-
Lift off from Shugborough! -
Shugborough Hall, from the balloon!
Fly from three prestigious Staffordshire venues:
- Shugborough Hall, the NT home of Lord Lichfield, near Stafford.
- The Trentham Estate, home to the famous Italianate Gardens.
- Aston Marina, near Stone.
These venues are all quite different, and yet hugely appealing in their own right. Shugborough Hall is a National Trust property, set in 1000 acres of parkland, whilst The Trentham Estate, once the home of the Duke of Sutherland, now hosts a range of fabulous restaurants, retail outlets, gardens and lake. Aston Marina, is a fantastic venue set on the Trent & Mersey canal near Stone, and offering restaurant, bar, wedding venue and boat mooring.
All venues are with 15 minutes of the M6 motorway, and within an hour’s drive of Birmingham or Manchester. Read on for more details……
Read more.As with all of our venues, flights can be scheduled throughout the year, on weekdays, weekends and even Bank Holidays.
We travel with the breeze, and part of the excitement of going ballooning, is not knowing where the wind will take us! It’s a great little adventure!
Typically, we’ll travel anywhere between five and twenty miles during the flight. Of course, as we fly along, our ground crew pursue us by road, whilst in radio contact with the pilot. After landing, all passengers are returned by road to the launch site, where flight certificates are presented by the pilot!
Ballooning is a weather-dependent activity, but don’t worry if your flight is postponed due to unsuitable conditions – you simply reschedule your flight for another date.
-
Shugborough from above! -
A snowy launch on New Year's Eve!
Shugborough Hall
We first began flying from Shugborough Hall more than 30 years ago, and have now flown more than 50,000 passengers!
The former home of Lord Lichfield (perhaps better known as Patrick Lichfield, the photographer), Shugborough Hall is now managed by The National Trust. Over the years, it was a great honour for us to take Lord Lichfield himself on balloon flights from the Hall, and although he has since passed away we are proud to consider Shugborough as the home of Wickers World.
Set in beautiful Staffordshire countryside, it is hard to imagine a better setting for your hot air balloon ride. Please click the link below to learn more about a day out at Shugborough Hall.
Nowadays, we take off from Oakedge Shooting Ground, formerly part of the Shugborough Estate.
Read more.
Shugborough Hall
Home to the Anson family since 1624, a legacy of exploration and innovation, it was once described as ‘a perfect paradise’.
You can explore sweeping parkland, ancient woodland and a landscape peppered with monuments, then discover Park Farm, created at the cutting-edge of agricultural reforms.
In the Georgian mansion, unearth unusual treasures and experience life ‘below stairs’, then enter a world of glamour and royalty in the apartments of Patrick Lichfield, 5th Earl and fashion photographer.
Some of the things to see and do on the Shugborough Estate:
- The Mansion House.
Lord Lichfield’s Apartments.
The Servant’s Quarters
The Park Farm
The Walled Gardens
Parkland Monuments & Follies
The National Trust Shop
Mansion Tea-Rooms
Park Farm Cafe
The Shugborough Estate is open all year round, but certain amenities may have seasonal opening hours.
-
Launch The Trentham Balloon! -
We can't help smiling!
Trentham Gardens
Further to the north we have our second launch site, at Trentham Gardens. This is a magnificent setting, and part of the hugely successful Trentham Estate, which incorporates a high quality range of retail outlets and restaurants in addition to the beautifully restored Italian Gardens. On the edge of the Estate you will find the wonderful Monkey Forest – a unique treat for the whole family – where we also occasionally launch the balloons (without monkey help!).
Trentham is located close to the Potteries, and is within 10 minutes of the M6 (jct 15). Similarly, Shugborough Hall is only about 10 minutes from junction 13 of the M6, close to Stafford. Both venues allow easy access to other attractions such as Alton Towers, Wedgwood and Drayton Manor Park to name but a few.
Click on the button below to learn more about facilities at The Trentham Estate.
Read more.
Award-winning, unique, inspiring
The Trentham Estate is one of the country’s top visitor destinations. Comprising of 725 acres, it is the last remnants of one of England’s great garden estates. The estate attracts in the region of 3.2 million visitors a year, due to its wide appeal and diverse activities to engage every generation.
It benefits from a fantastic central location, adjacent to the main A34 dual carriageway, just south of Stoke-on-Trent and 2.5 miles from the M6.
The Trentham Estate is home to these great attractions:
- The award-winning Trentham Gardens
- The inspirational Trentham Shopping Village
- The flagship store Trentham Garden Centre
- The unique Trentham Monkey Forest
- The high ropes adventure Aerial Extreme
Whether you’re looking for a garden with peace and quiet, or fun and action you will find a great day out at Trentham.
The contemporary revival of the famous Italian Gardens was led by renowned designer and multi-Chelsea gold-medal winner Tom Stuart-Smith.
To the east of the Italian Gardens are the Rivers of Grass and the adjacent Floral Labyrinth. Both these schemes were designed by eminent Dutch plantsman, and Chelsea gold-medal winner, Piet Oudolf.
At the centre of Trentham Gardens is the mile long, Capability Brown designed, Trentham Lake. Take the circular lakeside walk all the way round as it takes you aside the River Trent, by the bird hide, through the cascading weir and along atmospheric trails, featuring vast meadow schemes by Nigel Dunnett and the team who were responsible for the stunning wildflower plantings at the Olympic Park. These were chosen for seasonal interest and environmental suitability
-
Aston Marina Launch -
Two balloons lifting up! -
Sunrise over the boats
Aston Marina near Stone
We’ve been launching balloons from Aston Marina since 2018, and have been invited to make many more wonderful scheduled flights from this fantastic venue!
Located midway between our other Staffordshire launch sites at Shugborough Hall and Trentham Gardens, Aston Marina makes a natural and welcome addition to our location options.
Simple to find, and offering a wealth of other amenities such as restaurant, bar, function facilities and mooring for canal boats, Aston Marina is a fabulous destination in its own right. Please click the button below to learn more.
Read more.
Aston Marina is a family run business, bringing an idyllic waterside destination to Staffordshire, with a focus on quality and service.
They have a passion for locally-sourced food and produce, delivered through the award winning No.26 Restaurant and Bistro by their friendly and professional team. The wide ranging menu also caters for special dietary requirements.
The No.26 Restaurant and Bistro is open daily from 9am for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. The bar is also open from 9am until late!
The Boat House is a wonderful wedding or function venue, with panoramic views over the canal and Staffordshire countryside.
Please note that on early morning flights, there are no lavatory facilities until 9am.
