News and events for summer 2019 North West A night out with a difference With warm days come long nights and the overwhelming urge to soak up as much sun as possible. Make the most of heady evenings with al fresco entertainment, a picnic tea or a sunset stroll among the bees and butterflies. Aira Force ©National Trust Images/Paul Harris Images/Paul Trust ©National ith later opening and events Picture perfect picnics Take a stroll around the lake or head Dine outdoors across the North West you into the woods where you might Wcan stay a little longer at A walk and a picnic is a classic spot one of the resident red squirrels Relax after a long day on the Langdale your favourite places this summer. combination for a summer’s day and dining al fresco at one of the feeders. fells at Sticklebarn. We’ll be firing up there’s no shortage of picnic spots to the charcoals for BBQ nights, washed Find a sheltered spot in the glade at Fresh air theatre round off a day exploring in the Lakes. down with a splash of live folk music Aira Force. The sun shining through throughout the summer. Sticklebarn Dig out your picnic blanket (or pick Pack a picnic tea and watch the the woodland canopy creates dappled Harris Images/Paul Trust ©National up one of our best selling rugs in warm evening light fade against ‘spotlights’ and the trees of the Every Tuesday night at Fell Foot, join the shop), top up your glass and the imposing Lakeland fells across pinetum seem even taller when you’re us for wood-fired pizza fresh from Even better: just don’t lose yourself in a classic tale with Derwent Water from Crow Park lying on a picnic blanket! Leave the car the oven. Work up an appetite with a outdoor theatre at Dunham Massey. in Borrowdale. at Glenridding and arrive in style on tranquil evening stroll on the meadow go home! Enjoy the tempestuous love story the Ullswater steamer. walk, a refreshing swim or a warm Love the idea of staying at your Wuthering Heights or the enchanting paddle in England’s largest lake. favourite National Trust places after Secret Garden. Arrive early and stop hours? You can wake up there too by Dunham’s rose garden, alive with After the sun goes down with a break at one of our holiday vibrant sights and smells at this cottages or campsites. Open your There are eight species of bats time of year. front door to have breakfast in the found in the Lakes, and they’re most formal gardens at Cragside, watch For the ultimate Shakespearian active during the summer months the sun rise from the lighthouse experience, immerse yourself in when they leave their roosts to keepers’ cottage at Souter on the the works of the great playwright feed on insects. Join our rangers at east coast or drop off to the sounds set against black-and-white Tudor Ennerdale and Fell Foot for twilight of water lapping Windermere’s buildings, with Macbeth at Speke guided bat walks, using specialist lake shore from High Strawberry Hall and Romeo and Juliet at equipment to listen to their calls. Rufford Old Hall. Gardens, a stone’s throw from Claife Viewing Station. For a tea party with a difference, gather the whole family and join the Mad Hatter for Speke Hall’s family- For more holiday ideas go to friendly Adventures in Wonderland. Speke Hall ©National Trust Images/John Millar Images/John Trust ©National nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays We’d love to hear what you’ve been up to. Join the adventure and share your top spots this season: You’ll find your summer facebook.com/NTNorthWest @NT_NorthWest facebook.com/NTLakeDistrict @NTLakeDistrict What’s on inside nationaltrust.org.uk/north-west nationaltrust.org.uk/the-lakes Garden 1 A snip in time 3 Plant for beauty A little snip after flowering can and taste often lead to a second flush later in Decorative fruit and veg can make the summer. The team at Dunham lovely additions to your summer secrets Massey spend 75 hours each week menu. Make a plot to plate salad for deadheading the roses to make sure the BBQ with trailing tomatoes and their 300 different varieties bloom all English marigolds, or grow your own summer long. Lavender also benefits mint to add to a cooling drink. Just from a haircut just after flowering. keep it contained to stop it taking The plant saves energy by not seeding over. Get inspiration for growing your so you’ll be rewarded next year with a own from the herb gardens at Acorn greater display. Sniff out these highly Bank and Little Moreton Hall and scented plants in the beds next to the Quarry Bank’s veg patches. house at Speke Hall. 4 Follow nature 2 Give your garden and slow down what it wants Grass tends to grow less in the peak Water butts are a great investment. of summer, so the best thing to do ©National Trust Images/Hugh Mothersole Images/Hugh Trust ©National Rain water is pH neutral with less is raise the cutting blade or hold With longer and lighter days, this is the time lots of us chlorine than tap water so is better off mowing to reduce scorching. for your plants. Make the most of Instead, take some time out and flex our green fingers. Our gardeners share their top any watering you do by picking stroll through the cottage garden tips to get the most from your garden this summer: the coolest part of the day, in the that inspired Beatrix Potter at Hill morning or evening. Imagine the Top or enjoy a picnic in the tranquil watering needed to keep the flowers walled garden at Hare Hill or on the at Lyme, Sizergh and Wordsworth lawns at Rufford Old Hall. House looking so colourful. 5 Let nature do its thing Speke Hall Wild flowers not only look beautiful but also attract pollinators, so if you’ve got space to sow some wildflower seeds you’ll be rewarded with colour and wildlife. Take inspiration from the wild flowers in the walled ©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra de Images/Arnhel Trust ©National garden at Wray Castle or along the Whitehaven Coast or join the crowds (of bees and butterflies) making the most of the new ‘nectar bar’ at Allan Bank. Rufford Old Hall ©National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra de Images/Arnhel Trust ©National Lost and found Acorn. Ivy. Heather. Go on a word hunt in Get inspired by nature the gardens at Lyme this summer and see what you can find. Family activities are inspired by Robert McFarlane and Jackie Lost Words Morris’ The Lost Words. The book features Until 1 September, Lyme nature words which have disappeared from A series of family activities inspired by the book. the Oxford Junior Dictionary as children spend less time outdoors. Manchester Festival of Nature 29 June, Heaton Park Visit Manchester’s first nature festival and learn about local wildlife and the people looking after it. Meet Green Academies Project rangers, build a den, or follow a nature trail. Local lives: Small change. Big difference 29 June–3 November, Dunham Massey ©National Trust Images/John Millar Images/John Trust ©National This exhibition focuses on local people who are all doing their bit to help nature. See their portraits, hear their stories, and The Green Academies Project team are Why should young leave your thoughts about what you would fight to protect. working to try and reverse this trend. We spoke to Alex Bond, one of the people get to know rangers involved to find out more… nature? Do your bit for nature Tell us about your job: Nature is important for our health Over the summer help count the different types of butterflies and well-being, not just our planet. at so we can monitor and care for them. I teach young people new skills to However, a lot of young people Lyme help them make a difference to local today don’t even know about the green spaces in need of some TLC. green spaces and wildlife right on their doorstep. Our bird population BBC Countryfile Live What does a normal is shrinking and our green spaces 1–4 August, Blenheim Palace and 15–18 August, Castle Howard day look like? are becoming less, and nature can’t solve this alone. We need to Love the countryside? Love nature? Then join us for this ©Amanda Hancox ©Amanda Every day is different. I could be look after what we have now so it’s year’s BBC Countryfile Live. Alex Bond, Ranger speaking in schools to inspire our still there in the future. This starts at Dunham Massey next generation of Youth Rangers, with showing tomorrow’s nature Visit nationaltrust.org.uk/countryfile-live for more details or outdoors teaching a group about champions how special nature is on our offer for members. bird life and making bird boxes. and what difference they can make. 2 Summer 2019 nationaltrust.org.uk Events and activities for summer 2019 The Lakes | Cheshire, Lancashire & Merseyside This is just a taster of the events coming up – Every Thursday 30 May & 25 July– visit nationaltrust.org.uk/north-west for 29 August, plus Friday 31 May more events and activities happening near you. Wordsworth House & Garden Walk on the wild side 11.30am & 2.30pm Join a costumed servant on a fun, family-friendly garden tour to taste flowers, touch bugs and discover how to turn your outside space into a wildlife haven.* Every Friday Beatrix Potter Gallery Conservation in action 1–3pm Chat to our conservation team and see some rare items from the collection such as early editions of Beatrix's books or her jewellery.* Every closed Friday Hill Top Hill Top tour 2–3pm The Lakes Experience Beatrix Potter’s beloved home, Hill Top, out of hours and get up close to items from the collection.