Photography Workshop

As part of the Festival of Adult Learning, this Sunday (October 4th) we are hosting a free to attend Photography Workshop at Tattershall Castle.

Starting at 1pm, there will be a two hour workshop led by Jane Harrison, North Kesteven’s Photography Development Officer. Jane will spend time with visitors teaching them how to get the best from their camera; show people the broad basics of photography and highlight working techniques such as how to achieve good shot composition, how to isolate the shot within a scene and methods for photographing architecture and landscapes.

After the workshop has finished, visitors have the rest of the afternoon free to capture the perfect image of Tattershall Castle and its grounds.

Most exciting of all, attendees of the workshop also get an excellent opportunity to participate in an art installation at the Castle. After the workshop, the keen photographers are invited to submit their two favourite images from the day to Tattershall Castle. We will then have them professionally printed and mounted and turn them into an installation, which will run at the Castle from Saturday 24th October until Saturday 31st October (half term week).

Attendees who submit photographs for inclusion in the photography exhibition will be given a pass to return to the castle for free one day during the exhibition, so they can check out how their pieces look.

The workshop is free to attend but normal castle admission charges apply. Castle admission is free for National Trust members. Spaces are limited so booking is essential to attend the event, please call Tattershall Castle on 01526 342543 to book.

The Mobile Mouse Trap.

When opening a medieval castle in the mornings, you never know what you may find. 9 am on Saturday 26th September looked like any other Saturday, ok , we were to have a wedding downstairs at 11am, other than that quite normal. With duster in hand I proceeded to climb the stairs to the six floors to open up. All rather mundane until I reached the third floor door, on opening it I discovered the biggest barn owl in flight I have ever seen. My first thought was how on earth did it get in, my second thought,and the most important one was, how am I going to get it out. I walked into the middle of the room with the owl flying round me. I was afraid he would be startled and fly into the stained glass windows but, he gave me one last glance and dissapeared through the open door I had just come through, and onto the spiral staircase. Experience told me that it was unlikely he would fly down wards, birds don't like to fly down stairs and tend to fly upwards toward the light. We have had peacocks climb the stairs before and found the easist and safest way to deal with them is to guide them to the top of the stairs and make them fly 100 feet off the top of the castle. I gingerly made my way up to the top, sure enough the owl was waiting there sat in a window, with a wire grill on to stop birds getting IN. I quickly opened the doors onto the battlements and the owl made his escape. We've never had to set any mouse traps in the castle before, but we never knew we had mobile mouse catchers before either. He/she was last seen flying for cover followed by a dozen rooks, so the danger wasn't over for him/her. It's another one to put onto my list, of visitors not having a entrance ticket. :(

Post-Bling Tristesse

As the nights draw in and the socks get thicker, we cannot help but look back longingly at the summer just gone. Here at the Castle we had all sorts of fun this summer, but the highlight for us would have been the fascinating House of Bling exhibition, which ran in the middle of August.

One part of the exhibition was Sarah Price’s garden installation in the old stable block. Sarah is an up and coming landscape designer; she is one of the designers collaborating on the 2012 Olympic Park garden designs, and drew inspiration for her ‘reframing the picturesque’ installation from the period in the castle’s history where it lay abandoned and neglected. During this time, nature found its way back into the castle plants inhabited the space. Sarah used grasses and wild flowers reminiscent of the vegetation which may have once occupied the castle ruins to create a garden where you would least expect it.

Today, the reality the season’s end is upon us hits home as the garden is lovingly dismantled and normality is returned to the stable block. All the plants are being dug up, and are to be moved on to some local schools and moved into another Sarah Price design within the school grounds.

We draw consolation from our seasonal melancholy by looking forward to next year; and we have already started drawing up a schedule of events which should give everyone plenty to look forward to.

Heritage Open Day 2009

This Saturday 12th September, entry to Tattershall Castle is completely free of charge as part of our participation in the Heritage Open Day, a nationwide series of events which are designed to celebrate and promote England’s sites of architecture and heritage.
On site on Saturday we are running a promotion whereby visitors can sign up as new members of The National Trust and receive three months free (when signing up for payment via direct debit).

The Castle will be open from 1pm until 5pm, with the last admission at 4pm. Also within Lincolnshire on the same day, visitors can access Belton House and Woolsthorpe Manor free of charge.

Dullard of the week award

Regular visitors and eagle eyes local residents will have noticed over the past few months a large set up of scaffolding being erected and recently dismantled at Tattershall Castle. This was part of a project to restore and replace the stonework window frames from the West side of the building. The work started last November, and was completed in July at great expense, but the feedback we have received has been positive and we are all very pleased with how the work turned out.

The West side of the Castle is the 'back' when visitors approach from the entrance now, but in the Castle's heyday it would have been the front, the majority of the visitors (at least, the most important visitors) would have approached from that side. It is the side where the windows are all symmetrical and most impressive.

Imagine our surprise when we noticed the other day that one kindly soul has decided to seize an opportunity at immortality in the most selfish manner.

Congratulations Lee, you win our Dullard of the week award. Next time you drop into the Castle simply make yourself known to staff and we will be happy to present you with your prize.

Until Lee comes forward to collect his prize, we suggest you act mean and horrible to anybody you know called Lee.