The Upper Hutt Blockhouse is one of the few remaining buildings associated with the New Zealand wars, as well as a monument to Pākehā settler anxiety, built in fear of an attack by Māori that never came. Visit today and you’ll get a sense of the defensive ‘last stand’ mindset.
Opening Hours
Open by appointment
Address
Blockhouse Lane, off McHardie Street
Trentham
Upper Hutt 5018
Parking
There is free on-street parking on McHardie Street. Bus parking is possible on Fergusson Drive. There are no specific accessible parks, however visitors are welcome to use the area adjacent to the Blockhouse to drop-off and pick-up visitors for easy access. Onsite parking is shared with Heretaunga College and may not be available during school hours and activitie
Accessibility
Upper Hutt Blockhouse is a two-storey building with internal stairs and uneven surfaces, including a curb onto the grass and grass surrounds. The second floor may not be suitable for people with mobility issues due to the steep angle of the stairs. There is a drop-off point adjacent to the blockhouse for visitors with limited mobilit
Unfortunately, due to the age and build of Upper Hutt Blockhouse it may not be accessible to people in wheelchairs. Our visitor hosts can share the history of our site with you from outside the building, showing you some of the features still on show from when the building was in use as a functioning blockhouse.
Food and Drink
Visitors are welcome to bring a picnic with them to enjoy outside the blockhouse outside of school hours. Please take all food and rubbish with you. There is also a great selection of local cafes and eateries located in the centre of Upper Hutt just a short distance from Upper House Blockhouse.
This is a smoke and vape free site.
More info
Children and whānau
Children will be fascinated by the small loopholes through the walls, as well as the displays from the Upper Hutt Roundtable. Outside, there is plenty of space to run around and stretch little legs.
There is a toilet available inside the Blockhouse.
Things to remember
Upper Hutt Blockhouse sits adjacent to Heretaunga College. Please remember to respect the school community and be aware that students will be using the grounds in school hours and at other times such as sports practice. Please be careful of pedestrians when driving a vehicle on site to drop people off.
We care for some important taonga (treasures) in our collection and our heritage buildings have lived a long life, so some rooms or items in the building may be off limits at times for conservation and maintenance.
Some rooms may be dimly lit depending on the weather and time of year.
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Photo: R.I.M Burnett
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