It’s less than seven days to go to the biggest mass participation event the National Trust in the South West has ever organised. The Big Beach Picnic, taking place from 12 noon this Saturday (4 July), is happening at fifteen different locations across the South West. From Polzeath and Towan beach in Cornwall to Woolacombe and Branscombe beach in Devon to Studland and Weymouth beach in Dorset to Bossington and Brean Down beach in Somerset. A highlight of the 2015 South West Coastal Festival programme, the Big Beach Picnics are a free ‘mass participation’ way of celebrating 50 years of...
An exhibition by Exmouth Art Group inspired by the beauty of the surrounding area, the tranquil setting of the A La Ronde house and gardens provide an ideal backdrop for this eclectic range of paintings.
This summer the croquet lawn at Castle Drogo will be the backdrop for some very special outdoor theatre and music. ‘Cider with Rosie’ from the novel by Laurie Lee will be performed by the Plough Community Theatre on Saturday 27 June, 7-9pm. Set during the period that Castle Drogo was being built, at the end of the First World War, ‘Cider with Rosie’ recounts Laurie Lee’s powerful childhood memories of life in a rural village which had seen few changes in a thousand years. From being left alone in a field at the age of three, to leaving the family home as an adult, we share Laurie Lee’s...
In June, to celebrate the strong religious tradition linked to the owners of A la Ronde, the National Trust team will be focusing on the twelve bibles in the collection at the quirky sixteen-sided house.
Each bible has an inscription and, through these, part of the Parminter family tree can be traced back to 1743.
Many of the Parminters were dissenters who opposed state interference in religious matters, including the last owners, cousins Jane and Mary Parminter, who were both non-conformists.
The grandfather of Jane Parminter was the minister of a non-conformist...
As part of its Coastal Festival 2015, the National Trust in East Devon are linking up with the team from Jurassic Coast to give a free talk about the history of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site on Tuesday 30 June at 7.30pm in Branscombe village hall. Sam Scriven of the Jurassic Coast Team says: ‘Find out why this spectacular 95 miles of coastline is globally unique; and discover why its rocks, fossils and landforms led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site’. Branscombe beach is one of the beaches on the Jurassic Coast that is looked after by the National Trust. Situated...
On Sunday 17 May, from 10am to 5pm, over 350 vintage vehicles will park up in style to celebrate ‘classic car day’ in the historic parkland at Killerton, near Exeter.
‘Classic car enthusiasts travel far and wide to show off their prized vehicles at the renowned annual event in the hope of winning the coveted Killerton House Cup for the ‘best car in show’.
Visitors can also explore over 50 stalls selling jewellery, furniture, silk scarves and textiles, listen to live jazz or wander around the National Trust house, gardens and parkland.
National Trust gardeners at the much loved holiday home of Agatha Christie, Greenway, are celebrating a huge swing to the bluebells after one of the finest showings in many years brought visitors to its woodland gardens.
Last year Greenway gardeners were battling the invasive and unwelcome Three Cornered Leek which is similar in appearance to a white bluebell, but with a distinctive smell and a narrow green stripe down the centre of each petal.
Simon Akeroyd, Head Gardener said, “The Three Cornered Leek can smother bluebells and has a strong onion smell whereas our native...
The Castle Drogo Youth Panel has planned a free community open evening to celebrate Museums at Night on Friday 15 May. From 6pm until 9pm, the gates will be flung open for all local people to come up and enjoy spending time at the castle outside normal opening hours. The Youth Panel’s aim is for this to be a chilled out evening where visitors can stroll in the garden, relax on the lawns, listen to music and watch the sun go down. There will be plenty of games; and local musicians will be performing on-site too, including the fabulous Wren Music Youth Choir at 6.30pm. There will also be a ‘...
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...
Over the winter, the National Trust has been busy creating open glades at Peak Hill in Sidmouth to benefit wildlife and create new vistas for those walking along the beautiful south west coast path.
“Lots of wildlife flourishes in more open habitats including beautiful wild flowers and butterflies,” explains Chris Jones, Countryside Ranger for the National Trust East Devon Coast and Countryside team. “We’re excited to find out which species of plant and animal will benefit from our work and we would be grateful to hear from the public if they spot anything unusual.”