Arts & Crafts

Essex

Uttlesford

Join us in the magnificent surroundings of the Great Hall at Audley End House and Gardens for a fabulously festive day of wreath making.

You will be guided through the step by step process by our Head Gardener Louise Ellis and will create a beautiful wreath adorned with festive fruits and spices surrounded by greenery from the estate to take home.

A delicious lunch will be served in the Housekeepers Room and hot drinks will be available throughout the day. If you have dietary requirements please let us know via email: Elizabeth.clarke@english-heritage.org.uk

We recommend that you dress warmly with plenty of layers.

Wreath Making Workshop At Audley End House And Gardens

Walmer Castle will be hosting the International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition 2025 for the first time!

Join us from 3 September - 3 November to immerse yourself in nature as you enjoy an exhibition featuring select higher-placed winners from both the International Garden Photographer of the Year and the dedicated Special Award "The Wonders of Walmer".

This stunning exhibition will be on display in the grounds of Walmer Castle. While you're there, explore more than eight acres of award-winning gardens in the grounds of a Tudor fortress turned country house. Built on the orders of Henry VIII to defend England's southern shores, Walmer Castle later became a home for the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports — among them the Duke of Wellington and the Queen Mother, for whom a beautiful garden was created to mark her 95th birthday.

Please note 3 Nov is for group bookings only as the castle will be closed to visitors.

International Garden Photographer Of The Year

This autumn Belsay Hall's library will host a number of creatives from the Northumbria University Schools of Design and Architecture in a pop up studio.

See the development of creative projects across a range of media including textiles, furniture, photography and architectural studies. All works will draw inspiration from the Hall, exploring making traditions linked to the site, while showcasing contemporary techniques and approaches.

Belsay Hall has always inspired creativity and craft skill, and its creation was a catalyst for creative skills in the North East. The library was used as a workshop during the building of the Hall, so it’s a natural fit for a studio. Make & Mend will bring creating back to the Hall, and inspire new generations of budding creatives.

The finished products will go on display in early 2026.

Creative projects include:

A collection of homeware and lighting that explore contemporary uses of scagliola (plaster-based imitation stone, as used at Belsay Hall)

Camouflage fabrics that draw on the colours and foliage found on the estate. The project links to how the house was occupied by the army during the Second World War

A photographic study that explores the in-between spaces not often seen by visitors, such as landings and corridors

Large format photography that documents the layers of decay, repair and patina found in the Hall

A new typeface alphabet based on examples of graffiti left by soldiers based at Belsay during the Second World War

This event is included in your admission to Beslay Hall. Book early and save 15%.

Make And Mend At Belsay Hall

From thrilling action sequences to the enchanting world of Bridgerton, join our friendly guides as they lead you through Wrest Park to discover the iconic locations where some of the most memorable scenes were filmed.

Afterwards, indulge in a delightful afternoon tea in the elegant dining room featuring a selection of sandwiches, savoury bites, homemade scones and tasty sweet treats.

Book via the 'Book tickets' button below with prices starting at £24.95 per adult and £13.95 per child.

Film Tour And Afternoon Tea At Wrest Park

Double Vision brings together two paintings both known as The Guitar Player. One painting, a treasure from Kenwood’s Iveagh Bequest, is signed by the great Johannes Vermeer (1632-75). The origin of the other, on loan from the John G. Johnson Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, USA, remains a mystery.

Philadelphia’s painting depicts the same young woman playing a guitar, but with a number of small differences. Thought to be by Vermeer by John G. Johnson who bought the picture and eventually gave it to the city of Philadelphia, the question of who painted it and when has been the subject of intense debate for the past 100 years.

This new display, marking the 350th anniversary of Vermeer’s death aged 43 in 1675, sees the paintings side by side for the first time in over 300 years.

Double Vision:

Get an introduction to Patterns of Repair, a creative method for reading and responding to place through art and design. Rooted in the Make & Mend ethos, the session draws inspiration from Belsay’s rich architectural and material context.

The workshop will focus on gathering site-specific photographic studies and examples of decorative motifs derived from Belsay’s details and textures. Explore how observational drawing, photography, and simple printmaking can translate into pattern.

Using materials provided, you’ll create your own motif using gelli-printing techniques, responding directly to textures, forms, and fragments from around the Hall. These designs may act as prototypes for modular architectural elements or decorative patterns.

There are two identical sessions on Wednesday 15 and Wednesday 22 October.

To book your place for this workshop, please email belsay.hall@english-heritage.org.uk

Patterns Of Repair:

Join us at Belsay Hall on Wednesday 15 October for a Material reuse workshop with Ben Couture using a range of materials found around the Belsay site.

This workshop introduces the subject of material reuse, in a show & tell format. The session will showcase creative ideas based on work-in-progress currently being developed by local maker, Ben Couture, and Copenhagen-based practice Recraft Design Studio. 

You’ll gain insight to material reuse in a wider context, with material samples, prototypes and images, drawing on examples from around Europe, and be encouraged to take part in discussion about the subject.

This workshop is sutiable for ages 16+. All materials will be provided.

To book your place for this workshop, please email belsay.hall@english-heritage.org.uk

Recrafting:

Join us and explore the real gore of 18th century medicine in 'A Georgian Way to Die' with a specialist tour of Marble Hill House on Thursday 16 and Wednesday 22 October.

This tour will be delivered by Andrew Winrow. Andrew has volunteered as a room explainer and tour guide at Marble Hill since the house's reopening in 2022. Prior to retirement, Andrew practised as a NHS hospital consultant for nearly thirty years. Realising a longstanding interest in history, Andrew holds both a Master's degree and a PhD in history and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Join us for a drink from 5.30pm. A glass of bubbly or a non-alcoholic alternative is included in the ticket price. The tour will take place 6-7pm. Please meet your guide inside the house.

We would just like to note that this fascinating tour contains descriptions of diseases and their treatments appropriate to the eighteenth century, including mental health issues, violence, and references to suicide. Please be aware of the potentially distressing subject matter of this tour before booking tickets.

This tour is not suitable for children under 13.

Halloween Tour At Marble Hill:

Join Blue Badge Guide, Sarah Milne-Day, on a walk through the heart of the latest City of Culture, Bradford. Hear about the people, cultures and industries that have left their mark on this thriving northern city.

This tour is graded as moderate access, as it is a walking tour with few places to stop and rest.

Members' Event:

Visit our kitchen garden, where we have a selection of fresh produce for sale. All produce is grown by our volunteer kitchen gardeners, and proceeds support our beautiful house and gardens.

Expect to find fresh vegetables, cut flowers, and other seasonal produced.

Our Kitchen Garden is in the northeast corner of the park, by the sports block.

Card payments only.

The Kitchen Garden At Marble Hill

Come and help us celebrate a significant birthday at Restormel Castle! 2025 marks 100 years since the castle’s owners, the Duchy of Cornwall, placed the ruins in the care of English Heritage. Join experts from English Heritage and the Duchy of Cornwall as we explore the unique circular castle and beautiful landscape in which it sits, once the largest medieval deer-park in Cornwall. Learn how the Castle's former owners and occupants used Restormel, and how we look after it in the present day. 

This event will start with a guided tour from Head Curator of Properties at English Heritage at Restormel Castle, followed by a walking tour of the Duchy of Cornwall's Nursery with the High Sheriff of Cornwall and Head Forester of the Duchy.

Scagliola is a historic method for creating imitation marble, using a combination of plaster, pigments and glue. The marble-effect hearth in the old library at Belsay is a typical example of how the material was used traditionally.

During this beginner’s class, you’ll learn how to mix and blend scagliola to create marble effects. You will make small pieces of homeware, such as a candle stick, to take away with you.

This workshop is sutiable for ages 16+. All materials will be provided.

Please be aware that the process involves the use of animal glues. It is also not suitable for anyone with an allergy or sensitivity to plaster dust. Dust masks and gloves can be provided. Please bring a small plastic container to take home your creation.

Entry to the workshop is included with your site admission which you can book via the button below. To book your place for this workshop, please email belsay.hall@english-heritage.org.uk

Scagliola Workshop At Belsay Hall

Join Curator of History Andrew Roberts on this guided walking tour of the 'Roman Mile' – a beautifully preserved, continuous section of Hadrian's Wall that incorporates all of the elements of the system, including a fort, turrets, a roman bridge, and two milecastles. We will explore Hardian's grand vision for the frontier and how the wall functioned, as we walk from Birdoswald Roman Fort to Gilsland.

This event is graded as challenging, as sections of this walk can be quite steep, and will involved navigating uneven surfaces with minimal stops.

The Apsley House Mystery returns, this time set at a Masquerade Ball in 1930.

It’s a race against the clock to solve the puzzle. The Duke of Wellington has invited his important guests to a special evening reception, but shortly after guests arrive, a terrible discovery is made. One of the guests has been murdered!

To prevent a scandal, you must race to solve the mystery. Working in teams, you will interrogate the suspects, expose their secrets and their lies. The case must be resolved before the news reaches the morning papers. But hurry, the longer you take the more likely the culprit will get away with murder!

Reception drink included. The event takes places over 2 hours from either 6-8pm or 8.30-10.30pm. 1930s costumes and masks are strongly encouraged.

Your ticket is only for entry to the event. Members get a discount on the ticket price. You’ll need to book using the link below. Please bring your booking confirmation with you on the day.

The Apsley House Mystery

Start the weekend energised with a spot of Community Yoga amongst the backdrop of Marble Hill and it's surroundings! Community based event, meet on the Oval Lawn (Behind House towards River) at 8am.

Community Yoga

English Heritage

English Heritage cares for over 400 historic buildings, monuments and sites - from world-famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of the empire to a Cold War bunker. 

Through these, we bring the story of England to life for over 10 million people each year. 

Wreath Making Workshop At Audley End House And Gardens

English Heritage

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