Sponsored by Starling Bank, the National Trust’s Summer of Play invites families to experience Trust places in new and exciting ways.
Taking place over the summer school holidays and set against the backdrop of the National Trust’s historic houses and beautiful gardens Summer of Play activities will have a family-festival feel.
Designated areas will be jam-packed with outdoor games and experiences. Let imaginations run wild with role play and mini stages, unlock limitless possibilities to design and build with construction zones, make art and music with nature’s materials, or slip away to a cosy book nook.
Give new (and old) sports a go with games including croquet, tennis and cricket. Get competitive with tug of war and egg and spoon races. Or, put your skills to the test with den building and mazes.
Designed with families in mind Summer of Play activities will be dotted around National Trust sites, so there’ll be plenty of space to enjoy the games and activities as well as picnicking spots, shady rest areas and of course, toilets, cafes and pop-up kiosks offering refreshing food and drink.
What’s more, every time you experience a National Trust day out, you help care for these special places for future generations.
Here is what’s happening near you this summer, please check property website for opening days and times:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/cotehele
Summer of Play
22 July – 3 September
Explore the garden and orchards at Cotehele this summer. Challenge the family to a race around the orchard or why not get creative in the performance area? How about seeing who can build the tallest tower? Or who can throw the most bean bags at a game of corn hole? Visitors can enjoy an ice-cream from The Edgcumbe at the quay, Barn Restaurant and Mill Reception or relax in a shady picnic spot in the garden or across the estate.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Pondlife! At Cotehele Quay
Sat 3 Jun, Sat 1 Jul & Sat 5 Aug. 10am – 1pm
Join us as we hunt for the creatures which live in (and on!) the pond. Watch the water closely, or have a go at pond dipping, and identify any insects, fish, or amphibians you may find. First come first served as limited space on the pond platform.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/glendurgan-garden
Summer at Glendurgan
22 July – 3 September
Navigate your way through the cherry laurel maze and see who can make it to the thatched summerhouse in the centre first, become airborne on the Giant’s Stride and journey through the exotic wooded valley that leads down to the River Helford.
Travel around the world of plants at Glendurgan on the Plant Collectors trail and head to the orchard for garden games, bug hotel making and poem writing.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Beach clean
Sun 16 Jul. 11.30am – 1.30pm
We have collaborated with One Bag Beach Clean and Plastic Free Helford River to carry out a beach clean in the North Helford countryside. Gloves, bags and litter-pickers are provided. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm to help for a couple of hours. We will finish the beach clean at the fish cellar, where there will be tea, coffee and cake.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Meet Anna Maria Fox
Wed 14 Jun & Wed 30 Aug. 11 – 11.30am & 2 – 2.30pm
Step back in time and meet Quaker Anna Maria Fox, the niece of Alfred and Sarah Fox who began Glendurgan in the 1820s. Drawing on stories from the journals of Anna Maria’s siblings, Barclay and Caroline as well as the poetry of Charles Fox of Glendurgan, Anna Maria’s performance provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the famous Quaker Fox Family of Falmouth.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/lanhydrock
Lanhydrock Summer of Play
Daily from Sat 22 Jul. 10.30am-5pm
The Lanhydrock gardens are being transformed into a family play hub for the summer. There are lawn games and giant building blocks on the old tennis court, a specially constructed barefoot trail in the parterre and a magical music circle in front of the house. Take part in a family sack race, dress up in the theatre room or enjoy a picnic and some cloud-spotting on the formal lawns. Catch Mrs Candy the cook and the other Victorian staff around the house and garden every Thursday to learn about life in the Victorian country house. Look out for Friday storytelling sessions in the nursery and garden, subject to availability.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Pot and Paint Workshops with the Victorian Gardener
Subject to availability, every Fri throughout the holidays (7 days in total)
Join William the Victorian gardener for a children’s pot and paint workshop every Friday throughout the school holidays. Learn about gardening the Victorian way and discover some of the wonderful plants and trees that grow in the Lanhydrock garden. Decorate your very own terracotta pot and plant seeds ready to grow at home. Please contact the property first to see if the event is scheduled, to avoid disappointment.
Price: £5 (normal admission applies), for ages 4 and up. Booking essential 0344 249 1895.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/trelissick
Summer of Play at Trelissick
Daily from 26 Jul. 10am – 4.30pm
Visit Trelissick with your friends and family this summer to take part in the Summer of Play activities including a nature trail around the garden, summer sports, garden games, puzzles and crafts. Have a go at the garden games on the turning circle such as quoits, skittles and boules and venture into the house to view the traditional games that the family used to enjoy playing together at Trelissick. After a day of play relax on a deckchair on the terrace with an ice cream from the kiosk.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Great Big Green Week Tours
For dates and times please visit the website
To celebrate the Great Big Green Week join us on a tour of the outside of the house and parts of the house that rarely get seen to get an understanding of how our ground source heating has transformed Trelissick.
Price: Free, donations welcome (normal admission applies). Booking not required.
Big Butterfly Count at Trelissick
14 Jul – 6 Aug. 10am – 4.30pm
Help the Butterfly Conservation take nature’s pulse by joining the Big Butterfly Count. How many different species will you be able to identify? We’ll provide recording sheets for your sightings, and this will help us assess the health of the environment.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Archery at Trelissick
31 Jul & 7, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 Aug, 10.30am-12.30pm & 1.30pm-3.30pm
Try your hand at archery at Trelissick this summer. A coach and Trelissick volunteers will be on hand to show you the basics of handling a bow and hitting the target – you’ll be scoring bulls-eyes in no time!
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/trengwainton-garden
Trengwainton’s summer of family fun
Daily from Sun 23 Jul. 10am – 5pm
Get set for family fun at Trengwainton with our Summer of play activities. We’ve lots of fun things for you to do in the orchard and on the Royal Meadow including giant Jenga, tug o’ war, loose parts play and design your own story. There’s den building in the woods on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and the annual scarecrow exhibition in the kitchen garden, with a chance for you to vote for your favourite. Alternatively, simply soak up the atmosphere of the winding paths, streams, walled gardens and award-winning plant collection.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cornwall/trerice
Summer of Play
Daily from Sat 22 Jul. 10.30am – 4.30pm
Enjoy the outdoors with our summer of play activities at Trerice. Head down to the Mowhay field to have a run around and challenge your family to an obstacle course, get up close with nature amongst the long grass and winding paths, and have a go at some outdoor games.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Archaeological tour of Trerice
2, 16, 30 Jun, 14 & 28 Jul, 25 Aug. 2.30 – 3.30pm
You can learn about the archaeological and architectural history of Trerice on an hour long guided tour of the gardens. Find out about key features of the property and how they have changed over time, as well as archaeological digs and finds across the whole site.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Costume Day at Trerice
Every Mon from 24 Jul to 28 Aug. 11am – 3pm
Join in with our volunteers and get the whole family dressed up in Tudor-inspired costumes made by the volunteer costume group here at Trerice. There is something fit for everyone, not just the kids!
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
Archery at Trerice
Every Thu from 27 Jul to 31 Aug. 11am – 3pm
Have a go at family archery sessions at Trerice with family-friendly arrow kits and learn about different types of armour and weaponry with Trerice volunteers.
Normal admission charges apply/free for National Trust members
No additional event charges
