Pretty 725-acre estate is home to huge kids’ play attraction, ‘fairy quests’ and UK’s only monkey forest
A SPRAWLING 725-acre estate in Staffordshire that's been described as "gorgeous" and "beautiful" is home to award-winning gardens and the country's only monkey forest.
Trentham Estate is located in Staffordshire and is just a short drive from Stoke-on-Trent.
The sprawling estate dates all the way back to the early medieval period when it was a royal manor.
It was recorded in the Doomsday Book before undergoing extensive renovations in the 17th century Leveson family.
During this time, the original Trentham Hall was built on the site and Trentham Gardens was also created.
In the 19th century, Sir Charles Barry, the architect behind the Houses of Parliament, redesigned Trentham Hall in an Italianate style.
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Trentham Hall was demolished in the 1910s although the gardens and parkland remained.
Nowadays, Trentham Estate is home to range of attractions that make for a family-friendly day out.
One of those is the Monkey Forest, which is thought to be the only forest of its kind in the country.
The Monkey Forest is home to 140 free-roaming Barbary macaques, with visitors able to walk among the monkeys in a natural setting.
Visitors to the Monkey Forest can also attend talks where they can learn more about the endangered primates.
Other animals also live inside Trentham Estate with Beaver Safaris taking place in the wetlands.
Trentham Estate reintroduced beavers into their wetlands with visitors able to observe the animals as they build dams and lodges.
There are plenty of other attractions too, including its award-winning gardens, which have been described as some of the finest in Britain.
For younger visitors, there's also an adventure playground with a climbing wall, Viking rope swing, twin zip lines and a hide and speak maze.
There's also the Barefoot Walk where kids can take off their shoes and walk along the stones with their bare feet.
Another attraction is the Fairy Quest where visitors are given a map and can follow the path of fairy sculptures and magical installations.
Trentham Estate has been given a 4.5/5 star rating from thousands of reviews on TripAdvisor.
One person wrote: "Stunning - we went on a great walk in the gorgeous gardens. I would highly recommend".
Another person added: "We always love Trentham Gardens as it's such a beautiful place to visit".
Day tickets to Trentham Gardens cost £9.90 for a full-paying adult and £6.5 for kids.
Meanwhile, Beaver Safaris cost £37.50 per person.
Trentham Estate is a 10-minute drive from Stoke-on-Trent.
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