https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol
Across Bath and Bristol, National Trust places are alive with the promise of warm summer days, lazy weekend picnics and trips out with family and friends. There’s lots going on this season, from outdoor theatre performances to archaeological digs, garden games to guided walks, and much more.
What’s more, every time you experience a National Trust day out, you help care for these special places for future generations.
Image - Visitors on the Wilderness at Prior Park Landscape Garden Bath Somerset. National Trust Images Arnhel de Serra
Here is what’s happening near you this summer. Please check property website for opening days and times:
Avebury
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/avebury
Summer of Play at Avebury
19 July – 31 August. 10am-5pm
Join us at Avebury for a fun summer of play. Families can take part in lots of free activities to keep them entertained all summer long.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Summer of Play: build your own obstacle course
Daily. June – September. 10am-5pm
Challenge yourself to build and complete a nature obstacle course. What can you create? See how fast you can jump, wobble, and weave!
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Guided tour of Avebury Manor Garden
26 June & 17 July. 10-11.30am
Join a tour of the beautiful Avebury Manor Garden with Head Gardener Garry to learn about seasonal highlights, a varied history, and exciting new developments in the historic garden rooms.
Price: £10pp. Booking required.
Avebury foraging workshop
7 June. 10.30am-3pm
Discover nature's wild food secrets on a foraging course with forager-herbalist Fred Gillam from The Wild Side of Life. Walk through the Avebury landscape and learn to identify and use the plants and fungi growing in our hedgerows, fields and woods.
Price: £55pp. Booking required.
Guided landscape walk: East of Avebury circuit
16 June. 1.30-4pm
This guided walk takes you out of the stone circle towards the Ridgeway, taking in prehistoric round barrows before returning by the Avenue.
Price: £8pp. Booking required.
Glow worm walk at Figsbury Ring, near Salisbury
4 & 11 July. 10-11pm
Is a glow worm really a worm? Why do they shine? How can an insect produce light? Learn the answers to these questions and more by joining the rangers for a nocturnal promenade and talk under the moon and stars at Figsbury Ring.
Price: £10pp. Booking required.
Outdoor theatre: A Midsummer Night's Dream
10 August. 7-9pm
The Three Inch Fools present Shakespeare’s most iconic comedy. You are invited to Avebury Manor Garden for a magical evening of theatre for all the family.
Price: See website for details. Booking required.
Dyrham Park
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/dyrham-park
Nature tots at Old Lodge
Every Tuesday June-July (excluding school holidays). 10.45-11.45am
Sessions will usually include a song, story, craft and a game.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Festival of archaeology at Dyrham Park
19 July-3 August. 10am-5pm
Guided archaeology walks, a heritage explorer trail and a display of finds previously collected to tie in with the festival of archaeology.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Summer of Play at Dyrham Park
23 July-2 September. 10am-5pm
Come to Dyrham this summer for art sessions, nature explorer trails and play activities running through the school summer holidays.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Outdoor Theatre: Twelfth Night presented by The Lord Chamberlain's Men
25 & 26 July. 6.30-9pm
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men invite you to join them this summer for Shakespeare's greatest romantic comedy.
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Nature explorer sessions
Every Tuesday from 29 July – 26 August. 11am-12.15pm
A chance for families to explore the site with our expert outdoor learning assistants.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Lacock
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/lacock
Summer of Play
26 July-31 August. 10am-5pm
Join a festival of fun in the parkland, transformed into a play hub for the summer holidays.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Chapterhouse Theatre Company presents Pride and Prejudice
1 August. 7-9pm
Join us as Chapterhouse Theatre Company brings to life one of Jane Austen's best-loved classics. Bring family and friends to picnic under a beautiful summer sky before you lose yourself in this unforgettable love story.
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Unseen Colour by Werner Bischof: Photography Exhibition
daily, June – August. 10am-5pm
In collaboration with Magnum Photos, discover works of previously unseen colour by World War 2 photojournalist and Magnum photographer, Werner Bischof.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Newark Park
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/gloucestershire-cotswolds/newark-park
Father's Day at Newark Park
15 June. 10am-4.30pm
Treat your loved ones this Father's Day to tea, cake and jazz.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Classic Cars at Newark Park
13 July. 10am-4.30pm
Enjoy a display of pre-war and classic cars on the lawns.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Summer of play at Newark Park
22 July – 31 August. 10am-4.30pm
Come to Newark Park this summer to experience Bob's summer party in the garden running through the school holidays.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Bug hotel making at Newark Park
24 & 25 July. 11am-2pm
Learn how to make a bug hotel that you can take home with you.
Price: £6pp (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Outdoor theatre: Sense and Sensibility at Newark Park
2 August. 6.30-8.45pm
Join the critically acclaimed Pantaloons theatre company as they celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th Anniversary with their 2025 touring production of Sense and Sensibility.
Price: See website for details. Booking required.
Outdoor theatre: Hamlet at Newark Park
30 August. 6.30-9pm
Join the critically acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company as they put on a frantic disposition to tackle Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy in their own anarchic style.
Price: See website for details. Booking required.
Moth engagement sessions
27 July and 10 August. 10.30am- 12.30pm
Find out what moth surveys were completed overnight at Newark Park and see what was captured before the moths are released ahead of the heat of the day.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
The Courts
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/the-courts-garden
Guided Garden Tours
6 June, 7 July, 1 August & 1 September. 10-11am
Learn more about the Courts Garden season to season with guided tours from the Senior Gardener.
Price: £10 per adult (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Prior Park
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/prior-park-landscape-garden
Gardeners’ seasonal garden walks at Prior Park – summer
30 June 11am-12pm
A guided walk from the gardeners at Prior Park. See what’s growing in the garden this summer.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Summer of Play at Prior Park
23 July – 2 September, 10am-5pm
The usual fun outdoor activities at Prior Park, this year focused around the lower part of the garden, near the Tea Cabin, and around the play dens in the wild area.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Festival of Archaeology at Prior Park
19 July – 3 August, 10am-5pm
The dig from previous years continues, unearthing more of Prior Park’s watery past (and present) in the pasture. Chat to volunteers about their findings. The dig will take place in the first week, but the site will remain uncovered the full two weeks to allow visitors a chance to see it for themselves.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Festival of Archaeology at Prior Park, guided walks
29 & 31 July, 11am-12pm
Enjoy a guided walk from the lead archaeologist behind recent digs at Prior Park.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Stourhead
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourhead
Walks & Talks guided tours
Daily. 11am-12.30pm & 1.30-3pm
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 on a one-hour tour.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Social Strolls
Every Thursday. 10am-12noon & 2-4pm
Meet new people and enjoy a gentle health and wellbeing walk in beautiful surroundings. Led by friendly volunteers on a fully accessible route. Enjoy the social atmosphere and make a connection with nature and each other.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Forage and cook walk
June-September (see website for dates). 10am-4pm
Immerse yourself in wild food with this day-long course from Totally Wild UK at Stourhead.
Price: £70pp (12 yrs and above). Booking required.
Wider estate walks
27 June, 25 July, 29 August. 11am-1pm
Stretch your legs on a guided walk around Stourhead's wider estate and enjoy routes that highlight the beauty of each season.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Trust 10
22 June, 27July, 24 August. 8.30-11am
The Trust10 is a monthly, free 10k trail run that gives you the opportunity to take up a new challenge, get outdoors and explore Stourhead’s wider estate.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Walled garden talks
Every Wednesday June-September. 12noon-1pm
Take a detailed look at the function of this vital and often overlooked area of Stourhead with one of our knowledgeable volunteers.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Sketching tour
16 June. 10.30am-3.30pm
Be inspired by Stourhead's world-famous Landscape Garden in this full day sketching tour.
Price: £65pp. Booking required.
Flower brick vase pottery workshop
21 June. 10.30am-3.30pm
Make a flower brick vase at this full day pottery workshop suitable for beginners.
Price: £110pp. Booking required.
International Garden Photographer of the Year
27 June-27 August, 9am-4.30pm
Enjoy exploring this exciting and prestigious exhibition with a selection of amazing IGPOTY award-winning images from across the world, displayed outdoors and in large format.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Summer of Play
5 July-2 September, 10am-4pm
Join us for a full day of fun and let imaginations run wild at the Summer of Play Meadow, bursting with games and challenges. Expert circus performers from BigTopMania and friends will share their skills every weekend in August, and you can get crafty with Wiltshire Scrapstore every Friday to Sunday during the school holidays.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Summer cinema: Pride & Prejudice
10 July. 7-9pm
An open-air showing of Pride and Prejudice to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary!
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Summer cinema: The Greatest Showman
11 July. 7-9pm
Get ready for some pure entertainment as you watch and singalong with The Greatest Showman on a huge open-air screen. The incredible movie musical that has sold cinemas out across the world.
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Summer cinema: Mamma Mia!
12 July. 7-9pm
An ABBAtastic outdoor cinema experience with a showing of Mamma Mia!
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Summer cinema: The Goonies
13 July. 6.30-8.30pm
Enjoy The Goonies like never before as you watch the movie on a huge open-air screen under the stars.
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Tyntesfield
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/tyntesfield
Bird: a love song
3 May – 29 June
Created by In Between Time in collaboration with Tyntesfield and young people from Bristol and North Somerset, Bird explores human-induced biodiversity loss by creating a modern-day response to archival recordings of the now extinct Kaua’i’ō’ō bird as it calls out for a mate that will never come. A promise to protect and conserve those at risk, Bird invites audiences of all generations to reflect on their relationship with nature and commit to conserving our shared world.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Tangled routes: plants, trade, and time at Tyntesfield
9 May – 14 June
Tyntesfield is more than just an English garden. William (1790–1875) and Blanche Gibbs (1817–87) filled their home with artworks and furniture from around the world. In the garden, they collected plants with histories spanning continents and cultures. On this walk, created in partnership with students from the University of Bristol, you will unearth global plant stories in four different parts of the garden.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Make a small rustic bench in a day
22 June. 10am-4pm
This one-day course has no wood turning element to it. Everything is done with hand and battery tools.
Price: £95pp (over 16s only). Booking not required.
Twelfth Night with The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
19th July, 7pm
Join The Lord Chamberlain’s Men on Tyntesfield’s Croquet Lawn, for Shakespeare’s greatest romantic comedy, Twelfth Night. With a history stretching back to William Shakespeare’s original company, they present this joyous play as he first saw it – in the open air, with an all-male cast and Elizabethan costumes, music and dance.
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Summer of Play at Tyntesfield
July 19 – August 31. 10am – 5pm
Join the team at Tyntesfield for a Summer of Play, travelling around the world in 80 plays. From traditional pastimes like giant chess, to more modern games like the floor is lava, work your way around the world, learning the origins of each activity and finding new ways to play.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Spoon carving workshop
13 July. 10am-4pm
This one day course takes you through the processes of safely carving a spoon from a piece of hardwood.
Price: £80pp (over 16s only). Booking required.
Make a one leg stool
17 August. 10am-4pm
Learn how to make a one leg stool on this two-day course with the Somerset Bodgers.
Price: £120pp (over 16s only). Booking required.
Image - Bean bag toss game during the Summer of Play event at Lacock, Wiltshire National Trust Images James Beck
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Images: Available to download here. Please credit as indicated and only use in conjunction with this press release.
About the National Trust
In January 2025 the National Trust marked its 130th birthday by launching its new 10-year strategy People and Nature Thriving.
This strategy, which will guide the charity’s work and direction from 2025-2035 and beyond, focuses on three key goals:
· Restore Nature
· End unequal access to nature, beauty and history
· Inspire more people to care and take action
The plans follow the largest public consultation ever carried out by the National Trust, with more than 70,000 people – including members, volunteers and industry partners – sharing their views on the Trust’s work and direction.
Read more about the National Trust’s strategy here.
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