Read about the life and work of the Attingham Wardens

Attingham Park is a National Trust property comprising of an 18th Century mansion set in a Repton landscape; the Park and wider Estate includes a deer park, walled garden, several miles of the rivers Severn and Tern, extensive farmland and woodlands.



Saturday 7 May 2011

Plant Fair, kites and Attingham TV!

This weekend (May 7th and 8th) is the Plant and Garden Fair here at Attingham. There are plants, tools and materials available to buy, birdbox making for families, refreshments, guided tours of the Walled Garden and a plethora of gardening experts ready to answer your garden-related questions. Unfortunately, after weeks of sunshine and warmth, the weather has chosen this weekend to send us some downpours but hey, it's good for the plants! Pack your raincoat, put on your wellies and come and have a wander.

A red kite - one was spotted flying over Attingham
at 8.15 this morning
As well as the Fair our Engagement Warden, Ron, was up early this morning to give a dawn chorus tour and will be doing the same tomorrow. The tours are pre-booked as there is a breakfast after several hours of enjoying the birdsong so if you have missed it this year, keep us in mind for next May. Ron counted 37 different species this morning - worth getting up at 3am for! When I arrived at work this morning there was an additional treat as volunteer John spotted a Red Kite soaring over the north end of the Stables courtyard. We watched it for about half a minute before it left our sights. I tried to get a photo but alas, too slow. It was only the second time have I have seen a red kite in my life, and the first time in Shropshire. Once near extinction in this country, kites are making a comeback thanks to protection and re-introduction schemes and are now becoming easier to spot. They are a beautiful bird, very distinctive with their red/brown colouring, forked tail and angled wings, and I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more sightings across the Estate.

Finally, I would like to point you in the direction of Attingham TV! We have over a dozen short films for you to watch on a wide range of topics - from feeding the deer and hedgelaying to behind the scenes in the Mansion and what goes on on a Working Holiday. New films are added regularly so have a look and see a bit more of what goes on across the Park and Estate. You can find the films by following this link: Attingham Park TV
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)