Nottinghamshire

Bassetlaw

The whole family will want to spend the day on the Front Field this summer with 7 exciting play zones, jam-packed with activities to suit every age and every interest.

Burn off some energy in the Active Zone with football, badminton, hockey, rounders and a run track.

Unleash your creativity in the Creative Zone with opportunities to do chalk art, dance on the stage with scarves and ribbons and engage in imaginative games.

Are you a nature lover? Get hands-on in the Nature Zone where you can explore our accessible dig beds and mud kitchen, and have fun in the sand pit.

Filled with dramatic flair? The Performance Zone is calling you to the stage! Dress up and put on a play in the theatre area, or engage with our mini Clumber Park!

If it's all about play, the Loose Parts Zone is a treasure trove for the imagination. With everything from a construction area to big lawn games and play town to den building.

New for 2024, we're introducing a Toddler Zone. Just a short distance from the busy field you'll find a quieter area with a marquee for toddler-centred play.

To ensure every member of the family can get involved we also have a Dog Agility Zone, just next to the Front Field.

Head to the Lincoln Stables for Heritage Play which includes hobby horses to walk, run or gallop with.

There’ll also be a programme of daily events to take part in (some additional charges may apply) and plenty of shaded areas to relax in.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank.

Summer Of Play At Clumber Park

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

Sensory September At Trengwainton

Displayed for the first time, this collection of watercolours and small black and white photographs will give you a glimpse into the the private lives of the Rawnsleys.

Discover a snapshot of genteel tourism in the mountain resorts of the Alps and the Dolomites, while the shadow of the first world war loomed over Europe.

Flower Time In The Oberland: The Holiday Watercolours Of Eleanor Rawnsley

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

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

Story Shelter At East Pool Mine

Pooch Passport

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

Pilton Arts Group Autumn Exhibition In The Activity Room

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

Sculpture Exhibition In Avebury Manor Garden

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

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

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

Sessions will usually include a song, story, craft and a game.

Nature Tots At Old Lodge

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)

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

'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)

This is a chance to join one of our knowledgeable gardeners on a tour through the garden at Sizergh. Led by our knowledgeable volunteers, these tours are suitable for all – whether you’re a keen gardener, a regular visitor, a first-timer, or you’d just like to better orientate yourself. They will cover the history and development of Sizergh’s garden through the centuries, current and future projects and seasonal highlights.

Garden Tours

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?'

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Summer Of Play At Clumber Park

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