National Trust events in Wiltshire that are ‘alive with the promise of summer’

In Wiltshire, National Trust sites are buzzing with the promise of warm summer days, lazy weekend picnics and outings with family and friends.

There’s a lot going on this season, from food classes to outdoor theater performances and nature yoga to guided garden walks and talks and more.

Here’s what’s happening near you this spring, please check the property’s website for opening days and times:

---

Avebury:

Guided Tour of Avebury Manor Gardens

June 6 and July 11, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m

Join Avebury Manor’s head gardener as he takes visitors through the garden to share his knowledge of the site, from the fascinating history and how the garden has developed over the centuries, to the fantastic attractions of seasonal planting and tips for your own gardens.

Price: £15 (includes garden entry and tea or coffee and a treat in the cafe). Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Scenic walk – Waden Hill

Saturday, June 15, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m

The volunteer guide will help you unlock the past by explaining the history of the landscape as you go.

Price: £8. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Trust10 trail at Avebury

23 June, 28 July and 25 August 9 – 11:00

Trust10 is a monthly 10k route that allows you to explore the wider landscape of Avebury.

Glowworm walk at Figsbury Ring, near Salisbury

Friday 28 June and Friday 5 July 9.45 – 23.00

On this evening adventure, you can watch the curtain of night fall around us atop the ancient fort of the Figsbury Ring as we hope to encounter some extraordinary creatures.

Price: £8. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Summer food course

Saturday, July 4, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m

Discover nature’s wild food secrets on this foraging course with Fred Gillam.

Price: £55. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Summer floral workshop

Friday, July 12, 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

This workshop will give you the confidence and techniques to create a beautiful summer floral arrangement using seasonal flowers.

Price: £39. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Scenic Walk – East of Avebury Circuit

Tuesday, July 23, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m

A knowledgeable volunteer guide will help you unlock the past by explaining the history of the landscape as you go.

Price: £8. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Family Stone Circle Tour

Every Sunday and Wednesday from July 28 11 – 11:45 and 1 – 1:45 p.m.

Price: £2.50 per child (adults free, normal admission applies). No reservation required.

---

Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village

Outdoor Theatre: Chapterhouse Theater Company’s Beauty and the Beast

Thursday, Aug. 15 19 – 20.30

Presented with lively original music and sparkling humour, Chapterhouse Theater Company’s exciting new adaptation of Beauty and the Beast is perfect for the whole family.

Price: Adult £20 / Child £12 / Family (1A & 3C) £44 / Family (2A & 3C) £55. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

---

Mompesson House

The Invisible Hands of House Mompesson: The Servants

Every Friday to Tuesday from 14 June to 27 August from 11:00 to 16:00

Find out what life was like for the people who worked behind the scenes at the House of Mompesson, from 18th century servants to housekeepers and gardeners in the 1950s.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). No reservation required.

---

Stourhead

Forage and cook

8 and 16 June, 13 July and 11 August 10:00 – 16:00

A foraging crash course where he covers everything from identifying to preparing and cooking wild food, held on the beautiful wider estate of Stourhead.

Price: £70. Mandatory booking on 01747 841152 or via the website.

Summer yoga

Tuesday 11, Tuesday 18 and Tuesday 25 June 10 – 11:00

This outdoor class is suitable for all skill levels. A wet weather location is available. Please bring your own mat.

Price: £15 (normal admission applies). Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Father’s Day Forestry School

Sunday 16 June 10:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 16:00

Immerse yourself in our woodlands and share nature crafts, den building and outdoor play with our professional facilitator.

Price: £30 for 1 adult and 2 children. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Confidence10

Sunday 23 June, Sunday 28 July and Sunday 25 August 8.30 – 11.30

The Trust10 10k trail run at Stourhead is a challenging multi-terrain run involving some public roads.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). No reservation required.

Royal Geographical Society: Earth Photo 24

Daily from 24 June 9:00 – 16:30

A collaboration between the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), Forestry England and Parker Harris, Earth Photo celebrates photographic and cinematic work that conveys the world around us and makes us think differently, capturing nature, people, place and space, forests, land and seascapes, as well as the varied impacts of and adaptations to climate change.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). No reservation required.

Stourhead estate walks

28 June, 26 July and 30 August 11:00 – 13:00

Be driven on lesser-known trails around the wider Stourhead estate, see bluebells in spring, wildflowers and butterflies in summer and the golden landscapes of autumn. t.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Seasonal yoga

Sunday 28 July 10.30 – 11.45

Connect with your body and nature through seasonal yoga. A wet weather location is available. Please bring your own mat.

Price: £15 (normal admission applies). Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Summer Theatre: Beauty and the Beast

Friday 23 August 4 – 6.30 p.m

Chapter House Theater Company will perform the classic production of Beauty and the Beast.

Price: Adult £20 / Child £10.20 / Family (2A & 2C) £55. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Summer theater: Females

Friday 30 August 7 – 9.30 p.m

Chapter House Theater Company will perform a classic production of Little Women. Bring a picnic and join us on the West Lawn behind Stourhead House for a pleasant evening under the stars.

Price: Adult £20 / Child £10.20 / Family (2A & 2C) £55. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

Summer Theater: Pride and Prejudice

Saturday, August 31, 7 – 9.30 p.m

Chapter House Theater Company will perform a classic production of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Bring a picnic and join us on the West Lawn behind Stourhead House for a pleasant evening under the stars.

Price: Adult £20 / Child £10.20 / Family (2A & 2C) £55. Mandatory reservation at 0344 249 1895 or through the website.

The Walled Garden is talking

Every Wednesday. 12.30 – 1.30 and 14.00 – 15.00

Find out more about the function of the Walled Garden, both past and present, in this guided talk.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). No reservation required.

Walks and talks

Daily. 11:00 – 12:30 and 13:30 – 15:00

Accompany one of Stourhead’s knowledgeable volunteers on the original route taken by the Hoare family and their guests and learn the history of this fascinating place. The walks take approx. 1/1.5 hours. Meet at the interpretation center.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). No reservation required.

Making a House a Home: 300 Years of Women’s History at Stourhead

Daily. 11:00 – 16:00

The story of Stourhead is told through the eyes of the women who played a part in making it a special place

This includes Alda Hoare, who gave Stourhead to the National Trust in 1946 to Jane Benson, who was the first lady to live in the house in the 18th century.

Price: Free (regular admission applies). No reservation required.