Gilwell Park
Self-guided Gilwell Park Heritage Trail
Explore the 108 acre Gilwell Park at your own pace by using one of our Heritage Trails. Our guides, designed either for young people or adults, will lead you round nine of Gilwell Park’s most fascinating heritage locations. The trails are free to pick up from the White House and Activity Centre receptions. You can discover who really stayed in the Pig Sty and why Gilwell Park is home to a caravan that sounds like a cake!
Any donations to support the ongoing maintenance of the Heritage Collection are always most welcome. Donations 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 and 1.5 hours to complete, however we can offer a condensed version if needed.
Due to the rural nature of the site, 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 walking or moving on uneven surfaces would be difficult anyone in your group, please let us know and we can adapt the route as needed.
This service is available free of charge, however we welcome donations towards the ongoing cost of maintaining the Heritage Collection. Donations can be made online, where you can select Heritage Support from the drop-down list. You can also make donations at Gilwell Park receptions or send a 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 Scouts during the First World War
- The story of Scouting, from 1908 to 1920
- Gilwell Park: from medieval manor to Scouts 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 ongoing cost of maintaining the Heritage Collection.
You can donate online, by selecting Heritage Support from the drop-down list. You can also make donations at Gilwell Park receptions or send a 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.