Sunshine, smiles and scores of snowdrops – it feels very spring-like at Beningbrough Hall this week.
Completed in 1716, the hall is 300 years old this year. And to celebrate it has gone floral crazy, with plans to plant 300,000 snowdrops in the gardens.
And everyone is welcome to help.
Beningbrough Hall, Gallery and Gardens, Beningbrough, York, YO30 1DD
Open for half-term: Sat Feb 13 to Sun Feb 21 (closed Monday) @11am-3.30pm
Normal admission charges apply, snowdrop planting free
Over the half-term holiday, families, gardeners and anyone who loves Beningbrough and the great outdoors are being encouraged to come along and plant their very own patch of snowdrops.
And on the first Saturday of half term lots of people did just that. The Ha-Ha Walk was gradually being transformed into a sea of snowdrops as young and old dug in to help.
“We’d love all of our visitors to get involved if they’d like to be part of the project, and leave their mark at Beningbrough,” said Tom Longridge, senior gardener at the National Trust, which owns Beningbrough Hall.
Visitors will be able to return year after year to see their selection of snowdrops bloom.
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That is not the end of the half term fun.
Beningbrough is also staging Georgian Geocaching, where you can go on a treasure hunt, and an Artrageous craft workshop.
Meanwhile professional storyteller Eden brings the history of the hall to life through the portraits in Stories Alive.