Join in our winter wildlife events in the parkland

January is the perfect time to blow away the cobwebs and work off the Christmas pudding in the historic parkland at Tatton Park, in rural Cheshire East. There are two parkland events this month to encourage visitors to pull on their walking boots and experience the wildlife of this stunning 1,000-acre deer park.



White deer in the snow

©Gary Cross



On Sunday, January 15 enjoy some winter wildfowl watching at the ‘Allen Bird Hide’ overlooking Melchett Mere. Members of Knutsford Ornithological Society and a Tatton ranger will be on hand to help visitors to identify different species of birds and also to help inquisitive twitchers use a telescope for fantastic, close-up views. Winter Wildfowl is a free, drop-in event between 11am-2pm for both beginners and experienced bird watchers. Park entry charge of £5 per car applies.



The hide is positioned on one of the most beautiful areas of the parkland, at the water’s edge of Melchett Mere off Knutsford Drive and provides a stunning view across a 500 metre stretch of water into the meadow and rough grassland of the deer park.



Winter visitors to the mere include many species of wildfowl including; goldeneye, teal and tufted ducks. Cormorants, shovelers and little grebe are often sighted and a juvenile whooper swan has recently been seen on the mere. Visitors may be lucky enough to see a smew, a rare duck which has in the past been spotted at Tatton in early January. Bird feeders around the hide also encourage many woodland birds such as finches, tits and the impressive great spotted woodpecker.

If deer are more to your delight, join the rangers on Tuesday, January 17 for a Deer Walk and Light Lunch.

Tatton Park is one of the best places in the North West to see these extraordinary animals up close (and not quite personal). A deer park since 1290, Tatton is now home to over 400 Red and Fallow deer, who roam freely within its 1,000 acres of parkland.



Enjoy a walk through the stunning winter parkland and learn more about the deer and their habitat from Tatton’s expert ranger team. The walk will finish with a light lunch at the Stables Restaurant. This activity takes place from 10am-12pm and costs £12 per person (minimum participant age 16 years). This activity must be booked in advance; please call 01625 374428 or email tattoneducation@cheshireeast.gov.uk

We hope you can join us!

Eleanor Gorsuch, Marketing

Buon natale!

Visitors to Tatton Park mansion will be greeted with ‘Buon natale!’ this Christmas, as Venice inspires our seasonal theme.

The stunning staterooms of the mansion at Tatton Park in rural Cheshire East will be spectacularly dressed to reflect the extravagance and sophistication of Venice.

Venetian splendour will be brought to the English country home with striking displays inspired by the drama of ‘carnevale.’ Trees dressed with peacock feathers and decorative birds in gilded cages are just some of the spectacular delights of the Christmas decorations (though we won’t give anything else away!).

These dramatic new displays will enhance our usual traditional Christmas decorations. This Christmas, as in previous years, the floristry team will also be undertaking the enormous task of crafting, by hand, the miles of festive garlands and wreathes used to dress the Mansion’s grand staterooms.

Preparing the Christmas Mansion decorations in the cellars

      © Eleanor Gorsuch

The natural foliage for the decorations is taken largely from the parkland and gardens. Throughout November and December the rangers and gardeners work tirelessly to source the very best greenery from specially selected plantations. Western red cedar, variegated holly, ivy, laurel, pine cones and yew are cut, transported in trailers and delivered directly to the cellar doors where the Mansion team work their magic.

This year, however, the focus is very much on the spectacle of Venice.

The Egerton family, the owners of Tatton for 360 years, were keen collectors, bringing many fine treasures from their travels to furnish their Cheshire and London homes. In 1884, Lady Mary Egerton wrote to her daughter Gertrude from Venice: “We are enjoying this delightful place as much as we always do, and finding all sorts of Treasures…The weather here is delicious – fresh and hot: our old gondolier MOMOLO has been engaged till today.”

Amongst the finest paintings in Tatton’s collection are two views of Venice, by the Venetian master, Giovanni Antonio Canale, more commonly known as Canaletto. The pair came into the Tatton collection in the late eighteenth century during the ownership of Samuel Egerton (1711-1780). These stunning paintings, which hang in the Drawing Room at Tatton, inspired this year’s Christmas theme.

In addition to the decorations and displays, visitors will be entertained with a changing live music programme including a harpist, flautist, string quartet, harpsichord, and in addition, musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music. The musical programme is different every day.

Christmas is not only evident in the grand staterooms; the humble servants’ quarters will also be getting into the festive spirit. In the scullery our costumed still room and kitchen maids will be cooking Christmas delicacies. Count on some lively ‘Downton’ style banter with the below-stairs staff.

Visitors can learn how to create beautiful decorations for their own home during free demonstrations in the servants’ quarters. Children will also be able to take part in free Venetian mask-making workshops at the weekends.

The Christmas mansion is open from Wednesday, December 7 to Friday, December 23 from noon to 4pm (last entry 3pm), closed Mondays and Tuesdays between these dates. Find out more and the event and times and prices here.
Eleanor Gorsuch, Marketing

The pumpkin tree returns!

Last week it was wheelbarrows at the ready for Tatton Park’s garden team - as they brought in the autumn harvest for the half term 'Get Squashed' event. With more than 2.5 acres of walled kitchen gardens, that’s a lot of tasty gourds, marrows and squashes - not forgetting some corking courgettes.

The annual 'Get Squashed' event is now back in the gardens until Sunday, October 30. This event is a great opportunity for the gardeners to dig deep for creative inspiration and make a fantastic display of the autumn harvest. Our visitors have been arriving  to see, smell, touch (but not quite taste - that would ruin the display) some wonderful fare from the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’.

Look closely for the pumpkins!

Our younger visitors have been taking part in a pumpkin poetry trail, which leads them around the gardens in search of ingredients for a ‘magical spell’finally leading them to the marvellous ‘pumpkin tree’. See left!!

The gardens are looking particularly beautiful now, especially the maples in the historic Japanese garden, which celebrates its centenary this year. Here's a photo of it this lunch time  - burnished in its gorgeous autumn colour. 

If you’re looking for other frightfully fun events this half term, visit the horrendously haunted Old Hall at Tatton Park from until Sunday, October 30. Prepare to be petrified as you wander through the haunted Tudor building - fast gaining a reputation as one of the spookiest film locations in the North West. 

And don't forget the fabulously peculiar Skin and Bones event in the mansion - exploring Tatton's wonderful natural history collection of taxidermy, fossils, shells and ethnographic curios.  This event takes place until Sunday October 30.

Happy half term!

Eleanor Gorsuch, Marketing

Day one nearly done!

Tatton's Japanese Garden

The RHS Flower Show may be months in the planning but we very swiftly speed through the hours once the show is finally upon us. 

There's been a great buzz on the first day of the show, with a lot of interest around Tatton's Japanese Garden inspired (and gold medal winning) garden - Paradise Isle - 100 years on.  We've got a fantastic spot with the other local gardens making up the Cheshire Gardens of Distinction's area.

My favourite flowers of the show in the floral marquee

Tatton's presence - other than the show garden - is a Marketing and an Education tent. For us, in Marketing, it's a great opportunity to chat to people about what we do at Tatton and to try and encourage visitors to come back to see all we have to offer here.  We also get asked all sorts of questions about the flowerbed too - so if you don't know your acer palmatum from your elbow, now is the time to find out!

  

Beautiful bug house!

After many years of doing the show the team has learnt a few essential tips to see you through the 5 days: water, suncream, sunglasses (for those glaring walkways) water and a bit more water.  This year we might just (fingers treble crossed) get away without the brollies.  And a break in the Country Living tent doesn't go amiss either.

Here's a few of the highlights for me of day one...
Eleanor Gorsuch, Marketing