Hawkstone Park Follies
Hawkstone Park Follies
Hawkstone Park Follies
4.5
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
100 acres of stunning scenery filled with magical Follies around every corner. One of Britain's original theme parks, this fantasy landscape full of bridges, towers and caves has been inspiring visitors for over 250 years.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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See what travelers are saying
- Seasoned by SamWallasey, United Kingdom199 contributionsStunning views and perfect for the dog!Stunning walk, just need plenty of energy! Took the dog around Hawkstone park and had a great time. Lots of things to see and do, views are stunning, and even spotted and unexplored castle hidden away 👀 The walk was a little muddy especially after a lot of rain, but the views were second to none. Shop had lots of cute things for the dog and trust me you’ll want an ice cream at the end too!Visited March 2024Traveled with friendsWritten March 27, 2024
- visitor049428 contributionsGreat day out - magical placeGreat day out. Fantastic park with so many hidden surprises. It starts with a lot of steps to Walk up. I would recommend bringing your own picnic if you want To eat as facilities are limited once you get up there. It is much bigger than you think. Stunning views, narrow bridges, deep caves. Whole circuit takes about 2.5 hours to walk. Great day out and dogs on leads are welcome.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 4, 2024
- Sparklefairy20 contributionsInteresting placeSuch a magical place great day out , like you was on a little adventure. Took the dogs was good walk for them definitely tired them and us out , was a long walk with lots of steps . The views were amazing. Take a torch .went on a bank holiday Monday so it was quite busy .Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 26, 2024
- Sandy BUnited Kingdom305 contributionsAn unusual Day out - worth seeking outIf you are in the area it is well worth calving out time to enjoy this unusual attraction. You need to be reasonable assured on foot and fairly fit to enjoy the slightly more challenging parts of the walk. My wife and (both late 70's) spent 3 hours exploring the sights. I won't spoil your enjoyment by describing the various interesting features. However, I will say it is an excellent day out for families with energetic children.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 15, 2024
- Neil WSilsden, United Kingdom301 contributionsFabulous Natural-ish Theme Park!What a wonderfully different place this is. No interactive screens or headsets, just a simple map and a few arrows to guide you through rhododendron forests, woodland, mini canyons, caves, grottos and tunnels. As the website and entrance warning states you do need to be quite fit to walk around as there are lots of steep steps and inclines. The friendly man at reception said the whole area should take about 2.5 to 3 hours to explore. Usually when places say this, I find I can do it in less than half that time, but he was spot on - and we didn’t loiter too much either. As others have said, the cafe could do with invigorating (more it’s food offering than its general ambience) and a few fences need some maintenance (there must be several miles of them though to be fair), but they are harsh quibbles considering. At less than £10 pp it’s also a cheap day. Dogs are free - you are asked to keep them on a lead but this (I guess) is more for their safety around some of the more precipitous attractions than any churlishness. We found plenty of of safe opportunity to let them have a run around away from others. Thoroughly recommended - whether up you’ve got children or not!Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 26, 2024
- keithprincelorStafford, United Kingdom26 contributionsExercise, History and Nature RichMy wife and I decided to leave the kids behind and spend the day together at the Follies and we had an amazing time. Parking is free and the entry fee is reasonable for what is a great experience all around. We particularly enjoyed the Swiss bridge and the Caves (Remember your torch!)Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 1, 2024
- Neil00Cheshire, United Kingdom303 contributionsFabulousWhy anyone gives this place fewer than 5 stars defeats me. Some people just love to be disappointed. It's a fantastic place, so many interesting and quirky places to explore. Yes, probably not as much fun on a wet day but if the sun's shining it's brilliant. We spent 5 hours there - party of 3 adults, a 6 and a 3 year old. Everyone loved it and the reception staff were first class.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 30, 2024
- Bernadette HLondon, United Kingdom10 contributionsFabulous placeA fantastic place to explore, we did the strenuous path and it took us about 2 hours 40 minutes. Plenty of seating to rest along the way. Well worth a visit. We took food with us, there is a cafe with basic food and hot drinks. Lovely views from the tower, caves were great fun. Highly recommend it.Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 11, 2024
- RachelBristol, United Kingdom1 contributionHawkstone parkGorgeous walks and plenty to see even in the rain. Could easily spend half a day exploring if you wanted. Paths can be very uneven and steep at points though so will be bringing walking boots with us next time! There is a little shop at the beginning of the trail as well as a tea room, and the staff there were extremely pleasant. A must do for families if visiting around Shrewsbury/Shropshire.Visited September 2024Traveled with familyWritten September 30, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,053 reviews
Excellent
736
Very good
260
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41
Poor
10
Terrible
6
Emma F
Manchester, UK2 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We bought tickets online for our family at 2.40pm drove to Hawkstone Park and then were not allowed entry as it we had arrived at 3.20pm. We were also denied any refund even though we had only purchased the tickets immediately before setting off. Only in the small print in the terms and conditions does it state that entry is before 3pm on the official website. This is not clear and needs to be changed on the website. Complete waste of money and time that day and terrible customer service. You are actively encouraged to book online through the website but nowhere does it state that arrival is before 3pm until after you have booked tickets, it actually states 5pm close. We will be reporting this to trading standards so that no other families get ripped off by their website.
Written August 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rhone_Man
Hertfordshire, UK336 contributions
Aug 2020
Stopped at Hawkstone Park Follies to try and break up a long drive to Wales for a holiday. Really glad that we did. It is hard to express exactly what the Follies are, but it is a best described as a series of walking trails with a lot of weird but interesting stuff to look at as you go around. It is built on a fairly steep and uncharacterisic ridge rising above rural Shropshire, so at pretty much all stages you have a fantastic view of the surrouding counties.
It is a fairly ecclectic collection of things to look at. One is an old "Swiss bridge" which you can walk across a chasm on if you go sideways (you are safely wedged in between two rails). Another is a twisty turney underground cave system. Another is a crop of rock called "Fox's knob" which is a huge stone with a staircase carved through the middle. And then you have a collection of weird and wacky buildings that the eccentric aristocrats who owned the thing had built. None of the attractions themselves is particularly unusual or stunning, but put together it makes for an interesting and amusing hike around in the very pleasant Shropshire outdoors. All accompanied by stunning scenery.
Probably not suited for really young kids (you can take shortcuts, but overall there is a lot of walking, and some of the climb up takes effort - nothing an adult or a teen can't manage, but I wouldn't want to carry a younger child up).
It is a fairly ecclectic collection of things to look at. One is an old "Swiss bridge" which you can walk across a chasm on if you go sideways (you are safely wedged in between two rails). Another is a twisty turney underground cave system. Another is a crop of rock called "Fox's knob" which is a huge stone with a staircase carved through the middle. And then you have a collection of weird and wacky buildings that the eccentric aristocrats who owned the thing had built. None of the attractions themselves is particularly unusual or stunning, but put together it makes for an interesting and amusing hike around in the very pleasant Shropshire outdoors. All accompanied by stunning scenery.
Probably not suited for really young kids (you can take shortcuts, but overall there is a lot of walking, and some of the climb up takes effort - nothing an adult or a teen can't manage, but I wouldn't want to carry a younger child up).
Written August 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Goswoppit
England, UK31 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Headed here for some quality time with extended family. You can see the Hawkstone team has put Covid safety at the heart of their operations, including limiting numbers, hand sanitiser stations installed around the trails, sensible routing, cash-free payments, spaced out picnic seating etc. We lucked out with the weather and enjoyed exploring a good chunk of the Enchanted Trail and successfully spotting trolls. Next time we’ll bring a picnic
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KingOfTheNorth99
Windsor, UK672 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
An outdoor trail past many interesting things to see (follies) including man made towers and other structures, a gorge bridge, lots of underground cave areas and several viewpoints (great views).
The view from the top of the Monument is pretty terrifying but I do recommend you try it. Not for those with a fear of heights.
Tickets are not cheap at ÂŁ30 for a family ticket but a huge trail to maintain and worth it. We walked the full trail and took probably 3.5 hours.
Absolutely excellent and quite challenging walk through a lovely setting. A must see.
The view from the top of the Monument is pretty terrifying but I do recommend you try it. Not for those with a fear of heights.
Tickets are not cheap at ÂŁ30 for a family ticket but a huge trail to maintain and worth it. We walked the full trail and took probably 3.5 hours.
Absolutely excellent and quite challenging walk through a lovely setting. A must see.
Written August 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ste baker
Kingswinford, UK677 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
Been to the Santa Safari today with my wife and our 2 boys 7 & 4.
Can honestly say it’s the best Santa we’ve been to see and the whole experience was superb.
We were a bit worried after reading bad reviews but I can honestly say I couldn’t fault a thing.
Upon arrival at the hotel we went into a Christmas theme room with hot chocolate to have.
We then went up to the caves in a 4x4 land rover which was very cool.
Once at the caves we were met by friendly elves who told us where to go and explained the Covid rules.
The caves were great, very well decorated for lots of photo opportunities.
When we got to see Santa me and my wife were amazed how good he looked. With a real white beard and a friendly smile he was superb with the kids. Spent a good 5 minutes asking them questions and making them laugh.
The boys were given an avengers soft toy as a gift (better than a lot for the cheap rubbish we’ve had in the past)
You then leave the caves to stunning views before being taken back to the hotel in a 4x4.
Honestly couldn’t fault a single thing! Well done to everyone involved you really have made Christmas week feel magical.
Can honestly say it’s the best Santa we’ve been to see and the whole experience was superb.
We were a bit worried after reading bad reviews but I can honestly say I couldn’t fault a thing.
Upon arrival at the hotel we went into a Christmas theme room with hot chocolate to have.
We then went up to the caves in a 4x4 land rover which was very cool.
Once at the caves we were met by friendly elves who told us where to go and explained the Covid rules.
The caves were great, very well decorated for lots of photo opportunities.
When we got to see Santa me and my wife were amazed how good he looked. With a real white beard and a friendly smile he was superb with the kids. Spent a good 5 minutes asking them questions and making them laugh.
The boys were given an avengers soft toy as a gift (better than a lot for the cheap rubbish we’ve had in the past)
You then leave the caves to stunning views before being taken back to the hotel in a 4x4.
Honestly couldn’t fault a single thing! Well done to everyone involved you really have made Christmas week feel magical.
Written December 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Crystaltips32
Walsall, UK5 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Loved this, 5 people for ÂŁ25! Bargain! Kids loved being able climb and explore. We were fortunate with weather but have been (and enjoyed) in the rain! Sturdy shoes are essential and a torch for the caves. Great views! The cafe isn't open at the moment (fair enough), hand sanitiser available at points round park, plenty of space to avoid people! Top marks!
Written August 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kirstie F
51 contributions
Aug 2021
What a fantastic day! Myself and my boyfriend have never been here despite it literally being on the doorstep. We had an amazing day exploring the woods, tower, caves and going over the bridge. The walk is great for the more adventurous types who like to explore. The Dragon Trainer parts of the walk that have been placed across the walks are fantastic fun for kids (and big kids) to take part in!
Pre warning, the tower and little bridge are not for the fainthearted, but well worth it if you do them both, the views are incredible. The caves are fantastic and great fun to explore, however don't look up if you are scared of spiders like I am. Big mistake, there are lots of spiders and spider sack on the ceiling! The gentleman who met us on the desk when we arrived was friendly and very helpful telling us where to go and the paths we could take. We took a picnic with us (the cafe is closed still) and enjoyed eating that half way around the walk.
Overall, a brilliantly enjoyable day, we will be returning in the future!
Pre warning, the tower and little bridge are not for the fainthearted, but well worth it if you do them both, the views are incredible. The caves are fantastic and great fun to explore, however don't look up if you are scared of spiders like I am. Big mistake, there are lots of spiders and spider sack on the ceiling! The gentleman who met us on the desk when we arrived was friendly and very helpful telling us where to go and the paths we could take. We took a picnic with us (the cafe is closed still) and enjoyed eating that half way around the walk.
Overall, a brilliantly enjoyable day, we will be returning in the future!
Written August 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill C
22 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
We took our two energetic grandsons aged 7 and 9 for a day out to Hawkstone Park Follies. It was perfect - lots of space for them to run around and explore. They loved the grotto and caves where they had to use their torches. The Swiss bridge and climbing to the top of the monument (under close supervision!) we’re other highlights.We chose to do the long walk which wore them out - quite a feat! We loved the fact that the park is very reasonably priced and not over commercialised. There were plenty of places to picnic on our route.
A special mention for the girl on the reception desk, she was very friendly and helpful, coming to the rescue when Id left a hoodie on a bench at the far end of the park . Thanks also to the rangers who found it and returned it to us at the cafe.
We highly this place!
A special mention for the girl on the reception desk, she was very friendly and helpful, coming to the rescue when Id left a hoodie on a bench at the far end of the park . Thanks also to the rangers who found it and returned it to us at the cafe.
We highly this place!
Written August 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NorthStar272
12 contributions
May 2021
We didn't arrive until around 2:30 and stayed until it closed at 5, barely seeing anyone around the whole time! Lovely views and some steep steps and slopes that may be difficult for some. We completed the enchanted trail in about 2/3 hours but could definitely spend longer exploring additional routes. Lots of options to cut the route shorter or choose a trickier path so accessible to all abilities.
Written May 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LordCadwell
Maidenhead, UK650 contributions
May 2021 • Family
Fantastic few hours spent exploring the paths, caves and woods. It's kept original and so much better for it, with uneven, narrow steps, squeezes, low headroom and slippery stone. The paths range from Broad gravelled ways to narrow, sometime muddy, clinging to the escarpment and undercut rockfaces.
Written June 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are the places to stop for a picnic during our walk?
Written August 3, 2024
Hi, thinking of visiting with our dog. Does the park get very busy or do you tend to not really bump into anyone else? We enjoy the type of walks where it feels like you are the only people around!
Written March 10, 2022
When we visited there weren’t a lot of people around so a week day might be a good time to visit. The follies are a bit up and down and dogs must be kept on leads so I wouldn’t go there if a good long / open dog walk is what you’re looking for
Written August 4, 2024
You have to pay, and at the time we visited advance booking was necessary because of the pandemic.
Written October 5, 2021
Hi, the website says it is not open until 15th February is this right or is it open? Thank you
Written January 15, 2020
Give them a call to double check the website is correct.
Written January 16, 2020
They are currently in full bloom and will be for the next couple of weeks. Usually it is around now (end of May) but every year varies depending on the weather.
Written May 30, 2019
Hello, would it be a suitable place to bring a 10 month old? (In a pram)
Thanks
Amanda
Written April 8, 2019
Hi although we welcome all ages, the terrain is not suitable for prams or pushchairs so youngsters would either need to be walking or carried :-)
Written April 14, 2019
Dogs are welcome in all areas including the Tearoom as long as they are kept on lead whilst on site :-)
Written April 3, 2019
What time do you need to arrive at the park before the Santa safari please
Written December 1, 2018
15 minutes before scheduled departure, however it can take 5 mins to walk up to the Follies reception centre from the car park so if you work on arriving on site 20 mins before departure, you won’t go far wrong.
Written December 17, 2018
What time do you need to arrive at the park before the Santa safari please
Written December 1, 2018
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