Trevor Bevins finds a day out to suit young and old at a National Trust property in the area

Now is the time to visit the National Trust's Barrington Court near Ilminster in Somerset.

The walled gardens are dripping with apples, pears and other fruit with some giant pumpkins, melons and spaghetti squash to add to the interest in the grounds.

The borders remain a riot of colour and despite the summer heat the grounds look neat and complete – someone has been working hard.

Throughout Barrington's extensive grounds you will stumble across statues and ponds, old farm buildings and quiet and not so quiet corners.

For many it will be the grounds which are the attraction.

The house, an empty Tudor manor family home, is interesting enough with its own stories to tell, but it is empty of furniture, arts and artefacts. Personally I like this, getting rather bored with the clutter the NT often seems to want to assemble in many of its properties. Each to his/her own, but to see rooms almost empty makes a pleasant change.

Some might recognise the house from the TV series, Wolf Hall, with many of the scenes shot here.

Do ask the guide to open the little cupboard door just under the stairs shortly after entering the house to see the mechanism which makes the sprung dance floor so bouncy – and kids will love the owl holograph-like film upstairs in the Long Gallery, if not of a nervous disposition.

The house itself is likely not to provide much interest for the very young.

There's the obligatory 'spot the object' cards, but our two youngest grandchildren soon tired of that after a couple of rooms and just wanted to run around. Luckily the house has the space to do that.

The guide to the house says the Lyles (of Tate and Lyle fame) moved from Barrington in 1991 taking their furniture with them.

On the ground floor is a nice panelled tea room with the obligatory NT excellent cakes and meals made from produce grown in Barrington's gardens, but once fed, any children will be looking for something else to do.

Outside, as you face the rear of the house, where the tearooms are, look right and you will see some tall grey metal gates. It's not marked, or indicated in any way, but through them you will find a solitary swing, suspended from a tree.

Walk on around the house and its water features and you come to a series of what were once estate buildings. These house a range of arty shops, featuring linens, jewellery and crafts and at the end of the row a pottery shop which offers sessions for children who like to get messy to make their own objects from clay. The friendly owners offer hints and tips and plenty of praise – no matter how wonky your creation.

All in all a good day's visit. Nearby you will also find Montacute House, Tintinhull Gardens and Lytes Cary Manor, if you want to cram in more than one National Trust property in the day.

See nationaltrust.org.uk/barrington-court for more information.