Summer Fun in the Garden

‘Every Plant that Peeps up is a Treasure’ wrote Elizabeth Gaskell about her garden in Manchester and this summer we are taking families out into the garden to discover these treasures for themselves.

The Elizabeth Gaskell’s House Family Garden Trail will run throughout the school summer holidays on their open days.

The new trail is designed to entertain families with fun facts, discoveries and things to do as you make your way around the traditionally planted Victorian garden. Awaiting exploration are colourful herbaceous borders, daisy scattered lawns, a carefully cultivated vegetable patch and a rose and clematis-covered pergola. 

QR codes along the trail activate the different elements and there are paper versions of the map available too. Weather permitting Gaskell’s House will have a selection of traditional Victorian garden games like croquet, skittles, quoits and skipping ropes to have fun with on the lawns, where you can also enjoy a picnic.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s favourite writing spot overlooks the garden, which is full of roses, peonies, hollyhocks and hardy geraniums – it’s where she wrote some of her most famous novels. Beyond this, you can see the Coach House where the Gaskells’ coach and pony would have been kept. Further beyond, there would once have been a paddock for a cow, a pig and poultry. 

The trail also highlights facts about sustainability and shares take-home ideas about reducing carbon emissions. To spread this message even further, whilst stocks last, families will also be able to take home a special pack of Elizabeth Gaskell House wildflower seeds.

The Family Garden Trail is a free activity for visitors to Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, which is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11:00am to 4:30pm. Entry is £6.50 for adults and free for children under 16, when accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be pre-booked up to a month before.