Melford Hall - National Trust

It’s great to hear how our mobility scooters are making a difference.

Recently, a visitor shared how much more of our outdoor spaces they were able to enjoy thanks to the scooters, making their visit even more enjoyable.

We have two off road powered mobility scooters available to borrow. To book, please call 01787 379228.

Take in the stunning parkland views in the distance from the Banqueting House 🌿

We’re open from 11am, with the house and garden ready to explore from 12pm.

🐄🌿 Our Grazing Friends 🌿🐄

The parkland is home to our grazier’s cattle.
Their foraging helps to maintain the landscape while promoting biodiversity and keeping the grass healthy. It’s a beautiful sight that connects us to the rhythm of nature.

Have you spotted them on your recent visit?

🍂 Happy Autumn Equinox! 🍂

Today marks the point in the year when day and night are perfectly balanced. As we transition into this season of change, we start to welcome cooler temperatures and changing vibrant colours in nature.

Autumn is not just a time for harvest; it’s also a season for reflection and gratitude. It invites us to slow down, appreciate nature’s beauty, and prepare for the months to come. 🌾🍁

Do you enjoy the autumn? Share your favorite autumn traditions in the comments!

This beautiful photo was captured in the garden today - can you find the bee hiding amongst the flowers? 🌱🐝

Here’s a great ‘Before & After’!

The garden team gave the espalier apple tree a little haircut! ✂️🍏

Why is pruning and maintenance important?

• Regular pruning helps to keep the espalier apple tree healthy by encouraging better growth.

• It improves air circulation. Pruning opens up the tree, allowing better airflow and sunlight to reach all parts, reducing the risk of diseases.

• Removing dead or overcrowded branches ensures the tree's energy is directed toward producing healthy fruit and new growth.

This all helps to keep the tree healthy and easy to care for over time.

On , we’re excited to share recent conservation work at Melford Hall. This incredible painting has never been on public display before—what a moment to see it unveiled for the first time!

Painting conservator Polly and intern Katherine worked on 'The Wedding Procession,' a stunning oil painting from around 1500, painted in the manner of Pieter Balten.

They carefully cleaned the surface and inspected the brushstrokes to uncover more about the artist’s style. During the inspection, they found a surprise—evidence that Christmas decorations may have left behind holly or berries in the lower canvas! You can see the difference as they're cleaning the painting - look for the centre line to see the before and after progress.

Following the conservation work, Fine Art Services came to hang 'The Wedding Procession'. You can see the painting in the lower corridor near our tearoom.

Conserving history, one detail at a time.

We recently hosted a ‘Paint like Beatrix Potter’ workshop in the Banqueting House with artist Rachel Duffield.

Surrounded by views that Beatrix herself enjoyed during her visits, attendees learnt to paint in a similar style, creating some beautiful artwork to take home with them.

Keep an eye on the ‘What’s On’ section of our website to find out about our upcoming talks, trails and walks as we move into the autumn 🍂

The new shuttle bus will operate from Wednesday to Sunday between 10:30am to 4:30pm.

It can accommodate up to five passengers and one wheelchair, transporting visitors between the car park and the house.

Ready to spend the afternoon at Melford Hall?

Our Summer of Play programme offers a variety of traditional games that everyone can take part in. Also, why not try your hand at welly wanging or discover the Wild Art station in the parkland.

If you’re looking to learn more about the history here, join us for one of our talks or tours. We’ll be shining a light on the impressive art collection, or you could discover more about Melford Hall’s important naval connections as part of an in depth talk.

👉🏼Save this post for your next visit

(Summer of Play is sponsored by Starling Bank)

Here’s a preview into our summer camera roll 📸

As we approach the end of August and start thinking about September and the autumn ahead, there have been some fantastic moments throughout this summer season to reflect back on.

The garden has been bursting with colour and wildlife. The roses had a magnificent scent this year - did you get to see them? 🌹

We’ve had a fantastic Summer of Play programme for everyone to enjoy, along with the addition of our new Geo Cache trail and the opportunity to open up the 130 acre parkland. The arrival of the new grazier and additions of sheep and cows has been really exciting too.

There’s still time to visit and enjoy everything we have to offer this summer.

👉🏼Are you planning to visit during the upcoming bank holiday weekend? Let us know in the comments!

Our delicious tubs of ice cream are made locally by the Saffron Ice Cream Company.

They take great pride in using natural, tasty ingredients to create interesting flavours for us all to enjoy.

Will you choose a traditional or quirky flavour on your next visit? 🍨

Scone of the month is back!

Starting with blueberry and oat, you can try this delightful twist on the traditional scone recipe, best enjoyed with a serving of clotted cream!

Which flavour combination would be your favourite? 🤔

It’s !

Our places across the East Of England offer a huge variety of landscapes and places to visit. If you’re a member, our National Trust handbook includes a paw-print rating to guide you too.

Melford Hall has 130 acres with specially mown routes for you to explore with your dog on a lead, and drinking bowls accessible in the dog-friendly outdoor seating area.

We’ve worked with our partner Forthglade to come up with this Canine Code, which helps to make sure everyone can enjoy their day:

🐾 Keep them close: using a short lead helps to keep your dog from disturbing ground-nesting birds and farm animals. It's essential to use a short lead around sheep. But if cattle approach you, it's best to let your dog off the lead, and call them back when it's safe to do so.

🐾 Pick up the poo: please always clear up after your dog. If you can't find a bin nearby, take the poo bags home with you.

🐾 Watch the signs: keep an eye on local signs and notices wherever you're walking. They'll tell you if a beach has a dog ban, for instance, or if a path has been diverted, or if you're in an area where dogs can run off-lead.

🐾 Stay on the ball: remember that not everyone loves dogs, and some people fear them. So make sure your dog doesn't run up to other people, especially children.

For more advice on our canine code, go to: https:// www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dog-friendly/visiting-national-trust-places-with-your-dog -the-canine-code

🦮 Will you be bringing your dog to Melford Hall?

Have you got Bank Holiday plans? 🏓

We've got some traditional activities for everyone to try.

Whether you think you're an expert at welly wanging, or want to enjoy a game of dominoes on the lawn, join us this bank holiday weekend for some Summer of Play fun!

(The National Trust Summer of Play programme is sponsored by Starling Bank)

BANK HOLIDAY OPENING

We're looking forward to the upcoming August Bank Holiday weekend!

We've got a great offer to share with you - the Summer of Play activity stations will be open, our tearoom will be offering their popular cakes, bakes and ice creams, alongside our Welcome team who will be on hand to invite you in to explore the house and parkland routes.

Please be aware that this is a busy weekend for our places and be mindful of car parking and moving around the site in a safe way. We anticipate quieter times to be at the start of opening.

We look forward to welcoming you to enjoy Melford Hall.

⚠️ Due to high winds, our archery and axe throwing activity will not be taking place here today. Melford Hall, including the house, garden, parkland, and tearoom will remain open as usual.
Please keep an eye on our social media for updates. Thank you ⚠️

Since 1895, the National Trust has been protecting and caring for places, like Melford Hall, for everyone to enjoy.

More than 125 years later, that mission is at the heart of everything we do. Thank you for visiting and supporting our places 🌱

📸 Freddie Braybrooke

The village of Lavenham lies just across the fields and over the hill ready to be explored this summer...

Why not visit two National Trust places in one day? Before Melford Hall opens at 12pm, you could stop by -nationaltrust

There is an interesting Artist in Residency coming up throughout September, with natural workshops and a three-week exhibition to see, plus many activities for all of the family to enjoy, from garden games to quest trails around the museum.

As you move around the museum, you'll discover many fascinating true stories about the men and women who have shaped the fortunes of this unique village.

Plan your visit here 👉🏼https://bit.ly/VisitLavenhamGuildhall


📸 1st photo - Photographer Credit: John Millar

To celebrate World Photography Day, we asked you to send us a favourite photo that you’ve taken at Melford Hall… and you certainly delivered, there were some fantastic snaps!

Thanks to Joanne for capturing this beautiful shot of the house on a spectacular summers day - just look at that blue sky backdrop! ☀️

Meanwhile Sarah looked at another important part of Melford Hall and shared a great photo of the sheep - they have such character! 🐑

📸 Thank you for your photos. Keep tagging us and sharing snaps from your visits, we love to hear about your experience with us.

The gate lodge basking in the warm evening sun ☀️

Our post this week takes us to the Gardening and Outdoor team.

They do a fantastic job of maintaining, caring and keeping our outdoor spaces looking their best for our visitors to enjoy.

In this snap, you can see the grass areas outside of the house being cut back as part of maintenance 🌱

Have you visited Melford Hall’s parkland and garden this summer?

Relax in the grounds of Melford Hall.

Sit back and enjoy the garden, take a stroll in the parkland or visit our tearoom for tea and cake on the lawn!

It's , enjoy the peace and take some time to relax and reset.

Summer of Play is for everyone, adults too!

We've got a great selection of activities for you to try out together this summer. Enjoy our active games or traditional sports in the grounds of Melford Hall.

Visit from Wednesday to Sunday, 12 to 4:30pm.
To plan ahead, take a look at our website 👇🏼https://bit.ly/VisitMelfordHall