Holdenby House has received a grant from the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund, one of more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion government grant.
When the pandemic hit, all activities at Holdenby came to an immediate standstill similar to the rest of the country. The historical House Tours, Garden Openings and Events were cancelled, weddings postponed, and their award-winning Heritage Education programme, which was founded nearly 40 years ago, came to a complete stop. Suffering the loss of all their income whilst still having to endure the cost of maintaining a historic house put the future of Holdenby in a very difficult position. This grant will help Holdenby to start the challenging process of recovery.
Reopening
The Gardens and Falconry Centre will re-open with an enhanced offering on 17th April and will be open every Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday until 10th October. The Education department will re-open in May following strict Covid protocols and the teams have been re-developing their Farm and Nature programmes, which, being based outdoors, are particularly Covid robust. Wedding viewings will gradually re-start and the House is planning a Homes and Gardens Fair on 29th to 31st May.
The restarting of all these activities will not only hopefully bring joy to all Holdenby’s visitors but also help to support local jobs and livelihoods. It will also mean that Holdenby can continue to support the National Garden Scheme and the wonderful nursing and health charities they help as it has done since 1927. For more details of Holdenby’s reopening plans visit http://www.holdenby.com and follow them on social media @holdenbyhouse. Tickets for their enhanced Garden and Falconry Opening from 17th April can be pre-booked now on their website.
Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens in Northamptonshire will be looking to bring family adventures back this year with a host of new family attractions when they re-open their award-winning gardens for their 2021 open season on Easter Sunday, 4th April.
Kelmarsh was built in 1732 to a James Gibbs design and is the former home of society decorator Nancy Lancaster, the “doyenne of English Country House style”. It still reflects the essence of her panache and flair and is now in the care of an independent charitable trust, The Kelmarsh Trust, who are charged with maintaining it in perpetuity for the benefit of the nation.
Spring is always such an exciting time at Kelmarsh and this year is set to be no different with added new attractions which bring something for everyone. The Grade I listed country house which is surrounded by Grade II* listed gardens is set in the heart of a traditional agricultural estate, this season sees the introduction of picturesque walks, an enchanting fairy trail, and the welcoming of Sweet Pea’s Tea Room to the team.
Woodland and Lakeside Walks
The sweeping park that surrounds Kelmarsh Hall has a beautiful combination of picturesque walks across the parkland and gardens. The new woodland walks span across the wilderness area of Kelmarsh, framed with historic trees and winding paths to explore. Continue along the Lakeside walk for picture-perfect views of the Hall, ideal for dog walking strolls.
Fairy walk in the Kelmarsh Wilderness
We all know that fairies live at the bottom of the garden, and Kelmarsh Hall is no exception! Take a stroll along the fairy trail and keep your eyes peeled as you walk around the beautiful gardens, and through the woodland to where the fairies live. This adorable fairy trail is the perfect family outing, as they spot the tiny fairy doors, and fairy bunting, they may even spot some real fairies too!
Sweet Pea’s Tearoom arrives Kelmarsh
Tucked away in the stableyard grounds of the historic Kelmarsh hall, is the new home of the vintage-inspired Sweet Pea’s Tearoom. The much-loved team at Sweet Pea’s will bring their delicious selection of sandwiches, savoury snacks, mouth-watering cakes, and sweet treats, all handmade and locally sourced. You’ll also find all of your favourite go-to drinks, perfect for taking a stroll along the grounds. The team will be offering takeaway orders from 4th April, and outdoor seating will be available once restrictions allow, with stunning views over the hall and lakeside.
Open Season: 4th April – 30th September
You can visit Kelmarsh Gardens, woodland and lakeside walks from Sunday 4th April through to 30th September 2021 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays, and Bank Holiday Mondays from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
To help protect each other, Kelmarsh Hall has all of the required COVID precautions in place to ensure a safe visit. An online booking system will be in place on the website: www.kelmarsh.com, with advance booking recommended to avoid any disappointment.
You can also experience Kelmarsh’s gardens throughout the year with a season ticket, allowing access to the beautiful Grade II* listed gardens, wilderness woodland and lakeside walks throughout the open season. Tickets can be purchased for individuals or family tickets (2 adults and up to 3 children).
That’s what in store, but look out for a review of my forthcoming visit to Kelmarsh Hall and Gardens in the coming months
The National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge, is marking the 21st anniversary of its renowned Winter Garden by embarking on a three-year project to refresh the popular feature.
Heritage Open Days kicks off today (Thursday 8th September) with a chance to explore history and heritage on your doorstep.
Every year across four days in September, Heritage Open Days is England’s biggest heritage festival offering the public opportunity to see hidden places and try out new experiences, all of which are FREE to explore.
HODs: time to explore what’s on your doorstep
Running this year from 8th to 11 September 2016, it is chance once again to celebrate the vast riches of history, architecture and culture with more than 5000 free events over four days across towns, cities and rural areas across England.
Heritage Open Days was established in 1994 as England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days, a scheme initiated in 1991 by the Council of Europe to raise appreciation for Europe’s rich and diverse cultural assets and their need for care and protection.
The principle behind it all was to simply throw open the doors to historic monuments and buildings, in particular those normally closed to the public. One of the key requirements therefore was to offer free access to all properties taking part in the European Heritage Days, with September being designated as a month of Open Days across Europe.
As a travel and heritage writerfor a UK publisher with two magazines that focus on UK tourism and heritage (Discover Britain’s Gardens magazine, and Discover Britain for Groups magazine), and someone who has an interest in local and regional heritage and history, Heritage Open Days is something of real interest and right up my street.
And by searching the Heritage Open Days website, you will find many attractions to explore close to where you live!
When it comes to local heritage there are many places which we tend to forget about or take for granted, or simply do not even know exist. But there are many – in most cases right on your very doorstep, and for the next four days will be open to explore.
Battle of Hastings Battlefield and Abbey Undergo Major
Re-Presentation to Mark 950th Anniversary
Stone Marking Spot Where King Harold Died Relocated
Rooftop of Battle Abbey Gatehouse Opens to Public for First Time
A major re-presentation of the Battle of Hastings battlefield and abbey has been revealed by English Heritage, in this the 950th anniversary year of the most famous and arguably the most important battle in English history.
For the first time, visitors can access – through the original 13th century doorway – the abbey’s huge dormitory where the Benedictine monks once slept.
A new exhibition, two previously unseen areas, and a new location for the memorial stone that marks the spot where King Harold fell in battle, opened to the public on Friday.
English Heritage Battle Abbey, East Sussex
For the first time, visitors will be able to stand on the roof of Battle Abbey’s Great Gatehouse – founded by William the Conqueror on the site of battlefield – and get a whole new, 360-degree perspective on the surrounding landscape where fierce fighting raged on 14 October 1066.
English Heritage – Battle Abbey, East Sussex
Also for the first time, visitors can access – through the original 13th century doorway – the abbey’s huge dormitory where the Benedictine monks once slept.
The stone memorial marking the spot where according to tradition King Harold fell, has been moved by English Heritage to a new location following a new study of the 1066 battlefield and abbey. New advances in our understanding of the layout of the abbey’s church reveal that the site of this altar was further east than previously thought.
From at least the early 12th century the site of the high altar at Battle Abbey was identified as the spot where King Harold’s body was discovered after the Battle of Hastings In his Deeds of the Kings of England, William of Malmesbury wrote that the abbey’s church was built “on the very spot where according to tradition, among the piled heaps of corpses Harold was found”, with the high altar located – according to the Chronicle of John of Worcester – “where the body of Harold (slain for the love of his country) was found.”
The location of the high altar was lost when the abbey church was demolished after the suppression of the abbey in 1538 and the ground on which it stood cultivated as a garden. In 1817, an excavation revealed a crypt which marked the east end of the church and, mindful of the link between the high altar and the location of Harold’s death, contemporaries regarded this newly discovered feature as marking the place where Harold fell. They were unaware that the abbey church had been extended in the mid-13th century and that the exposed crypt stood about 25 metres to the east of the end of the church founded by William the Conqueror, now King William I. Until the rediscovery of the east end of the Norman church in 1929 the accepted site of Harold’s death was therefore some distance away from the location marked by William’s church.
As part of the re-presentation of the abbey in the early 1980s the plan of the Norman church was laid out and a marker stone placed at the east end to show the general location of the high altar. English Heritage has moved this stone approximately 6 metres further to the east to more accurately mark the location of the high altar. This reflects our understanding that within Romanesque great churches the high altar was placed on the chord of the apse, in other words on the line where the semi-circular end of the church began to curve.
A new exhibition inside the Great Gatehouse gives a blow-by-blow account of the battle, from the very different preparations of the opposing forces the night before to the final outcome. Beautifully carved oak figures – including a Norman knight on horseback and an Anglo-Saxon shield wall – are installed across the battlefield, evoking the two armies and the drama of the battle.
English Heritage – Battle Abbey, East Sussex
Visitors to the 1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield will also meet interpreters playing the part of a Norman knight and Saxon lady at weekends throughout the summer and discover updated exhibits in the visitor centre.
As part of its 1066: Year of the Normans programme, English Heritage is marking the 950th anniversary of 1066 with events across the country this summer, including a re-enactment of King Harold’s march from York to Battle in autumn, culminating in the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings on 15-16 October at the battlefield site.
A Norman Soldier in battle at the annual Battle of Hastings re-enactment. The event takes place at 1066 Battle Abbey and Battlefield every October
English Heritage cares for over 400 historic monuments, buildings and sites – from world famous prehistoric sites to grand medieval castles, from Roman forts on the edges of empire to Cold War bunkers. Through these, they bring the story of England to life for over 10 million visitors each year. www.english-heritage.org.uk.
Battle Abbey is on the site of the Battle of Hastings, which took place on 14 October 1066, and was the most famous battle fought on English soil and resulted in the last wholly successful hostile invasion of this country.
The triumph of Duke William of Normandy over King Harold marked the end of Anglo-Saxon England, the replacement of its Scandinavian links by new ties with western Europe, and the imposition of a new and more cohesive ruling class. Society became bound by ties of feudal loyalty, leading to a greater concentration of power in royal hands, while the beginnings of the development of common law had consequences that still affect our lives today after nearly 1,000 years.
King William I marked his victory by establishing the great Benedictine abbey of Battle on the northern part of the battlefield. As a result of the king’s generous endowments, it became one of the richest monastic houses in England.
The abbey flourished for over 400 years until King Henry VIII suppressed the monasteries and disbanded religious communities in the 1530s. Henry gave Battle Abbey to his friend Sir Anthony Browne who demolished many of the monastic buildings, including the church. He turned the abbot’s lodging into a substantial private house, at the centre of an estate created from the former battlefield and abbey land.
Hudson’s, the leading publisher of heritage and tourist information in the UK, is to launch three unique short breaks in summer 2015.
The breaks, which will include tours to Rutland, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, take place over three days with two nights’ accommodation, one evening meal and the company of an expert lecturer. Each includes visits to a number of celebrated stately homes such as Burghley, Haddon Hall and Kedleston as well as little known country houses and villages such as Deene Park and Tissington.
Haddon Hall
Through these tours visitors can explore the history of Britain through great architecture, family stories, interior decoration and stunning works of art. The breaks are aimed at curious individuals, couples and older families looking for a truly enriching experience. They can book a short break over a weekend or midweek or combine two tours to make a week’s adventure. By using the services of an expert lecturer, visitors are given new insights into history plus they have the opportunity to visit places exclusively out of normal opening hours.
Burghley
Prices start from just £530 per person including accommodation, meals, entrance tickets and travel and thereby offer excellent value for money. The tours can be booked with just one simple phone call or online at www.hudsonsheritage.com/shortbreaks.
Hudson’s, the leading publisher of heritage and tourist information in the UK, is to launch three unique short breaks in summer 2015.
The breaks, which will include tours to Rutland, Derbyshire and Yorkshire, take place over three days with two nights’ accommodation, one evening meal and the company of an expert lecturer. Each includes visits to a number of celebrated stately homes such as Burghley, Haddon Hall and Kedleston as well as little known country houses and villages such as Deene Park and Tissington.
Haddon Hall
Through these tours visitors can explore the history of Britain through great architecture, family stories, interior decoration and stunning works of art. The breaks are aimed at curious individuals, couples and older families looking for a truly enriching experience. They can book a short break over a weekend or midweek or combine two tours to make a week’s adventure. By using the services of an expert lecturer, visitors are given new insights into history plus they have the opportunity to visit places exclusively out of normal opening hours.
Burghley
Prices start from just £530 per person including accommodation, meals, entrance tickets and travel and thereby offer excellent value for money. The tours can be booked with just one simple phone call or online at www.hudsonsheritage.com/shortbreaks.
September signals the once-a-year chance to explore the world on your doorstep, unlocked and completely free of charge.
Today signals the start of Heritage Open Days which celebrates England’s wide array of culture and architecture by offering free access to places that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.
Every year on four days in September, buildings, visitor attractions and other ‘hidden gems’ of a cultural significance of every age, style and function throw open their doors, for a once-a-year chance to discover architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activities that bring local history and culture to life.
Local heritage – some of which you had probably forgotten about or taken for granted, or not even known was there, open and right on your doorstep.
And it goes further as September is a month of open days across Europe.
Heritage Open Days was established in 1994 as England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days, so 2014 marks the 20th anniversary.
The scheme was initiated in 1991 by the Council of Europe to raise appreciation for Europe’s rich and diverse cultural assets and their need for care and protection.
The principle behind it all was to simply throw open the doors to historic monuments and buildings, in particular those normally closed to the public. One of the key requirements was to offer free access to all properties taking part in the European Heritage Days.
In the UK, there are five open day schemes that are part of the wider European Heritage Days scheme across the continent, those being:
As travel writer, and Editor and writer for a UK publisher with two magazines that focus on UK tourism (Discover Britain’s Gardens magazine, and Discover Britain for Groups magazine), this is right up my street.
but for the town which heralds as being the birthplace of the game, one would have thought this would [again] be a great opportunity to capitalise on this unique claim to fame, and offer local and visitors/tourists alike a chance to go behind-the-scenes.
Who says once we reach summer that things tend to slow down where business is concerned?
For some it may. Certainly looking back on the last month or so, not here.
For starters, it has been great to be working with one of my long-standing clients, the Royal Life Saving Society, on some articles for their Lifesavers magazine.
The end of the school year is always a busy time, more so this year. Not only have my two kiddy-winks had various events and presentations (sporting-related), but my new working addition – my cricket coaching work with Twenty20 Cricket Company, fed through to the end of the summer term.
The last few months coaching with curriculum and after-school sessions in and around Rugby has been an interesting and enlightening on from that of my club coaching. Reaching end of term was also interesting to look back on how far the pupils at the schools how come and developed, plus seeing the appreciation of their enjoyment as we go our separate ways for the summer (or in some cases, high school) has been reward in itself.
School was – and is, out, and straight onto more coaching, with two T20 Cricket holiday courses – or ‘Cricket Camps’.
Twenty20 Cricket Camps Summer 2013 courses
Twenty20 Cricket Camps
Both were staged at my home club, Willoughby CC; the first a four-day Camp from 22nd to 25th July, the second on the 29th and 30th July. Both were really well attended with over 50 boys and girls attending with between 25 and 30 across each day (good local marketing and promotion I’d say!), but more so the enthusiasm of the kids (which had age ranges of between 5 and 15) to get involved, learn and gel together as a friendly group was great to see.
And with the feedback we’ve got – which is always helpful, a platform to do the same and develop further is very much set for next year as well.
So, after the distractions of some very enjoyable outdoor work – aided it has to be said by some more-favourable summer weather, it’s back to what I tend to concentrate on most…writing for a living, and for pleasure.
And by the look of things the coming few months show no sign of let up with projects on the go, other previously delayed being kick-started for the autumn, plus new enquiries and ideas to progress.
Never a dull moment; but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
The Landlocked Traveller 