Tattershall Castle Blog

Summer 2010 at Tattershall Castle

2010-04-12T11:34:00.002+01:00

As summer kicks off after a hectic winter, we are just putting the final touches to the preparation for our summer season of events. Below is a list of what we've got lined up for the upcoming season; all we need now is the sunshine:

Wildlife Day

Sunday 9^th May

We are hosting a weekend which will celebrate and examine a multitude of the fascinating aspects of the local environment and wildlife. This will include wildlife themed activities for children, talks, walks and demonstrations.

The Sleaford Beekeeping Association will be on site to demonstrate and discuss the popular hobby of beekeeping, with demonstration hives, suits to try on and beeswax candles to make. Additionally there will be a captive bat display, some hedgehogs saved by a local charity, wildflower walks led by an expert and pond dipping displays.

In the afternoon a photography workshop will show keen amateur photographers how to get the best from their nature and wildlife photography.

There will be a small charge for art and craft activities to cover the cost of materials. Booking for the photography workshop is essential.

Father’s Day – Boys and Their Toys at Tattershall Castle

Sunday 20^th June

A boys and their toys event will take place at Tattershall Castle to celebrate father’s day, and will focus on the nostalgic aspect of traditional boy’s toys and pursuits. This will include activities for fathers and their children alike, plus demostrations and exhibitions from a multitude of time-honoured male hobbies.

A demonstration from a local toy and model shop will encourage you to join in with remote control cars and model trains. Local enthusiast group the Bardney Flyers will be on site demonstrating their equipment; which will include a flying display at the back of the Castle and a flight simulator in the Castle’s Parlour Room.

There will be a small charge for art and craft activities to cover the cost of materials.

Summer Solstice Picnic

Monday 21^st June

Celebrate Midsummer’s Eve in the beautiful suuroundings of Tattershall Castle. Visitors are encouraged to bring along a picnic to enjoy in the Castle grounds, where a range of entertainment will create a charming atmosphere for a lovely summer picnic.

Summer Sunday Picnics

Sunday afternoons throughout July and August

Throughout July and August the National Trust are encouraging to enjoy a picnic within the wonderful grounds of Tattershall Castle. Each Sunday throughout July and August there will be a range of amusements and distractions offered on the Inner Ward in front of the imposing Castle structure. Entertainment will range from musicians to magicians, incorporating storytellers and jesters too.

Celebrate Lincolnshire Weekend

Saturday 31^st July & Sunday 1^st August

Tattershall Castle is hosting a celebration of the food, history and heritage of Lincolnshire. The weekend will incorporate a wide range of events, activities and discussions and hopes to mark the very best that Lincolnshire has to offer.

Heritage Lincolnshire will be on site demonstrating Lincolnshire’s heritage and highlighting the work the organisation does. An expert in the field, David Hopkins, will present a display of the very best of Lincolnshire’s fruit and vegetable, unearthing a few hidden gems. There will be talks on Lincolnshire, including history, farming, the accent and the RAF. Plus a wide range of food and drink from local suppliers and producers.

There will be a small charge for art and craft activities to cover the cost of materials.

Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes -English Civil War Reenactment Weekend

August 14^th & 15th

The Tower Hamlets Trayned Bandes will be on site over the whole weekend and will put on a range of historic civil war period reenactments and displays.

The group will be dressed in authentic seventeenth century clothing and the members include soldiers and civilians. On Sunday afternoon a skirmish will take place within which one group try to siege the Castle and another has to defend it.

All events are subject to change, please check the official Tattershall Castle website at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/tattershall for the most up to date details.

Red Arrows fly past

2010-03-15T13:24:00.003Z

Today is our first weekday open to the public since way back when but we got a nice surprise this morning when we were treated to a fly past from the Red Arrows. The sun was shining bright over the site and the planes looked spectacular as they loomed closely over the Castle.

Free entry for Mums on Mothering Sunday

2010-03-08T14:49:00.001Z

This Sunday 14^th March 2010, Tattershall Castle is encouraging visitors to join in on a day of spoiling mum; Mothers are invited to come along and enjoy the historic property for free to celebrate Mother’s Day.

In the Castle’s Parlour Room a local beauty therapist will be setting up a treatment centre offering visiting mothers a free make-up makeover or hand massage in addition to a range of paid for treatments. Furthermore, there will be a range of arts and crafts activities available for children to keep them entertained and make a present for mum; including Mother’s Day cards and bookmarks.

Outside the Castle away from the Mother’s Day themed activities, the grounds will be full of springtime colour, including an assortment of in bloom daffodils and snowdrops.

snow drops at Tattershall

2010-03-07T22:05:00.002Z

I just wanted to put a picture of the lovely snow drops in the grounds of the castle. Clive has done a really great job of planting them

Archiving

2010-03-07T21:36:00.006Z

I have recently begun volunteering at Tattershall, I'm helping to archive some of the castles paper work and books, strangly, letters written mostly by the 1960's castle committee. Maybe the fact that these letters survived and others havent is because the head of the committee owned a post office so was fastidious about keeping documents, even down to the price of toilet rolls!! many of the letters seem to echo problems that continue today at the castle, such as sagging beams (gravity isnt kind to castles either), keeping the moat topped up and reigning in the wayward peacocks (which have now been got rid of, due to their apparent adventures in other people gardens and green houses!).

As shown in the pictures above (from left to right) Clive, myself and Lee have also been going around the castle making sure all the objects, pictures and furniture have been catalogued, photographed and measured. coming up with descriptions for objects and not always knowing the technical word for a particular type of decoration leads to some imaginative results.

It turns out that my efforts to not come accross too girly when working with two burley men in a castle weren't neccessarily needed, as Lee appears to be scared of spiders and Clive of mice!! Two tiny mice trapped in the bird seed bin, had Clive calling me brave to go any where near! (blimey are mice fast and can really jump when they want to!)

My New Toy Has Arrived

2010-02-25T13:41:00.003Z

She's finally arrived, my new ride on mower. Having waited all winter to test the baby out she came this week courtesy of Charles Hill of Horsington. Unlike the old model she's a 4x4, she's got headlights, (as if I'll still be working after dark), hydraulic deck lift, a box to put my lunch in, and a drinks holder. It can turn as you see on a sixpence, albeit a large one.

All I need now is for the grass to start growing, and for that we need some warmer weather.

Volunteer Recruitment

2010-02-23T13:11:00.001Z

Here at Tattershall Castle we are currently undertaking a volunteer recruitment drive in a bid to get more people involved and participating with everything involved in the running of this historic building. The Castle was visited by over forty thousand people last year and this is only made possible by the team of over thirty volunteers, who all help out in a number of different ways.

Operations Manager Stuart Crow believes that volunteers are integral to the running of the property “It is not an exaggeration to say that without our volunteers the Castle wouldn’t be able to function in that way it does. We hope that this season’s volunteer recruitment will help us get more people from the local community involved. We need extra help in all areas of the running of the property.”

There are various volunteer opportunities available, including everything from room guides, learning assistants, shop assistants and general visitor engagement positions. In particular we are looking for people to help out with the work that goes into organising and running events, distribution of promotional material and assistance with the other promotion of the Castle. We would be especially keen to talk to anybody with a keen interest in wildlife, with a specialist interest in wildlife, invertebrates or wild flowers.

These volunteer opportunities would suit people interested in historic buildings; people who enjoy gardening and meeting people or someone looking to gain work experience. The time commitment involved can range from half a day every month to one day a week or more. After 50 hours of volunteering volunteers earn a volunteer card that gives them free access to any National Trust property (when open), and a 20% discount on any purchase in a National Trust shop. The Trust also pays a mileage allowance towards travel expenses and organises regular social events.

Anybody interested in becoming part of the Tattershall Castle team can contact the property for further details or an informal chat on 01526 342543, or email at tattershallcastle@nationaltrust.org.uk

'Bonus Time' Weekend

2010-02-23T12:28:00.001Z

The National Trust is opening the doors to its properties for free this spring over the weekend of 20-21 March 2010. In addition to Tattershall Castle, visitors will be able to access 300 of the extraordinary places the Trust cares for throughout the country.

The Bonus Time initiative was launched by National Trust Director General Fiona Reynolds, who said 'This is the perfect excuse to discover what’s on your doorstep, perhaps re-visit somewhere you pass regularly or explore somewhere totally new.'

To make the most of this offer, visitors should download this voucher. All National Trust pay for entry properties, countryside and coastal car parks that are normally open over 20 - 21 March will be participating in the offer.

NB: There will be a number of excluded properties which will be listed here from 1 March 2010

Festive happenings at Tattershall Castle

2009-12-17T12:01:00.002Z

As the visit of Santa draws closer and we begin to ponder if it is too late to turn our year around get back onto the good list, we find ourselves with only two more “Castle days” before Christmas. This weekend will be your last chance to come and visit Santa at Tattershall Castle and stock up on festive gifts for friends and family; National Trust Monopoly? Tattershall Castle keyring? Fudge? There is something for everybody.

As the snow falls on the Castle it gives us time to reflect on recent weeks and take stock of the marvellous fun we had at our series of carol concerts. As detailed in previous blogs, we have played host to The Salvation Army Band and the Banovallum Singers over the last two weekends. All three evenings were well attended and a merry time was had by all.

Below is a series of images showing off the Castle and the nearby Holy Trinity Church in all their seasonal loveliness.

Christmas at Tattershall Castle

2009-12-01T15:53:00.001Z

Tattershall Castle will once again be offering a range of festive activities this Christmas season.

On Saturday 5th December we are to be joined by The Salvation Army Band, who will accompany the Christmas carols in the Castle grounds, before leading a candlelit procession to Holy Trinity Church. Admission includes a mince pie and a soft drink.
Tickets cost £6 for adults, £3 for children; children under 5 are free. Family tickets cost £15 and cover admission for two adults and three children.

The Banovallum Singers join us for two concerts on the evenings of Friday 11th and Saturday 12th of December. The Banovallum Choir will lead a chorus of carols on the ground floor of the Castle, starting each evening at 7.30pm. Admission includes mince pie and a glass of wine or a soft drink. Tickets for the Banovallum concert costs £7.50.

Each weekend in December Santa’s Grotto will be running in the corner of the parlour room, which will be decorated by our large Christmas tree. In addition to Santa’s Grotto, we will be running a series of festive arts and crafts events for Children visitors. Extra charges apply for arts and crafts events, Santa’s Grotto with presents costs £3. Normal Castle admission charges apply.

Tickets for the carol concerts can be purchased by phoning the Castle on 01526 342543.

Pumpkin Party come down

2009-11-02T15:25:00.001Z

This weekend, Tattershall Castle celebrated Halloween in spectacular style with a Pumpkin Party.

The Pumpkin Party took place throughout the day, and featured a range of activities for children including; apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, arts and crafts and fancy dress competition. Entry was free for children wearing fancy dress, so the Castle was over-run with children wearing spooky looking outfits and costumes.

As darkness fell, the front of the Castle was covered with lit up pumpkins. The pumpkins had been carved during the days activities and mixed with the ones which visitors were encouraged to bring on from home for entry into the best carved pumpkin competition, which was won by local resident Emma Mumford.

The main event in the evening was a series of ghost walks, in which visitors were given a tour of the Castle and its grounds by our Learning Officer Sarah. Sarah is used to leading around school groups and had to adapt the tour to include information on some of the more ghoulish and gory aspects of the Castle’s history.

Below you can see a series of images taken throughout the day.

Pumpkin Party at Tattershall Castle

2009-10-20T09:48:00.001+01:00

Throughout the October half term Tattershall Castle has devised a programme of events which we hope will entertain adult and children visitors alike. As part of this set of events we are hosting a Pumpkin Party on Saturday 31st October. The Pumpkin Party consists of a set of arts and crafts events, Halloween trail, fancy dress and best carved pumpkin competitions.

In the afternoon there will be a series of events for children; including arts and crafts and ghost trails. The arts and crafts activities will include making pipe cleaner skeletons, shaky bottle ghosts and bat kites. The Halloween trail consists of tracking spiders and bats around the castle, using clues to investigate further into the quest and resolve mysteries, with a mask prize for all children taking part.

Children who attend the Pumpkin Party in Halloween fancy dress will be admitted free of charge (Terms and conditions apply*), and a Halloween fancy dress competition will take place in the afternoon; with a prize for the best dressed boy and girl.

Visitors are invited to bring along their own pre-carved pumpkins to enter into the best carved pumpkin competition; the castle will stay open until 5pm so tea lights can be lit in all the pumpkins in front of the castle before they are judged to decide which pumpkin is the best. A range of prizes will be available to the winners.

Normal castle admission charges apply, castle admission is free for National Trust members and children dressed in fancy dress. An extra charge is payable per child for arts and crafts activities to cover the cost of materials used. *Free Entry: Children must be under sixteen years of age, and accompanied by an adult.

Tatty Batty

2009-10-16T14:08:00.006+01:00

In much the same way as Edison worked hard inventing the light bulb, Ruth Handler toiled over a Barbie doll and Clive Sinclair laboured over the Sinclair C5; Castle Custodian Clive Brooke has spent a large part of the last few weeks hunched over a series of blueprints at his workstation, only occasionally disappearing to march over to the Castle keep with a metre stick, note pad and protractor.

A few of his colleagues became concerned about his behaviour but he insisted we leave him be, and that he was onto “something big.”

This week he has been proven correct; springing into life on Tuesday morning, Clive set out towards the Castle with a ball of string, some sticks, a can of spray paint and a lawnmower. A couple of hours later his masterpiece was unveiled.

To celebrate our upcoming Halloween set of events, Clive (ably assisted by Sarah) has cut the shape of a Halloween bat into the lawn in front of the Castle.

Previously, the largest bat known to man was the Giant Golden-crowned Flying-fox, which has a wingspan approaching one and a half metres; but this is dwarfed by the Tattershall Bat (Graminoid Chiroptera), which measures in at twenty metres wide.

Visitors to the Castle can appreciate the view of the Bat best from the roof, and as Halloween approaches Clive is rejecting suggestions that the Tattershall Bat is his Sistine Chapel, and is promising bigger and better things next week.

Photography Exhibition

2009-10-15T15:08:00.007+01:00

Vistors to the Castle on October 4th may have noticed a larger than usual amount of visitors taking photographs, and perhaps doing so in a more considered manner.

This was down to our Photography Workshop event, which was well attended a fun and educational time was had by all. The workshop was led by Jane Harrison, who encouraged visitors to take pictures from unusual angles, from out-of-the-way places and to focus less on the “chocolate box” images and try and capture something unique.

Which would also explain why participants could be seen sitting the the moat straddling Viper's Bugloss, kneeling down in the keep examining the wildlife, and laying down in the Castle and peering up the chimneys.

The photographs taken are forming an exhibition which will run at the Castle from Saturday October 24th until Wednesday October 28th, but you can get a sneak preview of the fantastic images taken now.

The Reviews Are In

2009-10-07T10:21:00.002+01:00

After finally completing the tidy up following the House of Bling exhibition, we can look back at the summer gone and wistfully ponder the ups and downs of being taken over by a group of artists.

Thankfully, we don't have to. The reviews are in!

You can find out what a-n thought about the House of Bling by following these links

http://tinyurl.com/bling1

http://tinyurl.com/blingreview2

Seems they enjoyed it as much as we did, lets hope for another summer of successful projects next year.

The Green Barrows

2009-10-01T15:01:00.003+01:00

We are getting closer and closer to finally finishing clearing up the House of Bling exhibition. The bare patches left when the first lot of plants were removed several weeks ago are now full of green shoots and things are returning to normal.

We all thought the clear up was going to be easy and that we would have it done a long time ago, but at last, this morning we could see light at the end of a very long tunnel.

Inspired by Lincolnshire Day and full of local pride, our team of staff and volunteers have rallied together and finally got cleared up. The stable block is back to normal, the sun is shining and spirits are high.

The hard working chaps finished ahead of the (repeatedly revised) schedule, and decided to celebrate by doing a Red Arrows inspired display of acrobatics around the Moat. The Green Barrows will be touring Lincolnshire next year with their mix of jaw dropping stunts and wheelbarrow orientated bravado.

Photography Workshop

2009-09-30T13:10:00.001+01:00

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.

2009-09-26T18:58:00.005+01:00

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

2009-09-17T16:14:00.005+01:00

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

2009-09-10T09:40:00.003+01:00

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

2009-09-02T15:09:00.004+01:00

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.

House of Bling preview on BBC Look North

2009-08-29T10:51:00.004+01:00

It is a little late but we have been mega busy (dusting, hoovering etc), but here is the Castle in all its glory on BBC look north.
Auntie came to visit us on the 7th August to preview the House of Bling exhibition, which opened that weekend. The preview was aired that evening.

How Clean Is Your Castle?

2009-08-28T16:23:00.006+01:00

Our Clive has long had aspirations beyond his humble calling as Castle Custodian, and with the shock news last week that Kim Woodburn is quitting ‘How Clean Is Your House?’ Clive has become determined to seize to opportunity to become Aggie MacKenzie’s partner in grime.

Feel sorry for the man who has to clean a medieval castle which has six floors, all grand in dimension. The magnitude of such a task leaves lesser men quaking with fear. Clive simply bolts on his ghostbusters style vacuum cleaner and heads up the 149 steps and gets on with it.

The cleaning has to be done at least once a month, as the surface of the floors in the castle cause a lot of dust to be kicked up. The recent increase in visitors because of the summer holidays and House Of Bling exhibition has made the task even more daunting.

If any Channel Four executives are reading this, we won’t be letting Clive go without a fight.

Four Weddings and a Castle

2009-08-24T14:07:00.002+01:00

This evening, Tattershall Castle will feature on Living TV’s new show Four Weddings, in which Grantham resident Suzanna Stevens-Brewin will be competing against three other couples for a chance to win a luxury honeymoon. The show is similar in format to Channel Four's popular Come Dine With Me, except that instead of dinner parties, the contestants battle it out to decide who has the best wedding. Each contestant attends the other three weddings and gives them all marks out of ten; everything is up for evaluation, with the dress, the venue, the catering and the presentation all being assessed by the rivals.

The couple's wedding took place at the Castle earlier this year and had a theme of Bling and Cinderella; Suzanne explains “We tried to save every penny where we could and have purchased most things from eBay, including my dress, and the crystals for my bouquet. My theme was Bling and Cinderella! We decorated the room in the Castle along that theme; including a Cinderella cardboard cut-out and decorations and balloons printed with Cinderella”.
The couple’s bridal party roles were all taken up by their children (Bridesmaids 15 & 8, Bestman 13, Flowergirl 16 months, Usher 10 and the gentleman giving Suzanne away was just 8 years old!)

The opportunity to feature in the show arose earlier in the year, when Tattershall
Castle was approached and offered the chance to feature in the show to some of the people who had their weddings booked at the castle; despite initial resistance from husband to be Martin, Suzanne ended up having a screen test for the production company and having her wedding chosen.

The show also features weddings from couples in Portsmouth, Doncaster and
Bromley and includes a wide range of budgets, themes and styles. Suzanne's budget was dwarfed by some of the other contestants, but one couple on the show married in their registry office and celebrated in their local pub, getting by on a budget of £580.

Tattershall Castle hosts up to fifty weddings a year, and recently celebrated its 300th wedding. Property Manager Stuart Crow explains “When we were approached by the production company about Four Weddings, we were only too happy to participate, and we were delighted when Suzanne and Martin made their big day available for filming. It takes quite a lot of nerve to allow an occasion as important to be analysed by others in a competitive environment, especially one which is going to be filmed!”

Suzanne and Martin have been regular visitors to the castle since moving to the area seven years ago, and Martin popped the question in July of last year in one of the Castle turrets. After that they decided it made sense to get married at the Castle too. Suzanne explains “It is every girls dream to be a princess and that is exactly what I felt on our special day. The sun shone from the minute we woke up and the day was absolutely perfect. I cannot fault anything. The staff at the castle were fantastic and I would recommend the venue to everyone either for their ceremony or just a day visit”.

Suzanne's episode of Four Weddings will be broadcast this evening at 9pm on Living TV, and she is looking forward to finding out how it comes across “I have not seen any footage so it will be a real surprise”.

Suzanne and Martin celebrate on top of the Castle

Time to Say Goodbye

2009-08-21T14:05:00.005+01:00

Francesco Sartori may have said it best, Andrea Bocelli may have sung it best (though here at the castle, we prefer Toše Proeski) but none of those chaps ever said it, and meant it, about a wombat.

After his stay at Tattershall Castle, it is time for the travelling wombat to bid us a fond farewell. The travelling wombat tours the world trying to see as much as is feasible for a stuffed, miniature marsupial. So far his travels have taken him as far as Italy, Wales, Ireland and Scotland.

However, the unnamed mammal has assured us the breathtaking views of the Lincolnshire fenlands from the top of the Castle by far top anything he has seen as yet. He was also very complimentary about our audio guide, although he did complain about the lack of decent foraging area. As we all know, the wombat has an above average sized brain for an Australian marsupial, and he has been very helpful is explaining to us all the finer details and references of the House of Bling exhibition.

Some of us have become more attached than others, poor old Clive has been unapproachable all day because of the sense of loss he feels about his departure. Where he goes next, we do not know, but it will be a long time before any of us here forget the little guy.

Clive prepares to take the wombat to the bus stop.

The Travelling Wombat stays at the Castle for a week

2009-08-14T12:11:00.016+01:00

10th August 2009

After a good rest and the end of quarantine restrictions Wombat finally decides he shoud visit the castle. First stop is to take the audio tour, unfortunatly the head phones he brought with him are a little too large for his head. If only he'd known that he could have down-loaded the tour onto his i-pod.

Half way round his tour he runs into Trusty the Hedgehog. Trusty is also visting the castle on his nationwide tour of National Trust properties. Although very much different in sizes they share a love of castles and historic houses

11th August 2009

Alarm bells were ringing at the castle today, Wombat had gone missing!!! where could he have gone? Lost alone in a foreign county where could he be? After a comprehensive search he was found inside the castle sliding down the hand rail to the spiral staircase. NAUGHTY Wombat! It was so much fun though.

12th August 2009

Wombats day off today, so clive took him to see the sights of Lincolnshire, starting with the Humber bridge and then onto Lincoln.

After a long day out wombat decided to spend the evening bellringing with Clive. He got rather dizzy holding on to the rope.

After Bellringing he decided to sample the local ale. Unfortunatly it was a little too strong for him and he had a sore head in the morning.

House of Bling

2009-08-07T15:08:00.003+01:00

From tomorrow, Tattershall Castle is opening up to visitors for its House of Bling exhibition, a very exciting project for everyone involved, and a first for the Castle. The Castle is playing host to six international standard artists, who have each been given a specific area of the Castle to work in. The project is the start of an ongoing collaborative effort between the National Trust and the Arts Council England.

The artists have all drawn inspiration from the Castle and its history. The six floors of the Castle have been transformed with interesting installations ranging in scale and concept; including the transformation of the old Castle stables by landscape designer Sarah Price, who is also designing the gardens for the 2012 Olympic Park in London.

On the main castle lawn designer Linda Florence has cut a carpet design, which from the top of the castle looks stunning. The projects inside the castle include an audio installation which recounts the names of the visitors who signed the visitor book when the castle was opened to the public for the first time, and one of the floors has been taken over by golden cobwebs.

In addition to the art installations a series of extra events will be running alongside the House of Bling project, including star gazing, cloud spotting, bat watching and an archaeological forage specifically for four to six year olds. See future blogs for further details.

The exhibition opens this Saturday at 11am and closes Sunday August 23^rd. The exhibition is free to Castle visitors though normal admission charges apply, admission is free for National Trust members.

Clive Brooke's Day Off

2009-08-07T12:02:00.005+01:00

Preparations are ongoing for the upcoming House of Bling event (see later blog for details) but some of us just can’t help ourselves. Touched by the sad death yesterday of John Hughes, Castle Custodian Clive ~~Broderick~~ Brooke was so moved that he has decided to pay tribute to Hughes in his own inimitable way. More specifically, Clive has decided to recreate the Hughes classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off within the Castle grounds.

Clive soaking up the 'sunshine'

Invited Wedding Guests

2009-07-31T19:35:00.006+01:00

The Wedding at Tattershall today had some rather unusual guests. Paul & Beth the lucky couple are keen birds of prey followers and decided to give their guests a wedding day they would never forget.

CJ'S birds from Peterborough brought their collection of birds and put on a wonderful display of falconry that left the guests spell bound.

Have you ever wondered where theses phrases came from?

Under the thumb
At the end of your tether
Hoodwinked

Well they all came from falconry and relate to how the birds are held on the hand and on their tether rope, and how to fool the bird.

That was the last wedding until after 'The House Of Bling' exhibition which starts on 8th August 2009.

^Clive

Good sport of the week award

2009-07-29T15:45:00.006+01:00

A rainy day at the Castle was brightened up (for some of us) when a care-free child somehow managed to drop (throw?) one of our audio-guides into the Castle moat. Step forward our intrepid Learning Officer Sarah, who quickly donned a pair of waders and flew down into the moat in search of the missing audio guide.

Sarah boldly dives into the Castle moat.

Sarah returns empty handed.

Unfortunately the missing audio-guide could not be found, so we shall be sending Sarah back into the moat on a daily basis until it is recovered.

Story telling week

2009-07-27T10:40:00.005+01:00

Stuck for things to do for the children with the wet and miserable weather? This week Tattershall Castle is running a story telling week aimed at young children; come along and hear our team read stories and meet Trusty the Hedgehog.

The scheduled readings are:

Monday 27^th July

11.30 The Very Hungry Catterpillar

14.00 The Gruffalo

Tuesday 28^th July

11.30 Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit

14.00 Beatrix Potter's Jeremy Fisher

Wednesday 29^th July

11.30 Jemima Puddle-Duck

14.00 Paddington Bear

Saturday 1^st August

11.30 George, The Dragon and The Princess

14.00 Wind in the Willows (selected chapters)

Sunday 2^nd August

11.30 It's Quacking Time

12.30 Watch out Wilf

14.00 Mr Large in Charge

15.00 Sleep Tight Little Bear

16.00 Ginger

Sessions are free to join but normal castle admissions apply, castle admission is free to National Trust members. Please bring a rug to sit on.

Archaeology road show - This weekend at Tattershall Castle

2009-07-23T09:18:00.004+01:00

As part of the Festival of British Archaeology 2009, Tattershall Castle is hosting an archaeology road show over the weekend of the 25th and 26th of July, providing people with an opportunity to evaluate and find out more about exciting outdoor discoveries and bring them closer to their local history.

Members of the public are invited to bring along something of interest and a team of experts, consisting of the National Trust's regional archaeologist Rachael Hall and Lincolnshire portable antiquities officer Adam Daubney, will try to identify the item and tell them more about it. It doesn't matter whether the item is something they have dug up in their own garden or chanced upon whilst walking the dog.

As part of the event the castle will also be displaying some of its own finds, including everything from fifteenth century swords to ceramic dragon heads. Over Saturday and Sunday there will be a recently rediscovered Tattershall collection on display; consisting of artefacts from when Lord Curzon took over the castle in 1911, which were archived and stored as part of the takeover process and never properly examined. The archive will include parts of the original castle fireplaces and will give a better idea of what the castle would have been furnished like in its full glory.

On Saturday the Lincolnshire Historic Environment Record Office will be on site, bringing with them their database. Giving visitors a chance to find out more about where they live, a more detailed history of their part of Lincolnshire. Additionally local specialists will be bringing in displays and collections of localised historical objects.

There will be archaeological themed games and activities which will promises to be fun for children and adults alike. And a fifteenth century re-enactment will take place over both weekend days.

Event attendance is free, the normal castle admission charges apply. Admission is free for National Trust members.

Castle vistor Elaine Booth discusses the geophysics survey results with the National Trust's Rachael Hall.

Echoes of the Past - Rachael Hall interview

2009-07-22T15:47:00.005+01:00

Last weekend saw the Echoes of the Past geophysics survey take place at Tattershall Castle. The initial results are very exciting and we’re looking forward to getting hold of the full results soon. They will be on display at this weekend’s Archaeology road show (full details to follow).
In the meantime, listen to the National Trust’s regional archaeologist Rachael Hall discussing the geophysics survey on Les Sheehan’s Radio Lincolnshire show from last weekend.

A brief history of Tattershall Castle

2009-07-17T11:54:00.002+01:00

The current building was not the first castle to be built on the site; the very first was built in the eleventh century. The next one was built of stone in the early thirteenth century by Robert de Tateshale. In 1201 King John had granted Tateshale's father a charter to hold a weekly market in the village of Tattershall in exchange for a trained Goshawk. In 1231 Robert de Tateshale received a license to build a fortified stone house. Very little of the first castle can still be seen, but its layout of lengths of walls with round towers at each corner determined the shape of what does still survive.

Tattershall Castle had passed to Ralph, 3rd Baron Cromwell (1393-1456) by the early fifteenth century; Cromwell was a politician, landowner, diplomat and soldier. In 1433 he was appointed Lord Treasurer to Henry VI (the medieval equivalent of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, perhaps making the castle the medieval equivalent of Number 11 Downing Street?). With his new position came greater financial rewards and Cromwell invested his wealth to enlarge the castle. One of the masterpieces of medieval brickwork, the castle's
33.5 metre high great tower was built. In that period the tower would have been contending with the great cathedrals of the age. In the main rooms of the castle ,the impressive fireplaces proudly displayed the coats of arms of the affluent families the Cromwells had allied themselves to by marriage, and the Treasurer's Purse, Cromwell’s badge of office.

The great tower was a not too subtle expression of Cromwell’s power, but in addition to being a status symbol the castle was built to furnish Cromwell and his guests with comfortable and salubrious accommodation. This is evidenced in the sizeable and exquisite traceried windows (a delicate ornamental pattern from ornamental stonework), which would have likely provided insufficient resistance were they to come under siege.

The Castle was inherited by Joan Bourchier, Cromwell's niece, when he died in 1456; only to have it confiscated by the crown after her husband's death. Tattershall Castle went on to be owned by Kings of England from Edward IV to Henry VIII. During the sixteenth and seventeenth century it was occupied by the Earls of Lincoln, until 1693, when its defences were pulled down following the Civil War, leaving the property abandoned as a residence and left to decay into ruins (albeit picturesque). The grounds became part of a neighbouring farm and the moat was filled in. The tower itself was faced with the shame of being used to house cattle.

The great tower came under immense threat of demolition in 1910, when the castle was purchased by an American syndicate for architectural salvage, as part of the process the fireplaces were ripped out and sold. It wasn't rescued until 1911 when Lord Curzon, alerted by the outcry caused by the sale and removal of the fireplaces, bought the site and started the process of restoring the buildings, reinstating the fireplaces and excavating the moats. The windows and floors were replaced, the battlements were reconstructed; and Tattershall Castle was transformed back to its true glory. The survival of the castle and its stature today is testimony to Lord Curzon's campaign for the conservation of Britain's ancient monuments.

Lord Curzon opened the property to visitors in 1914 and bequeathed the property to the National Trust on his death in 1925. To this day the castle remains open to visitors who come and explore the six floors of the castle, enjoy the grounds, moats and bridges and climb the 150 steps from basements to battlements to enjoy the outstanding views of the surrounding Lincolnshire countryside.

(Ash)