FAMOUS for one of the UK’s best adventure playgrounds, children aged 12 and under are guaranteed the time of their lives at Bowood House and Gardens.

The adventure playground includes a series of aerial walkways; a full size pirate galleon complete with rigging and a crow’s nest; trampoline and a flying fox.

There are several very steep slides and flume tubes, a huge scramble net, and a wide vertical slide which starts with a 19 foot drop.

Younger children will find two levels of undercover fun in the soft play palace.

But it’s not just the children who will have a good time, there is fun for all the family at Bowood with a whole range of activities.

Bowood Gardens is home to a wide variety of speciality gardens, making for the perfect day out in Wiltshire for horticultural lovers.

And everyone can relax in 100 acres of parkland, offering a lake, arboretum, pinetum and cascade.

The house itself hosts a wealth of unique items from Queen Victoria’s wedding chair to Napoleon’s death mask and an extensive collection of paintings.

And the children can also meet friendly farm animals at Tractor Ted's Little Farm.

  • THE Bowood Estate was bought in 1754 by John Petty Fitzmaurice, 1st Earl of Shelburne (1706–1761); his descendants have lived here ever since. Not simply land owners, the Petty Fitzmaurices have served in public office almost continuously for over 200 years.

Bowood first opened to the public in 1975, and since then several million people have been to visit.

Bowood House and Gardens is open daily from 11am to 6pm from April 1 to November 2, 2014.

The House and Soft Play Area close at 5.30pm and the Adventure Playground and Tractor Ted’s Little Farm close at 5.45pm. The Coffee Shop and car park close at 6pm. After the Autumn clock change, all closing times are brought forward one hour.

Adult tickets are £10.75, senior citizens are £9.25, juniors aged five to 12 are £8.25 and children aged two to four are £6.25.

A family of one adult and three children or two adults and two children is £32.50.