Warwickshire

Stratford-on-Avon

Discover a jam-packed summer of play over the summer holiday. There will be some fun outdoorsy activities, such as a music wall and a mini stage to invent stories, as well as indoors activities with a dress-up station and games inside the House...

Pop back to enjoy new activities every week. Every Tuesday, we'll set up a new and exciting station for you to discover and enjoy on the Croquet Lawn – the weekly theme will invite you to explore a new variety of activities!

Bring a picnic and spend the days adventuring in the parkland and getting stuck into 'Play' themed games and activities.

BONUS: Collect a stamp for each activity every week to complete your 'Eight weeks of Play at Charlecote' leaflet – ask for one at the Visitor Reception or any retail or food outlet.

Additional: Get crafty in one of our paid workshops each Wednesday and Thursday.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank.

A Summer Of Play At Charlecote Park

October Half Term: Spooky Riddle Trail At Foremark

Spooky Secrets Family Trail

October Half Term: Leaf Hunt At Staunton Harold

Pooch Passport

Autumn Spell Trail

Enchanted Woodland Trail - October Half Term

October Half Term: Halloween Trail At Calke Abbey

Petworth Academy For Witches And Wizards Trail

Hedgehog Hibernation: A Home For Prickles

Exhibiting in the Fox Talbot Museum from June 29 until April 27 2025, a diverse selection of contemporary photographs from across the globe.

For the past 170 years, the RPS's International Photography Exhibition has reflected how people see and think about things. The artworks selected for the Fox Talbot Museum exhibit a wide range of themes, subjects, techniques and aesthetics from 37 different photographers.

The International Photography Exhibition encourages photographers and image-makers of all ages, new, emerging and established photographers worldwide to submit work to the open call. For each edition of the exhibition the RPS invites a panel of leading voices in photography to bring an exciting mix of expertise to the final exhibition selection. The exhibition at the Fox Talbot Museum represents a selection from the last three years’ editions of RPS exhibitions.

International Photography Exhibition

Step into the fascinating world of Benjamin Disraeli, a remarkable British politician and storyteller. Disraeli knew that words held enormous power. Disraeli’s love for storytelling is reflected in his library and writings but also in his deliberate efforts to shape his personal narrative and legend, and in doing so attempt to influence public perception.

As you explore the mansion and grounds you will see how Disraeli wove together the art of myth making and storytelling to extend beyond the page to Hughenden’s manor, garden, and parkland.

Myths & Mythmaking

Slug And Snail Trail

Explore snippets of Ben Browne’s life in the 1700’s, following his relocation from the Lake District to London, captured in letters sent to his father ‘Old Ben’ over a 20-year period.

From the excitement of moving to the fast-paced big city, to concerns about his unfashionable clothes and the cost of living, to missing his mother’s cooking, the notes written by ‘Young Ben’ describe the experiences of a young person moving away from home to make their own way in the world.

This rare series of letters offers a fascinating glimpse into the lives and social position of an ordinary farming family, the Brownes, who lived at Townend in Troutbeck Valley for more than 400 years. See the original volume of letters on display alongside the original belongings of the family inside this typical Lake District slate-and-stone farmhouse.

The exhibition is included with standard admission. Free bookable tours, available from 3pm daily, can be booked in advance and include the display.

Letters From London

Before the Industrial Revolution, making clothes was slow. People would make their own clothes, in small quantities and would wear them for a long period of time, repeatedly repairing them. They were patched, resized, remade, and handed down until there was nothing left to use.

The Industrial Revolution saw a rapid change in the pace in the production of textiles, the growth of cotton and technological advancements within mills, and faster transport. This meant there were more options for people in all levels of society and is the starting point in the story of how we consume clothes today.

In this exhibition we will explore the story of the past, present and future of the cotton textile industry in the North West and the world, the human drive for fashion and ‘faster, easier, cheaper’ clothes, and the global, environmental and societal impacts that had and continues to have today.

Admission charges apply. Free entry for National Trust Members.

Exhibition: For The Love Of Cotton

“By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes.” - Macbeth, Act IV, Scene I

In 1888, the Lyceum Theatre company launched a new production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The production had a vast cast and sumptuous costuming, and was led by two of the most beloved Shakespearean actors of the day, Ellen Terry and Henry Irving.

This new exhibition will bring together mementoes from the production for the first time in several decades, including the beautiful Banqueting dress. This will be the first time the dress is on display following a long period of conservation.

Our Macbeth museum guide will allow visitors to delve further into the story of the exhibition, and of Shakespearean theatre at this time, by highlighting other items in the remarkable collection at Smallhythe Place.

Wed-Sun, including bank holidays. Runs until 3 November.

Standard admission applies.

'Dressing Lady Macbeth': An Exhibition (25 May - 3 Nov)

Elizabethan England was a material world. Power, identity and virtue were all expressed though what you owned and what you built.

Elizabeth Shrewsbury designed Hardwick Hall to shout about who she was and how far she had come. From the solid stone ES initials on the roof to the magnificent tapestries and textiles she hung inside, everything was a material statement about Bess.

The stories on the wall:

Tapestries and textiles were more than just interior decoration, they were a form of art used to make a statement. Their size, expensive materials and the stories they told made them the perfect medium to publicly project the power and status of the owner.

Discover the symbolism and hidden meaning in the images and stories which don the 400- year-old walls. See if you can spot Bess’ devotion to Penelope throughout the hall, a beacon of virtue dedicated to her husband.

Conservation:

It took 24 years for the 13 Gideon tapestries to go through cleaning and conservation and a whopping £1.7 million to restore them back to their full glory.

Find out more about the painstaking work of the specialist cleaning team in Belgium and the people behind the hand stitched repairs at the National Trust’s Conservation Studio.

Taking in the tapestries:

Let the textiles do the talking in the Long Gallery as you uncover new stories in the Gideon tapestries through ‘slow looking’. Accompanied by a magnificent soundscape, this really will be a treat for the senses!

Material Power: Let The Textiles Do The Talking

'Radical Relationships: Uncovering Connections on Sissinghurst's Bookshelves' opens Saturday 1 June.

A new display of objects, letters and books – many on show for the first time - puts Sissinghurst Castle Garden at the heart of a 20th century network of culturally influential people.

Many of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson's guests to Sissinghurst, including figures of the Bloomsbury Group, are now seen as significant figures in LGBTQ+ history.

'Radical Relationships' reveals the works and lives of these fascinating individuals as told through Sissinghurst's bookshelves.

Standard admission applies.

Please note that our closing times will change in October to reflect our Winter Opening Times.

Radical Relationships: A New Display (1 June 2024 - 30 March 2025)

Explore the depictions of classical myths at Hughenden to understand their meaning to Disraeli. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of his storytelling. As you journey around the Manor ponder the timeless significance of myths in shaping human stories and the enduring legacy of Hughenden Manor as a testament to the power of imagination and invention. Please note the top floor of the exhibition is subject to volunteer availability.

Manor Exhibition: 'Who Are You And What Are You?'

'Playing by the rules: Childhood, dress and imagination' will delve into the world of children's clothing within the Killerton collection, many of them part of the Margaret Bodley collection which was acquired by the National Trust in the early 1980s.

Five local Brownie and Guide units have worked with us to create future fashion designs, along with becoming young curators for one of the displays.

Opening 10 February 2024, the exhibition will open with the house, daily 11am to 4pm (last entry 3.30pm).

For more details visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/killerton/killertons-fashion-collection

Playing By The Rules: Fashion Exhibition In The House

Piecing together intricate painted glass in vibrant colours, the stained-glass conservators on this project needed keen eyes and a steady hand to dismantle, conserve and reassemble sections of the Tomb Chamber’s stained-glass windows.

Test your eye for detail with a 500-piece jigsaw for grown-ups and a 40-piece jigsaw for children each featuring a design from one of the Tomb Chamber stained-glass windows. Together with their families, younger visitors can enjoy brightly coloured wooden and acrylic puzzles suitable for ages 3+.

Seizing a ‘window of opportunity’, we’re showcasing the work of local art therapy charity artWell, by displaying a community painting created during a wellbeing workshop at The Camrose Centre in Basingstoke.

The painting of a window features a breath-taking flurry of flowers that appear to adorn the windowpane. Each bloom was painted by, and represents, a person who attended the workshop at the centre and so the work is essentially a group portrait.

Based in Basingstoke, artWell is a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to improve mental health and positive use of imagination and creativity across sectors of the community who, for a variety of reasons, often feel excluded. The Camrose Centre provides support for anyone who is sleeping rough, homeless or vulnerably housed within Basingstoke and Deane Borough.

Subject to volunteer availability.

Tomb Chamber Stained Glass Display

Trace the footsteps of Ickworth's residents over the years in our house exhibition and learn just how the Rotunda came to be. Beginning with Ickworth's visionary curator, the 'Earl-Bishop', step through time to learn the stories of those who helped bring his ideas to life - and those who changed it. From quality craftsmanship to pioneering design, we invite visitors to discover why Ickworth is designed the way it is. Visit daily from 29 March from 11am. Last entry to the House 3pm.

Ickworth - A Design Masterpiece

Child workers lived in the Apprentice House, often sent from workhouses far away. They laboured for long hours in the Mill, before returning to chores including gardening and sewing.

Discover how the children lived, where they slept, what they ate, what care they received, and hear the stories of Margaret Magin and Thomas Priestly.

When you arrive at Visitor Reception you can book onto a tour of the Apprentice House.

Tour times vary on week days and on weekends and during school holidays. Please ask for more details at Visitor Reception.

Tours are very popular so book your tickets early on the day of your arrival to avoid disappointment.

Tickets for tours cannot be pre-booked. Admission charges apply. Free entry for National Trust members.

Apprentice House Tours

National Trust

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A Summer Of Play At Charlecote Park

National Trust

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