A la Ronde reopens for 2015
Staff and volunteers at A la Ronde, the quirky sixteen-sided house near Exmouth, are delighted to announce that they will be reopening for the 2015 season on Saturday 31 January.
On that day, visitors can join the Mayor and Town Crier of Exmouth for the grand opening; and they will also be entered into a free prize draw to win a cream tea in A la Ronde’s tea room.
The house opens every day from 11am until 4pm and there will be guided tours every 20 minutes from Monday to Friday up until February half term. During weekends and after February half term, the house will be open for visitors to explore at their own leisure with expert room guides on hand to answer questions.
Emma Kay, Visitor Experience Manager, said: “The conservation team has worked really hard over the winter to clean the collection and get ready to reopen the doors. We are pleased to be introducing some new events this year, such as the craft market in September, and we are repeating the popular family trails every school holiday. Hidden House is also returning for 2015, giving visitors the opportunity to learn about particular aspects of the house in more depth or focusing on objects in the collection usually kept behind glass.”
Following on from last year’s success, there will be a different exhibition every fortnight in A la Ronde’s gallery space, located in the original stables. The first exhibition is ‘New Day’ by Viv Lydon, 14-27 February during the usual opening hours of 10.30am until 5.30pm. The exhibition is mainly seascapes and landscapes, flowers and birds, which merge reality with a dream like quality.
For those looking for things to do with the children this half term, the first of A la Ronde’s popular Family Trails runs from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 February from 10.30am until 5.30pm. There is a prize for anyone who can solve all the clues in the trail, which costs just £1.50 per child.
A la Ronde is full of creative treasures from around the world. The hexadecagonal building was the built for cousins Jane and Mary Parminter in 1796. Visitors can look at the shell and feather designs throughout the house; and with the 360 degree touchscreen virtual tour, they can view the shell gallery just as the Parminters intended while conservation work is ongoing.
While visiting A la Ronde, visitors can also step through the key-hole shaped door into the tea-room, or sit outside to admire the view of the Exe Estuary, with delicious hot and cold light lunches, home-made cakes or a Devon cream tea.
