Eight things to do with your elderly parents in Hertfordshire

Close enough to London for an easy journey but green enough to feel like a proper day out, Hertfordshire has a good spread of stately homes, gardens and museums. If your parents are receiving live-in care in Hertfordshire and fancy a change of scene, it’s worth having a few options ready.

Here are eight ideas for a day out with your parents in Hertfordshire, plus practical tips on accessibility and planning ahead.

1. Hatfield House

Seat of the Cecil family for over 400 years, Hatfield pairs the Jacobean house Robert Cecil completed in 1611 with formal gardens and a wider park. The surviving wing of the older Old Palace still stands alongside it, where Elizabeth I spent much of her childhood and learned of her accession in 1558. It’s a lot of history in one place without much ground to cover.

Worth knowing before you go: the house doesn’t have wheelchairs to hire, though chairs are available for use inside the house for visitors who can transfer from a larger or powered chair. Wheelchair access to the house is through the basement door to the right of the main entrance, avoiding the 14 steps into the Marble Hall. The historic lift is narrow, with a 32 stone weight limit. It has a tendency to jolt to a stop, which may cause discomfort to some visitors. A golf buggy is available on busy days between the car park and the House and Gardens. Carers are admitted to the grounds free on production of a carer’s card when accompanying a visitor who needs assistance.

See Hatfield House’s access page for full detail, or call 01707 287010 for booking and access advice.

2. St Albans Cathedral

St Albans Cathedral is believed to be Britain’s oldest site of continuous Christian worship. It has a Norman crossing tower built from Roman brick robbed from Verulamium and the shrine of St Alban at its heart. Entry is by donation, which makes it an easy, low-commitment first stop.

The cathedral is mostly on one level, with two step-free entrances at the Welcome Centre and the West End, and lifts or ramps where levels change. There are a limited number of wheelchairs available on a first come, first served basis, but the cathedral is clear that it cannot provide assistance around the Cathedral for wheelchair users, so bring someone who can push. A very limited number of Blue Badge spaces can be booked in advance by email.

See St Albans Cathedral’s access page before you go, or call the cathedral office on 01727 890210.

3. Verulamium Museum and Park

Built on the site of the Roman city of Verulamium, the museum holds some of the finest Roman mosaics in Britain, and the 175-acre park outside still shows the line of the city walls and the outline of the main London Gate.

This is probably the most quietly well-thought-out venue in the county for an older visitor. There’s a wheelchair available to borrow, a lift to the basement, step-free access around the galleries, and portable seating you can carry with you around the gallery as well as fixed seating. There’s a hearing loop at the welcome desk, large print transcripts, and a calm space in the basement for anyone who finds the galleries overwhelming.

See Verulamium Museum’s access page for full detail, or call 01727 751810.

4. Ashridge Estate

Ashridge Estate is an ancient woodland and open commons in the Chilterns, looked after by the National Trust. Entry and parking are free, though the Bridgewater Monument is charged separately for non-members.

It is the strongest option in the county if mobility is the main constraint. Five powered vehicles – two single-seater scooters, two two-seater golf buggies and one four-seater buggy – are available from 31 March to the end of October, seven days a week, in hourly slots between noon and 4pm, for a suggested £5 donation. Book on 01442 851227, ideally at least 24 hours ahead.

A manual wheelchair is available to borrow daily all year round. There are two surfaced mobility routes: Meadley’s Meadow at 0.8 miles, and Duncombe Terrace at around two miles, which the Trust grades “Easy” and describes as an even walk with no steep gradients that doesn’t tend to get muddy or slippery.

See accessibility at Ashridge Estate before you go.

5. Henry Moore Studios and Gardens

Henry Moore Studios and Gardens takes in his home, his studios and almost 70 acres of grounds. Monumental sculptures sit in the landscape he shaped, as he intended them to be seen. A good choice for anyone who’d rather look at one remarkable thing slowly than tick off a long list.

Outdoor mobility scooters are free to use, though you need to have driven one before; reserve by calling 01279 843333 or emailing visitorservices@henry-moore.org. Admission for a carer or companion is free, and over-65s pay £21.

See accessibility at Henry Moore Studios and Gardens for full detail.

Note the season: the 2026 opening runs 1 April to 25 October, Wednesday to Sunday and bank holidays, 11am to 5pm.

6. Shaw’s Corner

This is George Bernard Shaw’s home for 44 years, from 1906 until his death in 1950. At the bottom of the garden is the writing hut where he wrote many of his later works. Another National Trust property, and a good one for a shorter, gentler visit.

Two single-seater mobility vehicles are available first come, first served, with at least 24 hours’ notice recommended. The garden is step-free on gravel and grass paths, with benches, tables and chairs throughout.

The honest caveat here: access upstairs is via a curving 18-step staircase. As an alternative, the Trust provides an iPad showing a video of the first floor with sound and subtitles. There’s a temporary accessible toilet next to the visitor reception.

See accessibility at Shaw’s Corner before you go, or call 01438 821968.

7. de Havilland Aircraft Museum

This is Britain's first aviation museum, opened in 1959 and built around the prototype Mosquito. It sits on the site of Salisbury Hall, where the aircraft was secretly designed in 1939. If your parents worked in aviation or remember the war years, this is the one that tends to unlock conversation.

The museum has wheelchair access to all the main display buildings and disabled toilet facilities. The caveat is that open aircraft are accessible only via stairs, so climbing into a cockpit isn’t an option for everyone. Carers of disabled visitors go free, and over-65s pay the £10.90 concession rate. Parking is free. Open Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays except bank holidays.

See the de Havilland Aircraft Museum’s visitor page for access detail, or call 01727 826400.

8. Hertfordshire Zoo

Hertfordshire Zoo was Paradise Wildlife Park until it was renamed in 2024. The Zoological Society of Hertfordshire runs it as a conservation charity, and it's home to big cats, primates and a Rainforest Exhibition.

The zoo describes level pathways across it, with ramp access to the viewing areas at the Reptile House, Rainforest Exhibition and Land of the Tigers. Manual wheelchairs are £10 a day and mobility scooters £25, both on a returnable deposit, and the zoo recommends pre-booking either since numbers are limited. Scooter hire is for over-18s only, with a staff briefing and a disclaimer to sign.

One carer goes free with a visitor who cannot visit independently, but check the paperwork before you travel. A PIP or DLA award letter or an Access Card carrying the +1 symbol is required. The zoo also states that Blue Badge or general proof of disability is not sufficient on its own. Physical documents are needed, not screenshots. Open every day of the year except Christmas Day from 9.30am.

See Hertfordshire Zoo’s accessibility page for full detail, or call 01992 470490.

Did you know?

• There's a second Roman site in Verulamium Park, separate from the museum: the Hypocaust, housed in its own modern building and free to visit, open daily from 10am to 4pm.
• You can reach Ashridge Estate without a car. It's on the HertsLynx route, with a virtual stop called "Ashridge - Bridgewater Monument" at the top of the drive. It's demand-responsive rather than timetabled, so book ahead on the app or on 01992 555 513.
• If you're driving to Shaw's Corner from the north, check your route before you set off. The National Trust warns that sat navs coming off the A1(M) will take you through a ford, down lanes that aren't signposted.

Personalised dementia care: Sue’s story

Sue didn’t want to move her mum, who has Alzheimer’s, into a care home, but was finding full-time caring overwhelming. The family arranged live-in care instead, so her mum could stay in her own home with her own things, and her dog.

“It’s lovely for them to be in their own home, have their own familiar pictures and, you know, their own television and their own bed,” Sue says. “I was seeing my mum as my mum and not as a carer, so that was ideal for me”.

Read Sue’s full story

Planning care for your day out

Even if your parents or another loved one has additional needs, such as difficulty walking or memory problems, a great day out in Hertfordshire is still very much possible. If they normally have live-in care in Hertfordshire or another home care arrangement, it’s often worth bringing their regular carer along, since they already know your loved one’s needs and routine.

Alternatively, a day out could be a good moment for your usual carer to take a short break, with temporary respite care arranged to cover the gap.

If you’re looking for things to do in Hertfordshire this weekend, bear in mind that the National Trust properties and Hatfield House are busiest on Saturdays and Sundays, so a weekday visit often makes for a calmer day if your loved one prefers to avoid crowds.

If your loved one needs specialist dementia care, it’s worth booking ahead where you can and keeping the day unhurried, so there’s less pressure if plans need to change.

Exploring beyond Hertfordshire?

We’ve put together similar guides for other days out with your parents closer to home:

Things to do with your older loved ones in St Albans

Things to do with your older loved ones in London

Things to do with your older loved ones in Essex

Things to do with your older loved ones in Amersham, Buckinghamshire

If you have a loved one who needs 24/7 support, get in touch with our care advisors to talk through your situation and arrange a free care appraisal. Elder can help you find live-in care in Hertfordshire and the rest of Great Britain.