Even though the Thames is synonymous with London, the river runs from the mouth of the Thames Estuary through nine counties including Surrey, Oxfordshire, Kent and Essex – and there are many picturesque towns in which to enjoy the longest river in England.
National Trust’s Cliveden House in Berkshire is one such place. Set on banks 40 metres high above the River Thames, the house itself is now a luxurious hotel but visitors can still see the ground floor by guided tour. The main attraction for us, however, was the to explore Cliveden’s impressive gardens and majestic woodlands that slope down towards the river.
Cliveden has a rich history dating back to 1666, and has been home to an earl, three countesses, two dukes, a Prince of Wales and the Viscount family Astor. It has also been visited by virtually every British monarch since Lord Orkney hosted George I here.
Cliveden has also been rocked by disgrace and its story starts with scandal in 1666, when the Duke of Buckingham built the first great house for his mistress and fatally wounded her husband in a duel. Some 300 years later, scandal of the same magnitude engulfed Cliveden when, in 1963, it became the focus of the Profumo Affair  – where Secretary of State for War, John Profumo, met society showgirl Christine Keeler at a Cliveden party and their illicit affair contributed to the fall of the Macmillan government.
During the First World War, part of the estate was turned into a hospital for allied soldiers and of the 24,000 troops treated at the hospital, only a relatively small number died. In 1918, the First Viscount Astor’s sunken Italian garden was adapted to create a memorial garden for the deceased.
What struck us as we entered this huge sprawling estate was how much there was to explore. The map itself is a little overwhelming and be warned, because the Cliveden is on a slope, there are a lot of steep paths and steps – so getting down to the river can be tricky if you have a pushchair.
As we headed towards the Water Garden, Monkey spied the Storybook Play Den – a large play area with carved wooden models of favourite storybook characters including Peter Pan. He loved it here and we were hard pushed to get him out! He particularly enjoyed the ‘Charlotte’s Web’ climbing net.
When he eventually relented, we strolled to Oriental Pagoda and enjoyed stepping across the stones and watching the huge carp in the lake. It was such a tranquil spot – perfect for a picnic, which we saw several families enjoying on the grassy banks.
Our next stop was Cliveden’s famous maze. I’m not brilliant with directions but we managed to find the centre in decent time after we took the advice of a passer-by who told us to always turn left at each junction. It seemed to work and after a few dead ends and false leads we eventually got free after 25 minutes. Monkey found the whole experience amusing!
As you follow the path around to towards the main house through wooded areas and manicured beds, you find yourself at the top of Grand Avenue and by one of Cliveden’s most popular sculptures, The Fountain of Love. According to First Lord Astor’s note of 1920: ‘The female figures are supposed to have discovered the fountain of love and to be experiencing the effects of its wonderful elixir.’
We were pretty impressed by its scale and grandeur, while Monkey was more concerned with trying to throw coins in it and getting splashed by the spray.
We then headed to Cliveden House via the stunning tree-lined Grand avenue. Monkey flung of his shoes and began weaving in and out of the trees. 
After we’d had some refreshments in the delightful surroundings of the Orangery Café, we headed to Cliveden’s Terrace which is currently undergoing renovation work as it’s the oldest part of the house. But the scaffolding didn’t detract from the wonderful views of the Parterre and its six acres of bright flower beds and topiary.
Monkey was thrilled to find a small slope leading down from the terrace and, after seeing other children rolling down the hill, he copied them with gusto and we had lots of laughter.
Even though Monkey had tired himself out, he was still determined to see the boats along the river. So we headed to the 172 steps that leads down to the riverside, but not before taking a peek at the chapel which was built in 1735. We were also rewarded with breathtaking views of the Berkshire countryside and to the Thames.
Once at the bottom, we took a pleasant stroll along the river, watching the boats. We were disappointed to have just missed the skippered boat cruise that takes a 45 minutes circular route between Cookham and Maidenhead locks. Monkey still enjoyed exploring the boathouse and jumping onboard a moored ship.
It was time to go home however and, even though we had to climb back up the steps and make our way back to the car, Monkey did so well. It took us a good 3o minutes and the light was beginning to fade. But we were able to enjoy for a second time the foliage and colourful gardens.
Cliveden is a huge estate with so much to explore, its landscape filled with several nooks and crannies – from woodlands to secret gardens, so it means you could spend a whole day here and not even see it all.
We had a wonderful, and exhausting day at Cliveden House. It’s a great adventure for the whole family – and we’ll certainly be returning to see if we can discover more of its delights…
National Trust’s Cliveden House, Cliveden Rd, Taplow, Maidenhead, West Berkshire SL6 0JA; Open 10.00am-5.30pm daily; Adult: £9.50; Child: £4.75; Family: £23.75; House entry extra charges – see website for more details
What a lovely place – love to see so much green and trees in one place :)_
It’s stunning and very ‘English’
Looks like a gorgeous garden to explore on a day out. I can’t believe how much Monkey has grown x
He really has! He’s getting such a big boy… Nearly 4 soon! x
Heavens, it IS big, isn’t it? But I love a house with a past (and let’s face it, most of our beautiful British homes have one 🙂 ). Thanks for the lovely guided tour and for sharing Monkey’s antics. I’d definitely go if I was down that way.
It’s massive! And we were knackered. We needed a full day really. I think you’d love it!
Oooh Cliveden is one of our local NT properties and definitely the one we take all our guests too. We still haven’t explored all its paths after many visits and I’ve never seen that Wind in the Willows boat play feature before either! Looks like you had a great visit. Those steps are mean aren’t they? Worth it though. Now you’ve made me want to go again!
I’m not surprised you haven’t managed to see it all on your visits. It’s huge! How lucky for you to live so close by!
I really enjoy visiting National Trust properties. This one looks gorgeous.
They’re so lovely and cater for the whole family
So green and beautiful! Just love it! Seems like the perfect day. Love the smile of Monkey! What a happy boy 🙂
He loves just running about! A proper boy!
Wow it is huge isn;t it! Absolutely fabulous place. Another amazing National Trust example. He’s really growing up now Ting. Proper little boy. #countrykids
I can’t believe how big he’s getting – four soon! Where does time go?!
Cliveden looks really lovely. The gardens look stunning! We are NT members so we always try to visit an NT site where ever we are in the country. I’ll remember Cliveden now for when we are next around the Berkshire area! 🙂 #CountryKids
Yes, do pop by if you get a chance. It’s so sprawling, you’ll have a great day out
Wow! What a brilliant day out. I love the photo of the boat with the carvings. We need to make a point to visit more National Trust places! #CountryKids
It’s such a wonderful playground, the kids didn’t want to leave! NT sites are wonderful for families
This is a real hidden treasure and what a checkered history, I love the resourceful use in the war as a hospital and how wonderful it still looks today. I can see how you could easily spend a day here with the beautiful gardens and river and of course a tumble down the lawns! Thank you for sharing with me on Country Kids.
Thanks Fiona, I wanted to tumble on the lawn too, but hubby stopped me! 🙂
How lovely – Cliveden is somewhere that’s on my list to explore while I make the most of my NT pass. I shall have to make some notes from your tips! #countrykids
Take good walking shoes! And factor in pretty much a whole afternoon if you want to cover the main parts
Wow that is all that I am mumbling while looking at your photos. Picturesque indeed! My favorite is that amazing fountain. I love fountains and the statues in this one is just magnificent =)
#countrykids
You’d love it there! So much to see and do 🙂
That was a beautiful post! I will have to add this to my England bucket list! 🙂 The gardens look absolutely beautiful!!
Thank you! I imagine your England bucket list is now huge!
What a stunning place to visit and loved all the information. Those steps look rather daunting though x
They were pretty tough going uphill! At least I worked off the cream tea 🙂
What a breathtakingly beautiful house and gardens, looks like a wonderful visit
It was lovely, but so big – will have to go back again!
This is next on my to do list, since we got our national trust membership. Thanks for the info, hopefully we’ll check it out soon. Looks like you all had a lovely day.
Oh you won’t regret your NT membership Karen. There are just too many gorgeous places aren’t there? Hope you’re well, nice to hear from you x
If I were to live in England, I would be spending most of my weekends visiting these gardens. They are simply beautiful! Now I know what it means when the English say “go for walks” 🙂
You have hit the nail on the head – this is exactly the green walks we all enjoy and to get out of the city!
I love visiting National Trusts estates, been to a few of them all over England, this ones looks really beautiful! both the kids and my husband and I would really enjoy visiting Cliveden House, the gardens and woods look so beautiful 🙂
I think you guys would love it there. We’re such fans of NT
Wow, that garden… You have no idea how happy we Singaporeans are to see large patches of green grass where kids and run and roll around happily.
I bet – it’s the same as folk in Hong Kong – green space is such a premium. I think we take it for granted here!
Oh wow there is so much to do – we still haven’t become members of the National Trust – but keep meaning to!! This looks like a fab place thank you for hosting #MondayEscapes
You must become members! You guys would love it!
I love the look of it here and I’m sure Tin Box Tot would have great fun among those wooden carvings. It’s been so long since I’ve been in a maze. I think you did a good job to get out in 25 minutes! I love all your National Trist posts. We really must get membership! #MondayEscapes
Wow what a gorgeous place to visit. The gardens look amazing and I love that it is a National Trust property. Looks like you had a fun filled day out. Will certainly keep this in mind if we ever visit Berkshire #MondayEscapes x
This looks great, I love somewhere that there has been a bit of scandal too 🙂 You can’t beat a maze either #MondayEscapes
What a fun outing! I love the stories of intrigue in the history. It’s a bit like a television show where the kids are loving it, but the parents get the inside jokes. 😉
What a great place! I love exploring grand estates with so much history. And those gardens – wow! Thanks for sharing!
I live in the county next to Berkshire but have never quite managed to get to Cliveden! Sounds like you had a great day – I can never decide if I enjoy mazes or not. I like the idea of them but always get a bit bored a few minutes in as I have no natural sense of direction and can never remember if I’ve already been down a particular route! #Mondayescapes
That looks a great day out with something to please everyone – well apart from the steps, probably! #mondayescapes
We love Cliveden and have reviewed it too. Been there many times and really enjoy the NT membership. Such beautiful scenery in all seasons. Our favourite time to go is in March when all the daffs are out. Great photos! The fountain of love is our favourite stop! #CountryKids
I will have to rememeber to go next March, I can just imagine how pretty the daffodils look!
I’m so glad to be a member of the National trust 🙂 so many great places to check out !
Oh great, you are a member now too! I bet you’re going to use it a lot! 🙂