Car parking charges to be introduced as redevelopment of Royal Sandringham Estate announced
Car parking charges will be implemented at the Royal Sandringham Estate from February of next year, it has been announced.
It comes as part of a redevelopment to the estate, which will see motorists charged £3 to park up to two hours, £5 up to four hours, and £7 all day.
The exceptions are for those visiting the museum, gardens or house, and for those parking up to 20 minutes, for whom parking will remain free.
A spokesman for the estate said thousands of people are welcomed to the estate every year, with a "significant increase" in recent years to those visiting the Country Park, which received more than 500,000 visitors last year.
He said the car parking charge will assist with the "increasing cost of maintaining existing facilities", and also "allow funding for future developments to improve the visitor experience".
A single season ticket, which costs £40, will be available, which will accommodate those who use the Country Park car park on a regular basis and will also include access to the formal gardens and museum during the visitor season.
Season tickets, which are valid for a calendar year, will also be available for couples and families.
Works to improve facilities are due to start this autumn, and will include improvements to the surfacing, layout, signs and lighting on both main car parks.
Members of the public are invited to a drop-in session at the Visitor Centre on Thursday, between 11am and 7pm, to view some of the plans and speak with representatives from Sandringham.
The improvement plans also include more disabled parking bays and a shuttle service from the main car park to the café, shop and facilities, for those less able to travel between the sites.
The spokesman said old conifer trees will be thinned on the car parks to allow in more light, and a "more diverse" range of trees that will offer a "better habitat for wildlife" will be continue to be replanted.
The estate is "politely encouraging" visitors to use the designated parking areas as opposed to the grass verges, which form part of the landscape, he added.
Pedestrian paths will be created from each of the car parks to give "clear, safe pedestrian access" to and from the car parks and the facilities, and these will also be lit with "attractive Victorian-style lamps".
The Scenic Drive will also be pedestrianised to create access for those who use the path, including those with wheelchairs, pushchairs and bicycles.
Work has also begun to create an Arboretum from an area of woodland beside the Country Park, which visitors will be able to access from the new paths.
The courtyard to the front of the buildings will be enlarged and resurfaced, with a central feature and improved outdoor seating.
The buildings will also be redecorated and some trees immediately adjacent will be lifted and replanted. The gift shop will be refitted, and the Sandringham Café will also receive a "major makeover".
The spokesman said they plan to keep the café open throughout the changes, but if they do need to close, they will notify customers of this via their website and social media.
For further information, contact the estate office at visits@sandringhamestate.co.uk.