Mottisfont from Hayling Island: a winter garden, riverside walks and a Jack and the Beanstalk Christmas near Sandy Point

Mottisfont is a National Trust house and garden in the Test valley, just north of Romsey, built around a medieval priory and set beside a clear chalk stream. It is about 41 miles, or roughly an hour by car from Wittering Sands, our exclusive-use house at 14 Wittering Road, Hayling Island PO11 9SP.

It makes a good full day out in late autumn and winter. The garden stays open through the colder months, the scented Winter Garden comes into its own from November, dogs on short leads are welcome in most of the garden and on the wider estate, and from 21 November the house is dressed for a family Christmas based on Jack and the Beanstalk. This guide covers what Mottisfont is, what to see, winter opening, Christmas, families, dogs, walks, getting there and what to pair it with.

What is Mottisfont?

The name is often linked to the natural spring, or font, that still rises in the garden. In 1201 William Brewer, one of the most important royal officials of his day, founded an Augustinian priory here. After the Reformation it was closed in 1536 and passed to William, 1st Baron Sandys, Lord Chamberlain to Henry VIII, who turned the old priory church into his house. His descendants and their heirs kept Mottisfont for nearly four centuries, and from around 1740 the south front was given its classical look.

In 1934 Maud and Gilbert Russell bought the house. Maud, an arts patron and society hostess, brightened the rooms and asked the artist Rex Whistler to paint a Gothic-style scheme in the former entrance hall. Guests at her weekends included Cecil Beaton and Ian Fleming. She gave the house and estate to the National Trust in 1957. Shortly after Maud Russell moved out in 1972, the Trust's garden adviser Graham Stuart Thomas planted his collection of pre-1900 shrub roses in the walled garden, which is now the National Collection.

What can you see at Mottisfont?

• The Whistler Room: walls and ceiling painted in trompe l'oeil between 1938 and 1939, so cleverly that they seem to have columns, ledges and plasterwork that are not there. Look for the secret message the artist painted high on one wall before he left for the Second World War, in which he was killed.
• The house: an 18th-century house with a medieval priory at its heart, including a secret panel in the White Bedroom that shows part of the old priory, the Long Gallery with walls painted to look like Siena marble, and mosaics by Boris Anrep, among them an angel on the south front that strongly resembles Maud Russell.
• The Derek Hill Collection: a permanent display of 20th-century art, with works by L.S. Lowry, Barbara Hepworth, Graham Sutherland, Degas and others.
• The garden: riverside paths beside tributaries of the River Test, where you can often spot trout and swans, the ancient font, and a huge London plane by the house that the National Trust says is thought to be the largest of its kind in Britain.
• The walled gardens: famous for roses in early summer, and in autumn and winter for colourful rose hips that feed overwintering birds.

What is the garden like in late autumn and winter?

In October and early November the big trees turn red, orange and gold, including Persian ironwood, tulip trees, sweetgum and hornbeam, and the great plane makes a fine show beside the house. The kitchen garden has dahlias and ornamental gourds into autumn.

From November, the National Trust says the Winter Garden begins to come into its own, with berries and ornamental willows keeping the colour going, and Mottisfont describes it as colourful and scented. Later in the winter come carpets of snowdrops. Paths are wide and gently sloping in much of the garden, but they are a mix of stone and clay, can be muddy in wet weather, and have exposed tree roots by the river, so sturdy footwear helps.

Free volunteer-led garden walks of about 20 minutes run on many days. There is no need to book; ask at Visitor Reception what is on.

When is Mottisfont open this winter?

From the National Trust's own pages, checked on 22 October 2026:

• Until 1 November 2026: garden 10am to 5pm, house and gallery 11am to 4.30pm.
• From 2 November 2026: garden 10am to 4pm daily, with the cafés, shop and play area open daily too. The published times do not show the house open between 2 and 20 November, so plan on the garden, estate and cafés in that window.
• 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027: the house opens earlier, at 10.30am, for Christmas, with last entry to the house at 3.15pm.
• Closed on 24 and 25 December (the whole site).

Last entry is generally 30 minutes before the listed closing time. There is an admission charge, which is free for National Trust members, Art Fund members and under 5s, and the National Trust lists a lower off-peak rate after 3pm on most days. Times for January onwards were not yet listed, so check the National Trust page before visiting in the new year.

The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so on winter days it is worth arriving by late morning to enjoy the garden in good light.

Road note: the National Trust says Kimbridge Lane is closed in both directions between the B3084 Dunbridge Lane and the A3057 from 19 to 30 October 2026, so check your route if you are visiting in half-term.

What is on at Christmas?

A Jack and the Beanstalk Christmas runs from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The house is transformed into a pantomime journey from a towering beanstalk to a castle in the clouds, with Jack, Dame Trott and Pat the Cow, thousands of decorations and dressed Christmas trees. Outside there are festive garden games, such as rescuing the Golden Goose's eggs and mending the Giant's torn underpants, plus selfie boards and Christmas cows for very young visitors to spot.

• No pre-booking for the house: collect a timed house ticket from Visitor Reception on arrival (available from 10am). Gardens and the family trail do not need a timed ticket.
• Pantomime Dame Mama G welcomes visitors on the launch weekend of 21 and 22 November.
• Free Christmas storytelling sessions for children aged 2 to 8 run on selected dates from 23 November to 17 December, booked online, with normal admission.
• The National Trust says afternoons, weekdays and Saturdays are usually quieter than mornings and Sundays, and you may need to queue for the house on busy days.

Our Christmas and New Year guide covers festive stays at Sandy Point.

Is Mottisfont good for families?

Yes. There is space to run, a river for Pooh sticks, and seasonal trails.

• Wild Play area: three large wooden structures for climbing, balancing and exploring. It gets very muddy in wet weather, so come dressed for mess.
• Seasonal activities: the We're Going on a Ghost Hunt Halloween trail runs to 1 November 2026, free Mini Adventures for pre-schoolers run on selected days in mid November, and the Christmas trail follows from 21 November.
• Facilities: baby changing at the Welcome Centre, stables, house and kitchen garden; pushchairs welcome everywhere except inside the house; cafés with family options and picnic benches around the grounds.
• Good to know: toddler push-along bikes are fine, but bikes, balance bikes, trikes and scooters are not allowed. There is open water around the garden, so close supervision is strongly advised.

If you are planning a stay with children, see our October half-term guide, our November weekend guide and our milestone birthday guide for three-generation stays.

Can you take a dog to Mottisfont?

Yes, with some limits. Mottisfont has a three pawprint rating from the National Trust.

• Where dogs can go: most of the garden on a short lead at all times, the shop, and a dog-friendly indoor café area in the Stables. The Coach House café even offers dog ice cream and snacks, and there are water bowls and dog bins.
• Where they cannot: only assistance dogs are allowed in the walled garden, on the formal lawns in front of and behind the house, and in most indoor areas, including the house, gallery and Old Kitchen café.
• The river: please do not let dogs paddle or swim in the river or streams.
• The wider estate: dogs can roam more freely on the estate beyond the paid area, which is a wildlife conservation area with grazing livestock at times. Spearywell Wood is about a three-minute drive from the main car park.
• Pooch Passport: the National Trust's stamp scheme runs from 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027.

Our dog-friendly Hayling Island guide covers beaches and walks from the door at Sandy Point.

Is there a good winter walk?

The National Trust's Mottisfont estate walk is a 5.7 mile (9.1 km) moderate circuit that takes 2 hours 40 minutes to 4 hours. It starts at Spearywell car park (SO51 0LS), which is free for everyone, and runs through ancient woodland and historic farmland, along part of the Test Way, past the village church that dates from 1150 and the Millennium Orchard. There is an optional detour to the Oakley Oak, Mottisfont's 800-year-old oak. Expect uneven paths, some quiet country roads without pavements, livestock in some fields (dogs on leads there) and forestry work in the woods in winter. For more winter walking closer to home, see our winter walks and birdwatching guide.

Is it accessible?

Partly. Mottisfont sits on a gentle slope with wide paths in much of the garden, but surfaces are uneven in places and can be muddy. There are 20 designated parking spaces near the ramp into the Welcome Centre, a drop-off point, accessible toilets, five manual wheelchairs to borrow on a first come, first served basis, plenty of benches, and a volunteer-driven mobility buggy between the Welcome Centre, house, stable yard and walled garden entrance. Contact the property to discuss access to the house at Christmas.

How do you get there from Sandy Point?

• By car: about 41 miles and roughly an hour. Leave the island over the Langstone bridge, head west on the A27 and M27, then follow signs to Romsey and take the A3057 towards Stockbridge. After about 3.5 miles turn left, following the brown signs. Use SO51 0LN for the car park; parking is free. The National Trust asks visitors not to park in the village or on verges.
• By train: Mottisfont and Dunbridge station is just over a mile away on foot, across fields and quiet lanes. There is no taxi rank there. For a group staying with us, the car is far simpler.

What else could you combine it with?

The market town of Romsey is only about 4 miles, or 10 minutes, south, handy for lunch or a wander. Mottisfont is on the western side of Hampshire, so it pairs well with a day in the forest from our New Forest guide or with Winchester. For another National Trust garden and Christmas house closer to the house, see our Hinton Ampner guide. Closer to home, our Around Hayling guide covers beaches, pubs and walks on the island.

Is this a good rainy-day plan?

Partly. Most of Mottisfont is outdoors, and the garden and estate are at their best on a dry day. In wet weather the house (when open), the cafés and the second-hand bookshops give you somewhere warm, but between 2 and 20 November the house is not shown as open, so a rainy day then is mostly garden and café.

What are the stay details?

Check-in at Wittering Sands is from 4pm and checkout is by 10am. The house sleeps up to nine across four bedrooms and five beds, with 3.5 bathrooms. Children are welcome, and infants under 2 are welcome too, with a travel cot and highchair on request. Up to two well-behaved dogs are welcome. The house is for the booked guests only and does not allow parties or events. The minimum stay is usually 3 nights, and the booking calendar shows the minimum for your dates.

Rates vary by season and length of stay. The live calendar shows the current figure for your dates; this guide does not indicate availability.

How do you book?

Check the live booking calendar for current dates and pricing. If you want to talk through the group, dogs or travel plans, get in touch.

Opening times, events, admission, parking, road closures and dog rules can change. Check the National Trust's Mottisfont pages before you travel.