National Trust Ickworth Estate

Last chance to book your spot for our summer outdoor theatre performance of Wind in The Willows by Boxtree Productions taking place tomorrow evening (25 July).

Grab your picnic blanket and watch this family classic with the iconic Rotunda as the backdrop. Tickets start from £13 and will also be available on the door tomorrow evening > https://bit.ly/3S2DG9H

We are looking for two cooks to join our Food & Beverage team at Ickworth Estate:

IRC154742 - Cook, part-time (15 hours per week), fixed-term, £12 per hour > bit.ly/4cQqDRa
IRC153642 - Cook - part-time, fixed term, £12 per hour > bit.ly/3LAfGqO

Both roles require one weekend working day a week but have no late/early or split shifts. Closing date: 4 August 2024.

The Play Garden at Ickworth Estate is now OPEN! 😎

Enjoy family adventures every day of the school holidays down at the walled garden and across the estate. There's plenty of fun activities on offer to keep young and the young at heart entertained.

For more information about what's on offer at Ickworth Estate this summer see > bit.ly/IckworthFamilyVisits

Normal admission charges apply, free for National Trust members.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank.

Days out with kids | Ickworth | Suffolk There are loads of different family activities designed to help you explore and discover the Ickworth estate this Summer.

The Big Butterfly Count has started and you can support this nationwide survey by getting involved where you live. Choose a spot and spend just 15 minutes counting all the butterfly and moth species you see.

Spend time in nature and help make a difference > https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org

📷 Beth Davidson

There's not long until our summer performance of "The Wind in The Willows" at Ickworth Estate.

Join us on 25 July as Boxtree Productions present their fantastic musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic family story. Featuring hilarious comedy, magic and fantastic toe-tapping songs be sure of an evening of wonderful open-air theatre that the whole family will enjoy. Tickets start from £13, book yours here > https://bit.ly/3S2DG9H

Outdoor Theatre at Ickworth - The Wind in The Willows | National Trust Join Boxtree Productions Events for their fantastic musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's classic story, 'The Wind In The Willows'.

We’ve got an exciting opportunity for a Welcome & Service Assistant Manager to join our team at Ickworth Estate.

If you’re a natural motivator, who likes to lead by example to make sure every single visitor feels welcome and has the best day possible, then this could be the role for you:

IRC154163 - Welcome & Service Assistant Manager | Permanent, full-time

Closing date is Sunday 21 July with interviews taking place on Monday 29th July. For more information and to apply see > https://bit.ly/3xWG4bd

📷 Sue Nicholl

Fancy a totally tastebud tingling sweet treat? 🍰Head to the West Wing Cafe or Porters Lodge for a taste of summer with our new cream filled Mixed Berry Donut. £3.30 while stocks last!

📷 Sue Nicholl

Today is National Meadows Day where we celebrate the beauty and importance of meadows. Here at Ickworth Estate meadows and grassland can be seen all across the parkland. This beautiful pyramidal orchid can be found in the Cedar Meadow and Triangle either side of the driveway leading up to the Rotunda. We leave this area to grow and flower all spring and summer before being mown in late August. It’s home to many species of grass, wildflowers and earlier flowering orchids, as well as loads of insects and other wildlife.

You may have noticed some fenced off enclosures have appeared dotted around the estate, but what exactly are they?

The Ranger team will be undertaking surveys of the grassland and meadow habitats across the estate. These temporary enclosures have been erected to stop sheep grazing, to enable plants to establish over the summer. The results will be compared to previous recordings at Ickworth, and the enclosures will be repositioned annually to see any changes over time.

Long-term enclosures have also been erected to allow the natural regeneration of saplings within the park, which are called ‘Gengards’ (third image). Oak saplings are often seen growing in the park in summer but are then grazed. We currently have a programme of replanting in the park, but some dry springs have meant that some of these trees are not getting established, whereas if Oaks and other species are growing naturally this may provide better success. These areas will also allow wildflowers and scrub species to develop, after which the guarding can be removed and used again elsewhere, with sheep grazing in between established scrub and trees.

The main area you will see these guards in is called ‘Sheepwash’, the area of parkland to the West of the Albana which is the focus of our trials this year. This was arable until a few years ago so this will allow us to see how well an area like this regenerates and can be used to inform future management in other areas of the estate.

📸 Matt Bevan, Lucy Cooke

There are some last minute available tickets for this otherwise sold out event, taking place at 12:30pm tomorrow (Thursday 4 July). Night Out in Nature is an outdoor sensory installation performance for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). For more information and tickets see here > https://bit.ly/4a55sJ5

Taking place at Ickworth Estate between 3 and 6 July, we are proud to be hosting Frozen Light presents 'Night Out In Nature', an outdoor sensory installation performance for audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).

Four scientists have lived inside a biodome for over a decade nurturing the Blostma, a plant so powerful it only flowers every 12 years. The Blostma might be what we've all been waiting for, but only if it blossoms under the full moon tonight!

You're invited to enter the biodome and experience this cosmic, floral event. The question is, after 12 years of waiting, will the Blostma reveal its blooms?

This event is wheelchair accessible and limited to six individuals with PMLD and their carers per show. There will be a Changing Places toilet on site. Tickets are priced at £10 each.

For frequently asked questions about this performance and to buy tickets see > bit.ly/4a55sJ5

Ickworth in miniature form...

In the 1790s, at the same time as he was dreaming up Ickworth, the Earl-Bishop was busy wandering around Europe. To communicate his ideas for the new Hervey family home and art gallery, architect Francis Sandys created a scale-model to send to his patron on the continent. Architects often used models in the 17th and 18th centuries to explain designs to their patrons and to demonstrate details of the proposed construction to master-craftsmen.

Although the practice of architect’s models was common, Ickworth’s is a rare survival. It is an incredibly light structure, but includes fine detail, and 18th-century examples of this kind remain. It is to the scale of 12 feet to 1 inch, made from papier-mâché and built onto a heavy wooden base. The roof can be removed to reveal the arrangement of rooms on three floors, and shows boldly decorated interiors of pinks, greens, creams, and stone colours. There are even paper cornice details, and windows of thin glass with painted gold lines to represent glazing bars. The model’s interiors are a rare glimpse of the Earl-Bishop’s vision for Ickworth’s interiors.

📸 Robin Forster

Here comes summer! ☀️ We are pleased to announce the new lunch menu is on its way to Ickworth. Fancy a fresh light lunch? Pop into the West Wing Cafe to sample some new summer flavours that will be available from 5th July. The new menu will include things like Whipped Feta & Tomato Bruschetta, Grilled Cheese & sunblushed Tomato Toastie, Meat or Veggie Ploughmans, Tomato & Mozzarella Frittata, a whole range of made on site soups and lots more treats to tickle your taste buds!

We’re delighted that Mobiloo will be on site at Ickworth Estate from Wednesday 3 July to Saturday 6 July to support visitors with additional needs. Mobiloo is a specially adapted van, with an accessible toilet, an adult-sized changing bench and a hoist, and will be situated within the main car park. A member of the Mobiloo team will be on hand to provide support.

The Second Hand Bookshop will be closed all this week, reopening on Monday 8 July. We apologise for any disappointment caused.

We are now selling our own produce grown on the estate, which you can purchase from the Welcome Point.

You can pick up some Cabbage and Rhubarb and even Tomato and Lettuce plants. We also have spring bulbs available for you to plant up next year.

All donations help to fund vital conservation work on the estate. So next time you are visiting why not take some of Ickworth home with you.

*stock will vary throughout the season*

📸 Charlie Wood

We still have spaces available for our Dog Training Session - Mixed Abilities 🐾

Join Ellie from Smart Nose Dog Training, who will be providing free training classes for you and your dog. Learn basic training such as helping your dog to get out of the car calmly, wait while you’re stopping to chat and loose lead walking. Learn all the tips and tricks to make sure your dog has an enjoyable day out for every time you visit Ickworth.

23 June, 10:30-11:30

Book your slot here: https://bit.ly/3xiBfJf

📸 Tom Soper

We have just one week to go until you can join us for an evening at the theatre!

Join the Pantaloons for their as they present their innovative and hilarious version of Shakespeare’s timeless comedy told, as ever, in their own distinctive and anarchic style of a Midsummer Nights Dream.

This is an open-air performance, please bring a picnic and something to sit on and remember to dress for the weather!

19:00-21:00

To find out more and book your ticket click here: bit.ly/3Vox5sp

Fancy learning a new skill? Join us on Monday 8 July for a fun and interactive lino printing workshop led by here at Ickworth Estate. Perfect for anyone wanting to explore their artistic side and learning the basics of lino printing.
£60 per person including all materials and refreshments > https://bit.ly/45wqBeq

Are you half way through the year and wanting a new challenge or change in career? We have a couple of roles available at the moment for you to join our team...

🌻 IRC153304 | Gardener, Permanent, Full Time (37.5 hrs pw) https://bit.ly/3z8SSMc

We're looking for a Gardener to join the team at Ickworth. Using your horticultural skills, you’ll enhance our very diverse gardens, which includes a unique Italianate Garden. You'll join a small team of staff, supported by a large group of volunteers. As a Gardener, your days will be very varied but will include: planting, tending, mowing, propagating, pruning and so much more.

💻 IRC152687 | Senior Marketing & Communications Officer, Fixed Term, Part-Time (22.5 hrs pw for 12 months) https://bit.ly/4eruHZf

You'll support Ickworth Estate by promoting what we do, across the full marketing mix - through media relations, social media and web content. You’ll be responsible for planning all marketing and communications activity at Ickworth Estate. You'll be planning, creating, editing, proof-reading, co-ordinating, collating and sharing content for offline and online channels.

Closing date: Sunday 23 June. For more information and to apply for these roles head to nationaltrustjobs.org.uk, and search using the IRC number.

📸 Luci Scrocca, Jim Woolf, Tom Soper

When the Earl Bishop's died in 1803, the Rotunda was little more than a shell, and the wings and galleries only a few feet high. The 4th Earl had many ongoing building projects at the time of his death, which created budget constraints for his family. His son, the 5th Earl, didn’t embark on finishing his father's building project for almost two decades because of this.

Unlike his father, who had originally intended Ickworth to primarily be a home for his extensive art collection, the 5th Earl was more family-oriented. He had the East wing designs adapted from a sculpture gallery to suit his family’s need for a comfortable place to live. However, he didn’t completely abandon plans for a display space. He instead decided that the Rotunda would be a more suitable location to best showcase the collection.

Building work began again in 1821, but was not ready to lived in for a number of years. The 5th Earl, who was then the newly created 1st Marquess, and his family finally took up residence in 1829.

📸 John Hammond, Angelo Hornak/ National Trust Images

Have you ever wondered how we heat Ickworth?

We’re very lucky here as we have a couple of Biomass boilers and Air source heat pumps on the estate, that not only help keep our water hot and compliant but keep us toasty in the winter (and apparently summer) months.

Affectionately known as Heidi by our facilities team, the large biomass boiler, provides heat and hot water for both the West Wing and Rotunda. She works by burning wood chip pellets (milled from the estate) which then heats up the water tank, this is then fed to our plant room where it is pumped around the property.

For the heating, there is a constant flow of water returning to the water tank to be reheated and help maintain the temperatures when it’s needed most. She naturally works very hard over the winter and if you’re in the Italianate Garden on near the West Wing, you may spot or smell the smoke coming from her chimney.

Recently, the Biomass feeder system (how we get the wood chip into the boiler) was upgraded. Instead of a hopper and auger system, our ranger team can now directly load the wood chip room via a hydraulic hatch in the roof. We know this is a firm favourite with our smaller visitors, and you might be lucky and spot them in action with the telehandler next time you’re here.

📸 Jim Woolf

Come rain or shine there is plenty to do at Ickworth this weekend…

🎨 Design Masterpiece Exhibition, 11am-3pm
🚴‍♂️ Bike hire, 10am-4pm *Last hire at 2pm*
🌳 Enjoy a walk or cycle round our many trails
🌼 See the colour blooming from our borders
👨‍🍳 Costumed Interpretation in the Basement, Sunday, 11am-3pm

📸 Luci Scrocca

We’ve had a bit of a move around with our cycle hub which hopefully will make things easier for hiring from us. 🚲

We’re currently recruiting for Cycle Hub Volunteers so if you’d like to get involved with our busy cycle hub, supporting day to day running, maintenance of bikes and more then get in touch! You can either apply here > https://bit.ly/3VoaElT or email us at [email protected]

📷 Jof Garwood

*Now back open*

Due to a delivery of a new bike container our Main Car Park will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday 12 June.

Our Overflow car park will remain open and a blue badge area will be cornered off. We will also have the shuttle available to those who require it.

Thank you for your understanding.

📸 Lucy Cooke

Due to unforeseen circumstances our Porter's Lodge Café will be closed today, Monday 10 June.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

Our West Wing Café will be open today from 10:00-16:00.

📸 Lucy Cooke

Summer of Play at Ickworth Estate is back! We'll again be transforming the Walled Garden into a Play Garden and inviting everyone to create, explore, move, wonder and make-believe. Taking place everyday between 19 July - 2 September there'll be many different activities and plenty to excite all ages of children, and adults that are young at heart > bit.ly/IckworthFamilyVisits

The Play Garden is included in normal admission charges and is free for National Trust members.

Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank

Days out with kids | Ickworth | Suffolk There are loads of different family activities designed to help you explore and discover the Ickworth estate this Summer.

Peta talks about her time being a volunteer here at Ickworth...

"At the start of my volunteer journey at Ickworth I volunteered at the Welcome point and Cycle Hub. However, in August 2022 I unfortunately broke my right wrist while on holiday in Norway. Cutting the inevitable long story short, due to my broken wrist it was difficult to do manual work such as in the cycle hub.

Hannah in the VE department was developing shifts in the second hand bookshop which was ideal for me so I volunteered my time there instead. I could manage my time to suit how I felt too- Great flexibility and variety to ensure I could continue to volunteer 😊"

📸 Daisy Bowdewes

Due to a fallen tree and continuing high winds, we have decided to close the Christmas children's trail today. We hope to re-open this again tomorrow.

Don't forget we've got lots to see and do indoors, from children’s crafts to exploring Staged Splendour in the Routunda.

📸 Lucy Cooke

With the holidays underway we have plenty to keep you occupied...

Explore the theatrical spectacular in the Rotunda or make your very own Masquerade Mask or Theatre Binoculars to accompany your visit.

🎭 Staged Splendour | 11am – 3pm
✂ Georgian-themed family crafts | 10am – 3pm

Open daily between 2 December and 2 January *Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day*