES - Halloween cookies finished with orange frosting and miniature spider sprinkles
- Pumpkin Shortbread Biscuits
Tours and Talks
A Charmed Life, 2 October at 3pm
Damian Collins, former Member of Parliament and author of the biographical book Charmed Life: The Phenomenal World of Philip Sassoon, will be giving a ‘Charmed Life’ tour of the state rooms on 2 October. Damian will be signing copies of the book after the tour.
A Century of Secrets: tour with Sue Elliott, 14 October at 1:30pm
Join author Sue Elliott for a tour of Trent Park House that takes its name from her book, Trent Park House: A Century of Secrets. Copies will be on sale in the shop, and Sue will be signing them after the tour.
From Country House to Listening Station 14, 21 and 28 October at 3pm
Former BBC Russia Analyst and volunteer, Stephen Dalziel, will be giving tours covering both the House’s history as Sir Philip Sassoon’s country retreat in the 1920s and ‘30s, and its role in WWII, when Secret Listeners gathered intelligence from the senior German officers held as POWs.
Sir Philip Sassoon’s World 16 October at 2pm; 12 and 20 November at 3pm
No special ticket is required for our tours - just a regular entry ticket timed with the relevant time.
Observer Culture Club
We’re also joining the Observer Culture Club - members will be able to purchase 2-for-1 tickets from 1 October until 31 December. Find out more here.
Finally, please do note we'll be closing at 4pm in November and December as the nights draw in - but keep a look out for announcements of exciting events in the build up to Christmas.
