Leicestershire

North West Leicestershire

The Garden of Imagination is back and bigger than ever this summer, with 9 exciting zones to explore.

Get active in Adventure Avenue and take on the obstacle course, with giant objects, mazes and tunnels to navigate.

Take part in show jumping and races in the Hobby Horse Championships.

Channel your inner performer in The Musical Magic Theatre and put on a show, dress up or create your own music on the xylophones.

Visit The Beehive and help the bees pollinate flowers or play inside the giant beehive.

Get hands-on in Block Party and construct your own building out of giant building blocks.

Feeling a bit hot? Create your own den in Den Builders Base and cool off inside.

Challenge your friends and family in Fun and Games to life-size games, including hoopla, snakes and ladders and drafts.

Refuel in Snack and Relax and enjoy a well-deserved ice cream and other refreshments.

Take a time out in the Zen Zone and enjoy some quiet time, with cloud watching, yoga and a sensory barefoot walk.

Join us every Tuesday in the Garden of Imagination for led activities, including games, races and crafts.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank.

Summer Of Play: The Garden Of Imagination At Calke Abbey

Our Journey To Net Zero – Low Carbon Dorset’S Touring Climate Exhibition

Pooch Passport

Mini Art And Literary Festival At Arlington Court

Discover over 60 original illustrations in our family-friendly exhibition, including favourite stories and characters such as Mr Gumpy, Avocado Baby, and Oi! Get Off Our Train!

There are comfy reading zones for kids to snuggle into with a book, colourful blown-up scenes for family photos, and dressing up inspiration. Look out for the life-size ‘magic’ bed that transports young imaginations to far away worlds, inspired by Burningham’s classic story The Magic Bed.

Sketches and personal items, including the artist’s paint palette, reveal how Burningham created his much-loved stories.

Outside, an energetic activity trail weaves through Mottisfont’s spacious gardens, introducing families to more characters, with games and challenges to complete. £3 per trail.

Art gallery open 11am-4.30pm daily, gardens open 10am-5pm daily. Last entry into the property, house and gallery is 30 minutes before closing.

Property admission applies (free entry for National Trust members, Art Fund members and under 5s).

There's no need to book, but we may get very busy, particularly on weekends. We open at 10am, and mornings tend to be busier than afternoons - most of our visitors arrive before 2pm, which can cause congestion in the car park. If you have the flexibility, a weekday visit is generally quieter than a weekend, even during school holidays. If you can only visit over the weekend, Saturdays are usually less busy than Sundays.

John Burningham's Bedtime Stories: Exhibition And Activity Trail

Join Amanda, a certified Forest Bathing and Nature Therapy Guide for a deeply restorative, relaxing and rejuvenating morning in the woods at Alderley Edge National Trust. To experience the mindful Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, meaning to 'bathe in the forest atmosphere, or take in the forest through our senses'. You will be guided on a gentle walk to help you slow down, become present and awaken your senses. Helping you to disconnect from the busyness of everyday life so that you can notice all that is within you and that surrounds you. This time in the woods will leave you feeling relaxed, restored and re-connected thanks to the power of being immersed in nature. Having experienced a number of different activities you'll take away with you nature-based practices that you can continue to use to enjoy the benefits of nature connection to support your wellbeing.

Forest Bathing With Amanda From Let's Step In

Nature’s Tapestry | Botanical Embroidery at Hidcote Friday 29 March to Monday 30 September

Hidcote will host botanical and embroidery artist Olga Prinku in the exhibition hall this spring. Olga’s work combines dried and preserved flowers and other natural materials with tulle fabric, to create motifs inspired by nature.

Olga has been visiting Hidcote through the seasons to collect materials which she will use to create three artworks inspired by the garden. These will be displayed alongside her wider body of work. Her work uses materials like seed-heads that we ordinarily overlook to create intricate and unique artworks inspired by the changing of the seasons, and the raw beauty of the natural world.

The exhibition is located in the Entrance Hall of the house and is free to enjoy. Normal admission to the property applies.

Nature’S Tapestry | Botanical Embroidery At Hidcote

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

At Stoked Watersports there is something for everyone. We run regular kayak, paddleboard and row boat hourly hire sessions throughout the day perfect for beginners.

For more experienced paddlers we have our SUP pick up and go service giving you the freedom to explore Lake Windermere at your own pace.

Our watersports base at Fell Foot on the southern tip of Lake Windermere is set within the National Trust’s Fell Foot park - a very special place which never fails to impress. It is quite simply the best place to experience watersports hires on Lake Windermere.

Paddleboard, Kayak And Row Boat Sessions

Coming to the Fox Talbot Museum on June 29, 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

Story Shelter At East Pool Mine

Sculpture Exhibition In Avebury Manor Garden

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

Our historic costume volunteers bring to life the sights of Anglo-Saxon England as they demonstrate the skill that went in to producing clothing using natural materials. They will take you on the whole journey demonstrating and explaining skills including spinning, dyeing, leatherwork, basket making, weaving and tablet weaving.

Anglo-Saxon Costume Demonstration

'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)

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

Discover the story of Vita Sackville-West’s life at Knole through to her wedding and bittersweet departure in 1913. This story will be brought to life around you with a new multimedia tour guiding you through key moments in Vita’s life.

Explore the Great Hall, where you'll see wedding presents that were gifted to Vita and Harold alongside a marriage album assembled by Vita. A portrait of Vita by Philip de László, usually found in the Long Library at Sissinghurst, will also be on display.

Around the showrooms you’ll find delicately detailed paper sculpture recreations of the dress worn by Vita at her wedding, as well as outfits worn by other members of the wedding party. The mannequins are designed and created by artist Denise Watson, of Delicarta, 'bringing paper to life'.

This is a rare chance to see the original manuscript of ‘Orlando’, which is on show in the Ballroom. Seldom displayed due to its fragile nature, the manuscript has Virginia Woolf’s handwritten notes on.

In the Cartoon Gallery a copy of Chatterton, the first work that Vita Sackville-West published, is displayed.

Continue your journey to the Orangery to see the contemporary art installation by artist Lorna Johnson. The piece consists of 150 hand sewn scented ruffles that symbolise strong female figures who ruffled feathers to move society forward, just like Vita.

This event is included with normal admission to Knole (showrooms, outdoor and tower ticket required) - there is no separate ticket.

Vita: Discover A Story Of Love And Life At Knole

“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)

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

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

With a display in the old castle and a trail in the garden, 'Changed Priorities Ahead' showcases the work of nature artist, Nessie Ramm. Nessie paints our native wildflowers with exquisite detail as they thrive undisturbed on roundabouts, slip roads and laybys. With metal road signs as her 'canvas', her large-scale art renders visible the wildness and value of these unloved spaces. This display is a call to put away our strimmers and re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world. Entry to the display and trail is included in the general admission.

'Changed Priorities Ahead' Exhibition (1 June-20 October)

National Trust

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Summer Of Play: The Garden Of Imagination At Calke Abbey

National Trust

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