9 places to visit this Easter

NUNNINGTON HALL

The National Trust have teamed up with Cadbury this Easter, with chocolate-based fun happening at their two properties near Helmsley.

At Nunnington Hall, starting Friday, March 25, families will be able to hunt Easter Eggs around the Hall and garden, and will be rewarded with a Cadbury chocolate prize.

Also at Nunnington, on bank holiday Sunday 27 and Monday 28, there will be cute farm animals for children to meet including chicks, ducks, pigs, lambs and a donkey.

Throughout both days there will be animal-inspired races, a bouncy castle, face painting and games on the lawn.

Laura Kennedy, visitor experience manager said: “Easter at Nunnington Hall is always packed with plenty of fun activities for the whole family. We’ll once again be running our ever popular Easter Egg Hunts.

“On Over Sunday and Monday, apart from meeting cute farm animals everyone is invited to join in with the fun animal races. Pull up a deck chair and set up the picnic while the kids enjoy themselves.”

Nunnington Hall

Nunnington Hall is open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am – 5pm and Mondays in school holidays. For more information about visiting, telephone 01439 748283 or go to nationaltrust.org.uk/nunningtonhall.

RIEVAULX TERRACE

Cadbury’s chocolatey fingerprints are also all over events at Rievaulx Terrace over the Easter weekend.

Here, Easter Egg Hunts are available from Sunday, March 27 until Monday, March 28, along with family craft activities each day.

Every penny of the money raised from the Cadbury Easter Egg Hunts goes directly to Nunnington Hall and Rievaulx Terrace to support the charity’s conservation projects. Each £2 Easter Egg Hunt includes a Cadbury chocolate prize.

Nunnington Hall & Rievaulx Terrace

Rievaulx Terrace is open daily, 10am – 4pm. See nationaltrust.org.uk/rievaulx-terrace for details.

LIVING SEAS AT FLAMBOROUGH HEAD

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas Centre has a programme of events and boat trips over the holidays.

Some of the Trust’s marine experts will be running a range of special events from the Living Seas Centre; kicking off with an Egg-stra Special Seashore Safari. The safari will mimic a traditional Easter egg hunt - but instead of searching for chocolate eggs, instead you will be searching for eggs belonging to some of the wildlife that lives in the rockpools at South Landing.

For something a little more relaxing, try a stroll around Flamborough Cliffs Nature Reserve. Take a pair of binoculars and watch the seabirds, returning to Flamborough’s amazing sea cliffs to breed. To get more up close and personal with them, join Trust staff for a Living Seas Safari Boat Trip.

The Living Seas Centre is based at South Landing, Flamborough Head. The centre is open daily from 10am – 5pm.

All the details for the events can be found on the Trust’s website by following the link; booking is essential. See ywt.org.uk.

SCARBOROUGH SEA LIFE CENTRE

A slightly different kind of seabird can be found at Scarborough Sea Life centre – penguins.

The centre’s Penguin fortnight lasts from Saturday, March 26 until Sunday, April 10. The antics of the colony of 20 Humboldt Penguins can be viewed up close on their home of Penguin Island, and children can learn more in a “waggle workshop”.

All of the extra Penguin-related fun is included in a standard price ticket.
Humboldt Penguins are classified as vulnerable on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List.

See visitsealife.com/scarborough.

CASTLE HOWARD

Castle Howard will be hosting a traditional fair this Easter, with rides, games and face-painters from Saturday to Monday, March 28.

In the gardens, the Easter fairground will include children’s train, chair-o-planes, swing boats and a helter-skelter.

The gardens open at 10am with the house open from 10.30am, Easter activities begin at 11am. Included in admission, small additional charge applies for big wheel and game stalls.

DALBY FOREST

From cycling and walking through the forest’s many trails to discovering your inner chimp on the Go Ape trail, Dalby is a great place to get active this Easter. Plus there’s always time for a post-stroll coffee in the Dalby Forest café, open daily.

See forestry.gov.uk/dalbyforest for details.

RYEDALE FOLK MUSEUM

A Bakers Dozen Easter egg trail is also on offer at Ryedale Folk Museum, in Hutton-le-Hole, with prizes on offer. The trail is free and normal museum admission applies.
See ryedalefolkmuseum.co.uk for more details.

BECK ISLE MUSEUM

At Beck Isle Museum, in Pickering, there is plenty to see and do over the Easter holiday, including a quiz with a chocolate treat for those who take part.

The quiz will be available every day from Friday to Sunday, April 10, from 10am to 4pm, and is £1 to enter.

See beckislemuseum.org.uk for more details.

SCAMPSTON

In what is expected to be a busy year of celebrations, Scampston Walled Garden opens on Good Friday, March 25, with the Easter Eggsplorer’s Trail, which runs until April 10.

To mark the 300th anniversary of Capability Brown, the landscape architect, Scampston will be offering a number of family trails and craft events throughout the year, which will teach children about the work of Brown and the habitats he created for wildlife.

On March 31, at 2pm, a guided heritage walk "Walking in the Footsteps of Mr Brown" will explain all the remarkable features Brown created at Scampston and offer an introduction to the work of a forward thinking 18th century man.

Families are also invited to learn about one of the early head gardeners at Scampston, William Speechley, and the pineapples he grew in to the conservatory on Tuesday, April 5, from 11am to 3pm.

Isobel Pritchard, visitor services manager at Scampston, said: "We are delighted to be opening to the public once again, and have put together an exciting line-up of events for school holidays.”

See scampston.co.uk/events.