Get Ghostly This Halloween at Chatsworth

Halloween at Chatsworth

Choose Your Pumpkin

Spooktacular Chatsworth is full of scary surprises this half term as the haunting Halloween Hoot returns to the eerie Peak District.

With ghoulish fun lurking round every corner, the garden, farmyard and house will be transformed from October 25 to November 2 by a host of Halloween helpers. Families brave enough to enter can witness the tricks, treats and spooky stories on offer, with activities ranging from broomstick making to trips into the spooky spell weavers lair.

Dare to ride the Fright Flight that travels deep into Warlock Wood, but mind your head - you will be shooting the spooks and spotting the bats as you go! A scary scattering of spiders and snakes will also be joining the resident farmyard animals, as well as a craft marquee, for a real hands-on fright fest this Halloween.

Visitors can take a walk through Chatsworth’s Halloween trail, with the house exhibiting a selection of historical items sure to give you a shock, including a man trap, a 16th century book of spells, a death mask, an autopsy report from 1777 and more. Ceramic pumpkins will light the way and highlight items from the collection with extra spooky significance.

In the garden, seek out hidden pumpkins, venture into the abandoned tunnel and much more. Spooky stories fit for the whole family will be taking place under the canopy every 30 minutes from 11.30 am – 4.00pm and afterwards learn how to make a witch’s broomstick.  Included with admission to the house, garden and/or farmyard, check www.chatsworth.org for more information on dates, times and prices.

Join in the ghoulish fun this Halloween at Holkham

Ghoulish adventures and spooktacular happenings will set hearts racing at Holkham Hall when it hosts a spine-tingling array of Halloween events sure to terrify the bravest of souls.

Halloween fun at Holkham

Halloween Horrors will take place from October 26 to 31 with lots of scary activities, ghostly games and gory fun and frights for everyone to enjoy celebrating Halloween.

In the Bygones Museum visitors can discover the wonders inside the amazing ‘Curiovan’ and see the natural world in a magical way. Their sense of curiosity and wonder will be awakened by the specimen jars, dancing skeletons, singing mechanical birds, clockwork ladybirds and tiny skeletal fairies which are among the many exhibits to be discovered and explored. 

Ghostly fun!

A yarnsmith will enthral his listeners and bring to life his spell-binding, mystical tales and Victorian stories of ghosts, witches and devils.  Some hauntingly scary fun with silhouette bingo, a skull-duggery challenge, pumpkin carving and craft activities to make the scariest pop-up ghost will keep everyone occupied.

In the vast 18^th century walled gardens Halloween visitors will be able to pit their wits against the ghosts and play phantom football, or test their knowledge and try the mind-boggling code breaker trail.  Spooky body parts and frightful factoids are all to be found in the state rooms of Holkham Hall where children can make pencil ghosts and join in the fun. In the magnificent setting of the Old Kitchen, ‘Kiddycook’ will be on hand to help younger visitors decorate their own tasty Halloween cookie with some gruesome additions.

Everyone is encouraged to come dressed up for the occasion and can have their outfits enhanced by ghoulish face painting to add some gory grazes and weeping wounds providing a touch of the macabre.  A fancy dress parade will take place each day at 12 noon.

Holkham’s Halloween events run from October 26 to 31. The hall will be open on the Sunday, Monday and Thursday. All other areas will be open every day. For further information and admission prices go to http://www.holkham.co.uk/html/Halloween2014.html

Book a special appointment with Father Christmas at Holkham just days before he goes on his rounds delivering presents

Father Christmas and his helpers

Children will have the chance to enjoy a very special appointment just days before Christmas when Holkham Hall presents an audience with the great man himself. 

Father Christmas will be joined by his cheeky team of mischievous elves. Under the watchful eye of Mother Christmas, he will entertain the young audience with tales of wonderment and magic in the magnificently decorated and grand state room, the Saloon at Holkham Hall.  The ukulele- playing elves will have a colourful and musical repertoire to add to the entertainment.  Each child’s visit will reach an exciting finale with their very own personalised gift from Father Christmas. 

Father Christmas At Holkham

The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21 and is recommended for children aged 12 years and under who will receive a personalised present. A special Christmas pop-up shop in the hall will give visitors the opportunity to browse for last-minute presents and festive treats after the performance.

The seasonal visit by Father Christmas is a highlight of a magical month of entertainment at Holkham, from the moment the doors open in early December. In the days leading up to his visit, there will be a magnificent line-up of festive activities and events, guaranteed to give everyone the very best Christmas experience before the big day. 

Visitors will be spoilt for choice with Holkham’s exciting festive programme that sees the hall traditionally decorated for Christmas for two weekends on December 6/7 and 13/14, when the fun-loving ukulele elves will join in the merriment, along with costumed characters, music and carol singing, story-telling and art activities, face painting and carriage rides, as well as festive food and drink and an opportunity to browse the Holkham gift shop for that perfect Christmas present.

The Marble Hall is the perfect backdrop for two evening musical concerts on December 5 and 13 and a weekend of Christmas theatre with Charles Dickens’ classic novel, ‘Great Expectations’ on December 20 and 21.

The return of Holkham’s popular mid-week candlelight tours of the hall will ensure there is something for all tastes.

Full details of Holkham’s Christmas programme in December and opportunities to book tickets online can be found by visiting www.holkham.co.uk

What's On at the Treasure Houses of England this Autumn

Autumn has officially begun at The Treasure Houses of England. Dubbed the second spring September is the perfect time to immerse yourself in russet tones and see spectacular autumn colours in the floral displays as well as cultivated and wild parkland at our magnificent houses.

We have put together a round-up of reasons to visit this autumn.

Where else than Beaulieu – meaning ‘beautiful place’ to admire autumn? Find peace and tranquillity in the walled cloisters and herb garden. Take a tour of the Ornamental Kitchen Garden complete with 1870’s restored vine house. Walk hand-in-hand along the scenic Mill Pond walk and wander into the natural splendour of the Wilderness Garden.

As autumn sets in at Blenheim Palace, 2000 acres of parkland will be transformed with an array of warm colours, making this a beautiful time of year to come and take in the stunning landscape and views. There are a wealth of events and activities to enjoy throughout the winter months; highlights include the Literary Festival and Sunday Jazz.

Autumn in all its glory.

Don’t miss the Burghley Flower Festival (4 - 12 October) an autumnal celebration which will transform Burghley’s State Rooms with floral displays created by local flower societies. Be inspired by the botanical theme ‘Cities on the Grand Tour’ arranged with the 17^th Century art situated under opulent painted ceilings.

Take a stroll through Ray Wood at Castle Howard and marvel in the season’s striking tones and resplendent autumn colour, from the many shrubs and trees, and huge array of ripened fruit and berries.  Then make your way to the ornamental kitchen garden - Castle Howard Potager – for the autumn vegetable garden harvest. 

Having evolved over more than 450 years, the 105 acre Chatsworth garden continues to change today. There is plenty to discover at every turn, including the ninth installation of Beyond Limits, Sotheby’s annual exhibition of contemporary sculpture in the garden at Chatsworth from 8 September- 26 October. The Kitchen Garden is still producing good crops of plums, pears and apples to harvest, and at the beginning of September the Display House will have blooms on the passionflowers and water-lillies.

There are over 100 acres of gardens at Harewood. They are full of variety, with plants from all over the world - all in the setting of a landscape created by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Harewood’s renowned Bird Garden is home to exotic species including penguins, owls, flamingos and parrots and the Himalayan Garden is an extraordinary world in miniature, a plant-hunter’s paradise. There’s also scarecrow trails around the grounds.

Hatfield House forms the centre-piece of the largest private estate in Hertfordshire, with the woodlands covering an extensive spread across the county. Thus they offer a rich diversity of habitat and species. The woodland types range from the traditional coppice with standards, woodland and include commercial conifer broadleaved mixtures, continuous cover systems and minimum intervention woodlands.

Stock up on garden essentials and a great array of plants at Holkham Hall’s Plant Fair (28-29 September). Or for a chance to see the spectacular arboretum with its many unusual and rare specimen trees resplendent in their autumn foliage, book onto one of the Autumn Tours of the Private Gardens (19 October).

Set in 500 acres of picturesque parkland, Leeds Castle is the perfect setting for an autumn day out.  Take a stroll through the Wood Garden, which follows the curve of the River Len to the Pavilion Lawn. Festival of Flowers: (23-28 September) See the castle’s State rooms transformed into works of art using flowers, by local florists, flower societies and clubs. Leeds Castle will also host its first Fantastic British Food Festival, (12-14 September) smell and taste goods from local food and drink producers, retailers, chefs and cookery schools.

Woburn Abbey’s tranquil Abbey Gardens are open for everyone to enjoy the brilliance of Humphry Repton. Make your way through approximately 30 acres of serene formal and natural garden environments: from manicured lawns and colourful flower beds to peaceful woodland glades and ponds teeming with life.  Discover the bog garden, a recent addition with it carnivorous plants, the romance of the Doric Temple which was carefully restored last year and watch the recreation work in progress on the rockery and grotto.

Summertime at Blenheim Palace - What's On

Family Fun at Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace has a packed summer holiday events calendar, with everything you need to entertain all the family throughout the summer. From 26th July – 31st August daily events and activities will be taking place throughout the grounds.

Experience a different side of Blenheim Palace with the ‘Below Stairs’ tour, daily from 11am - 4pm the fascinating tours are 30 minutes long. Offering families the chance to see the Palace through the eyes of the servants, the tours start in the east Courtyard and take visitors on an unforgettable journey.

Explore the magic of Blenheim Palace and get involved in a host of interactive events and workshops on selected dates throughout the summer. Particularly perfect for families are Blenheim Palace’s Pleasure Gardens where a range of arts and crafts are being hosted in the Pottering About Craft Studio. There will be Circus Skills Workshops, Recycled Sculpture Workshops and Animal Encounter Shows. Younger children can enjoy face painting, a petting zoo and traditional Punch and Judy Shows on selected dates.

Meet all kinds of exciting creatures at the Animal Encounter Show, hosted by Charles, Fellow of the Zoological Society, who will take families on an adventure through the animal kingdom with a variety of wildlife. The Petting Zoo at Blenheim Palace houses some more familiar but no less entertaining animals including pygmy goats, lambs, pigs, rabbits, chickens, an alpaca and a miniature pony.

Children will learn lots of exciting skills, and all the family can drop-in and have a go at the Circus Skills Workshop. Practise your juggling, try plate spinning or some tricks with the diablos. Test your balance on the pedal go and your coordination with the flower sticks. For those more arty, the Recycled Sculpture Workshops are a collaborative and inclusive creative day out with families able to get involved with creating a two metre high or wide sculpture.

Ride the miniature train from Blenheim Palace to the Pleasure Gardens where fun outdoor activities will make the most of the glorious summer sunshine. The permanent attractions including the giant Marlborough Maze, Adventure Play Area and newly renovated Butterfly House are wonderful to explore and rediscover.

Fill hungry tummies with delicious snacks in the Pleasure Gardens Deli including fresh oven baked pizzas, 'shaker' salads, and tasty yoo moo frozen yogurts. Dine alfresco and book a deluxe picnic hamper or enjoy something hot from the Pleasure Gardens BBQ, with a sizzling selection of locally sourced menu options to choose from.

Summer Event Highlights

Jousting at Blenheim Palace with the Knights of Arkley
When: 1st – 3rd August
Why visit: Knights on horseback battle, falconry displays, archery.

Sportive and Family Cycling Day
When: 17th August
Why visit: An exclusive opportunity to cycle around the parkland. There is a competitive element too for serious cyclists.

Festival of Transport
When: 24th and 25th August
Why visit: A complete collection for the car enthusiast with vehicle judging and professional motor commenting throughout.

www.blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/events

ADMISSION:    Park & Gardens ticket required: Adult £13.50 / Child £6.60 (Age 5-16) /
Concession £10.20 / Family £36.00 (2 Adults & 2 Children)
WEBSITE:    www.blenheimpalace.com for more information
INFO LINE:    0800 849 6500   

Hare off to Beaulieu for an Easter Egg-stravaganza

Hare off to Beaulieu for an Easter Egg-stravaganza

Easter bunny at Beaulieu

During the Easter holidays, 5th – 21st April, young visitors to Beaulieu can follow an egg-citing Trail and collect a sweet treat at the end. At Palace House, home of the Montagu family since 1538, youngsters can have an Easter-themed face painting, and all the family can play with fun Victorian toys and games. If you visit over the Easter weekend, you may even get to meet the Easter Bunny!

Take a look around the National Motor Museum’s stunning collection of over 250 vehicles, from world land speed record breakers to F1 racers, plus quirky motoring oddities including a Cadbury Crème Egg car. Journey through 100 years of motoring in the museum’s pod-ride ‘Wheels’ and visit Jack Tucker’s Garage, which recreates the sights, sounds and smells of a typical country garage from the 1930s.

Don’t miss one of the first opportunities to see the museum’s fascinating new display, For Britain & For The Hell Of It. Opening for the Easter holidays, it features Beaulieu’s iconic land speed record cars and tells the story of British pluck, technological mastery and national pride – alongside new vehicles with a more alternative land speed heritage. A moving audio-visual presentation transports you back to a golden age of invention, courage and patriotism and introduces you to those who are keeping the record breaking dream alive today.

There’s a lot more for all the family at Beaulieu this Easter; take a ride on the high-level Monorail or see the sights from the replica open-topped London Bus. Budding drivers can get behind the wheel on the Mini Car Driving Circuit and younger visitors can get physical on Dipstick’s Mini Motor Play Trail with its Veteran Bus climbing frame, swings and Little Tykes ride-on-cars.

In World of Top Gear see actual vehicles created by presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May for some of their most ambitious challenges on the TV show over the years.

Fans of the show will experience the Top Gear ‘Enormodrome’ which recreates the feel of the Top Gear studio.  As well as regular features from the programme including the Cool Wall and Celebrity ‘Lap Time’ boards, visitors can watch an exclusive video presentation from behind-the-scenes at the Top Gear HQ with Jeremy, Richard and James plus clips from the show featuring the cars on display.

Visit the Secret Army Exhibition, to learn about the training of special agents at Beaulieu during WWII, and stroll through the beautifully kept gardens, where in April a colourful mass of crocuses and daffodils that surround Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey.  Over fifteen species of daffodils bloom at various times during the flowering season, ensuring a spectacular show lasting many weeks. 

Beaulieu is open from 10am every day so hop along to Beaulieu for some Easter fun.  For further information telephone 01590 612345 or visit: www.beaulieu.co.uk

#Beaulieu #Easter

The Year Ahead At Woburn Abbey and Gardens

Woburn Abbey Garden Show

Woburn Abbey Outdoor Theatre

Woburn Abbey Tri For Life

Woburn Abbey and Gardens is looking ahead to a busy year following the announcement of their 2014 programme of events and exhibitions. From a World War I exhibition to a triathlon in the Deer Park, a Garden Show to a trail of Chinese Wallpapers in the Abbey, there’s something for everyone on offer.

Woburn Abbey is opening two new exhibitions on the 11th April. The first, 'Valiant Hearts: World War I - Woburn and its Stories' commemorates the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. The exhibition will tell the stories of the 11th Duke and Duchess of Bedford, Woburn Abbey itself, and people from the local area during the war. Visitors will be able to see original records and letters, and find out what it was like to train at the local garrison or be treated in the Woburn Military Hospital.

The second exhibition, 'Peeling Back The Years: Chinese Wallpaper at Woburn Abbey' will examine the decorative history of the building and give you a chance to discover the story of the 4th Duke's bedroom through its layers of wallpaper. As visitors explore the Abbey they see documents showing how these wallpapers were made, sold and hung.

Having won the Georgian Group Award for Restoration of a Georgian Garden or Landscape this year, the gardeners are continuing their plans to restore more historic features in the Gardens. The Woburn Abbey Garden Show is back for its 5th year, with a wide variety of stalls, demonstrations and talks from horticultural experts on offer. There’s also a chance to take part in a free Gardens tour every month as part of their series of ‘Come and Grow’ events.

For the more adventurous, the Cycletta or Tri For Life events offer a reason to get in shape whilst raising money for charities like Macmillan, Great Ormond Street and Rays of Sunshine. The Woburn Country Fair takes place in June with a weekend of fun filled country pursuits taking place in the appropriate surroundings of the Woburn Abbey Deer Park.

Woburn Abbey is also putting on two open air productions from the Pantaloons Theatre Company in July, with performances of ‘History of Britain' and the Shakespearian classic, 'The Tempest'.

The events calendar also includes historical re-enactments, car rallies, and gardening study days. Visit www.woburnabbey.co.uk or call 01525 290333 for more information.

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Woburn Abbey & Gardens is a member of the Treasure Houses of England, ten of the most magnificent palaces, stately homes and castles in England. http://www.treasurehouses.co.uk

Location

Woburn Abbey, Woburn, Bedfordshire MK 17 9WA

Just south east of Milton Keynes, Woburn Abbey is signposted from junctions 12 and 13 of the M1. It is also easily accessible from the A5.

Beaulieu is pleased to announce it's motoring events calendar for 2014

Supercar Showdown

Motoring events calendar for 2014

For full information, please click on the event names to visit the relevant web pages.

Date	Event Name	Content	Contact Details
APRIL
5th & 6th April (P)	Sustainable MotorExpo *	One of the largest sustainable motoring events	T : 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
MAY
5th May	Simply Ford *	A gathering of Fords of all ages and models, open to clubs & individuals	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
Bank Holiday Monday 5th May	Pistonheads Rally *	A gathering of cars owned by members of this online forum	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
Bank Holiday Monday 5th May	Guinness Book of Records	Attempt to achieve a new record of a line of over 10,000 model cars.	T : 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
17th & 18th May	Spring Autojumble and Sodbury Sortout *	1000 stands of motoring parts, literature and accessories, plus 150 cars for sale. Sunday only: Sodbury Sortout.	Tickets: 01590 612888 events@beaulieu.co.uk
25th - 26th May	Truck Mania *	Truck displays and activities plus stunt show.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
JUNE
8th June	National Mini Cooper Register Rally *	1,000+ cars, Displays, trade stands, Concours.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
15th June	Custom & Hot Rod Festival  *	Hundreds of Hot-Rod, Custom & American cars, trade stands & live music.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
22nd June	Simply Porsche*	A gathering of Porsche cars of all ages and models, open to clubs and individuals.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
29th June	Simply Alfa Romeo*	A gathering of Alfa Romeo cars of all ages and models, open to clubs & individuals	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
JULY
5th & 6th July	Stationary Engines *	A display of stationary engines in the grounds of the attraction.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
6th  July	Austin 750 Rally *	Up to 300 750s on display.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
11th-13th July	Simca Matra Talbot Rally *	The largest gathering of Simca Matra Talbots in the UK	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
13th July	Motorcycle Ride-In Day *	Public motorcycle ride-in, trade stands and stunt display.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
20th July (P)	The German Show *	A show for all German marques, including VW and BMW.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
27th July	Simply Vauxhall *	A gathering of Vauxhalls, of all models and ages, open to clubs and individuals.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
AUGUST
3rd August	Simply Japanese *	A gathering of Japanese cars of all ages and models, open to clubs and individuals.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
9th August	XKEC Rally *	XK8/XKR Enthusiasts Club (XKEC) Summer Show & Shine	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
10th August (P)	Graham Walker Memorial Run	Annual get together for pre-1930 veteran and vintage bikes.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
10th August	Simply Land Rover *	A gathering of Land Rover vehicles of all ages and models, open to clubs and individuals.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
16th& 17th August	T4 Rally *	200 T4 vehicles on display within the Beaulieu grounds.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
24th August	Simply Classics and Sports Car *	Drive-in & display of club & owners’ classic cars and sports cars.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
Bank Holiday Monday 25th August	Supercar Showdown *	Over 50 high performance supercars will be on display and revving up on the Demonstration Run.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk
SEPTEMBER
6th & 7th September	International Autojumble *	The biggest Autojumble in Europe with over 2000 stands, plus Bonhams Auction.	Tickets: 01590 612888 events@beaulieu.co.uk
NOVEMBER
9th November	Simply Smart *	A gathering of Smart cars of all ages and models, open to clubs and individuals.	T: 01590 614614 events@beaulieu.co.uk

Key
*          Event tickets include entry into the Beaulieu attraction.
(P)       Provisional dates.