Have you ever bought a postcard as a souvenir of a visit? Over two hundred years ago, cousins Jane and Mary Parminter from A la Ronde did just that.
While on their grand tour of Europe they collected 39 Gouaches and a fan from Mount Vesuvius. These will be on display at the 16-sided property throughout May as part of a ‘Hidden House’ programme which showcases items in the collection that visitors cannot usually see.
Gouaches are much like modern day postcards. They were printed from engravings and then coloured using a transparent paint called Gouache. With their passion...
Last month a young family from Brighton visiting A la Ronde left behind a toy dinosaur.
After receiving a phone call from the family to say that the toy’s owner was a little upset, the team at A la Ronde decided to give the dinosaur a good time while waiting for it to be collected. After all, A la Ronde is on the outskirts of Exmouth, the start of the Jurassic Coast.
The dinosaur got involved in all aspects of the daily running of a National Trust property, from answering the phone, guarding the entrance to the shell gallery, playing the piano and working in the garden with...
Take a step back in time at A la Ronde this month and discover more about Victorian innovations in the sixteen-sided house; including gas lamps, speaking tubes, the central heating system, a water tower, laundry and a dumb waiter.
A la Ronde is providing specific information about each of these items and looking at ways to make them more interactive for families and visitors. For example, areas of the dumb waiter that are usually closed have been opened up, the gas lamps have been lit in the entrance and dining room and an area has been set up outside the laundry for children to...
A la Ronde is celebrating the Easter holiday with an array of egg-citing events, including a family trail sponsored by Cadbury from Saturday 28 March until Sunday 12 April and an Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April. The new-look family trail activities include colouring and a Cadbury egg head prize, all for just £1.50; and at the Easter Eggstravaganza little ones can have their face painted as fun characters and participate in lots of spring-themed craft activities: They can contribute to Easter Egg bunting which will be on display the whole week, make an Easter bunny...
A la Ronde is open for visitors again following its winter clean, but some conservation work can still be seen taking place in this unique house.
Every Wednesday and Thursday, the in-house team of expert conservators will be carrying out their work in front of visitors so they can find out more about the specialist techniques used for cleaning ceramics, metals, beating carpets and conserving the book collection.
Laura Fox, House Steward, says: “we are delighted to be able to invite visitors to watch conservation in action at A la Ronde and meet some experts in their fields...
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...
