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Uncovering the hidden heritage gems across the UK!

30 April 2012

Going Wild in the Garden


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to-discover
Juvenile blue tit. Copyright © Amy Lewis.Juvenile blue tit. Copyright © Amy Lewis.

Gardens are the place to be in spring and summer. This is when the results of wildlife gardening efforts are most visible – wildflowers planted for pollinators are in bloom and attracting bees and butterflies, young frogs and toads are emerging from ponds, and fledgling birds are taking advantage of rich pickings at bird tables.

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27 April 2012

Midsummer Tea Party


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to-discover
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Jools Holland at the Midsummer Tea Party at St Mary's Church, Higham in June 2011.Jools Holland at the Midsummer Tea Party at St Mary's Church, Higham in June 2011.

St Mary’s Church, Higham, Kent –A favourite church of Charles Dickens and now in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust took part in a Midsummer Tea Party in June 2011. The Friends’ of St Mary’s Church organised a themed event; “Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” inviting people to attend wearing a hat.

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27 April 2012

Welcome to Kensington, a palace for everyone


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The Big Dance at Kensington Palace, London. Copyright © Historic Royal Palaces.The Big Dance at Kensington Palace, London. Copyright © Historic Royal Palaces.

London has just been given a new public space as large as Trafalgar Square. Actually, it was there all the time, but hidden away behind security planting and fences. Kensington Palace sits at the heart of Kensington Gardens in west-central London, but for years the public entrance was tucked away round the corner. Millions of people walked past on the Broadwalk without realising the palace was open to the public. Now they do. A new entrance on the baroque brick palace’s east front says ‘open’ loud and clear.

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25 April 2012

The Teasel Towers Spot-the-Toothbrush Teaser


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old-teasel
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Teasel Towers Spot-the-Toothbrush Teaser

Huzzah! ‘Now that April’s there,’ the gardens at Teasel Towers are open to the public. The crab-apple tree is ‘in tiny leaf,’ and as you can see, a reception is being laid out by Mrs Teasel for the first visitors. Obviously you can’t see the full extent of the grounds here, though to be honest, you nearly can, and Teasel-Cat’s drinking bucket – our edgy but practical water feature – is also out of shot. But come on in anyway and…try the Teasel Towers Teaser.

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25 April 2012

Spring & Summer Fun at Witley Court & Gardens


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to-discover
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Copyright © Witley Court & Gardens.Copyright © Witley Court & Gardens.

Visit Witley Court over the coming months and you will be in for a real treat. We have something for all the family to enjoy from our exciting events programme to our beautiful gardens. Witley Court is the perfect picnic venue with its vast rambling ruins and stunning views and what better way to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee than with a visit to Witley Court with a picnic!

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team-dp
Family picnic at Serpentine Gallery, London

After a week of featuring beautiful Grand Gardens across the country, from a heritage garden at 1,000 feet above sea level to an exotic garden on the English Riviera, we are just itching to get out and enjoy the UK’s green spaces in the coming months – weather permitting, of course. So this week we’ve decided to look at the events happening in gardens of all shapes and sizes, as we look forward to the Spring/ Summer season of parties, picnics and proms.

Read more about Call to Action: Garden Party»

20 April 2012

The National Trust's most astonishingly situated Garden


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Castle Drogo - Spring

Set against the dramatic backdrop of Dartmoor’s wilderness, Castle Drogo is a unique composition of stark contrasts that reflect the extremes of human ambition and ingenuity. Although the iconic castle is famous for being the last one built in England it is the remarkable formal gardens designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens to complement the castle that create the most blatant contrast to the surrounding moor. Perched high on a hilltop 1000 feet above sea level and exposed to the harshness of Dartmoor’s notorious weather this is probably the most unlikely place to discover a fine historic garden.

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18 April 2012

Coleton Fishacre Garden


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Coleton Fishacre garden. Copyright © National TrustColeton Fishacre garden. Copyright © National Trust

Coleton Fishacre garden is one of the jewels in the crown of the National Trust English Riviera. Nestled into a coastal valley, this garden boasts beautiful hard landscaping, exotic planting, a balance between formal and wild areas, and breathtaking sea views.

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16 April 2012

Call to Action: Grand Gardens


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team-dp
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Fernando Casasempere's 'Out of Sync' at Somerset House, London.Fernando Casasempere's 'Out of Sync' at Somerset House, London.

The call to action this week is Grand Gardens and this really conjures up for me gardens of the past, the gardens of great stately homes and palaces, and of course public gardens and the history of how they came to be.

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13 April 2012

Project Dirt


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to-discover
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Copyright © Project DirtCopyright © Project Dirt

Hello to everyone at Discovering Places from the Project Dirt team! In case you haven’t heard of us, Project Dirt is a green social network, which brings people together to share advice, information and resources. To keep things practical the network is centred around projects (ie what people are doing), which makes it less about talking and more about doing. With over 5,000 members (the “Dirters”) undertaking 750 projects we have grown into London’s biggest green network. Typically there are 50+ events posted on Project Dirt each week – so do check our events section to see what’s happening near you.

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