Gilwell Park
Self-guided Gilwell Park Heritage Trail
Explore 108 acres
Explore Gilwell Park at your own pace by using one of our Heritage Trails. Our children’s and adult guides will lead you round nine of Gilwell Park’s most fascinating heritage locations. Discover who really stayed in the Pig Sty and why Gilwell Park is home to a caravan that sounds like a cake! The trails are free to pick up from the White House and Activity Centre receptions. A donation to support the on-going maintenance of the Heritage Collection is most welcome and can either be made online or using the donations box at reception.
Discover the Heritage TrailGuided Tours
We offer a guided tour of Gilwell Park which'll help you explore the sites fascinating 600 year history. The full tour takes between 1 – 1.5hours however we can offer a condensed version if needed.
Due to the rural nature of the some areas involve crossing rough or uneven ground, in wet weather it can also be muddy. We'd recommend wearing walking boots or wellies. If getting around on uneven surfaces would cause a problem for anyone in your group please let us know and we can adapt the route to suit the needs of your group participants.
This service is available free of charge however we welcome donations towards the on-going cost of maintaining the Heritage Collection. Donations can be made online, please select Heritage Support from the drop down list or by cheque made payable to The Scout Association. Please email heritage@scouts.org.uk to discuss your requirements.
Talks
The Heritage Service are able to offer a range of talks at Gilwell Park, by visiting groups in the local area or over a digital platform such as Zoom. Topics currently available include:
- Women, war and Wolf Cubs: the development of Scouting during the First World War
- The story of Scouting – 1908 – 1920
- Gilwell Park: from medieval manor to Scouting wonderland 600 years of history
- Brownsea Island: the birthplace of a Movement
This service is available free of charge however we welcome donations towards the on-going cost of maintaining the Heritage Collection. Donations can be made online, please select Heritage Support from the drop down list or by cheque made payable to The Scout Association. Please email heritage@scouts.org.uk to discuss your requirements.
Gilwell Park is the spiritual home of Scouting attracting visitors from around the world. If you'd like to find out more about its fascinating history you can visit our online exhibition.
Gilwell Park is primarily a Scout Adventures Activity Centre welcoming over 40,000 young people every year. During their visit they will learn skills for life by experiencing a wonderful time of fun and adventure.