The Big Blooming Break

Take a moment to relax in blossom

Discover blossom

Find your next visit

Discover more than 500 places to visit and lots of events to get involved in.

There are no suggestions available

Explore

Woman and child behind a bed of daffodils with a tree in the background

Family-friendly places to visit

Looking for a family day out that'll keep everyone entertained? Find things to do with the kids at the places we care for near you.

Blossom launch at Outernet, London, April 2024

Article

Blossom city experiences

Discover a range of blossom experiences across cities and spaces near you. From yoga and meditation to immersive exhibitions and workshops – there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Picnicking on the lawn at Allan Bank and Grasmere, Lake District

Article

Pack your favourite food, grab a blanket and visit one of the best picnic spots in our care. Whether it's beside a grand house, in colourful gardens or next to the sea, there are plenty of locations to choose from.

Two visitors explore outside at Dyffryn Gardens, following a concrete path that leads to five steps leading down to a lower level of the garden. They're surrounded by evergreen foliage and a large white magnolia tree overhead.

Article

Gardens with magnolias

Explore the top spots to see magnolias this spring at the places we care for. Revel in the colours of the season with these blooms in shades of pink, purple and white.

A family with small children talking to a volunteer room guide in Central Hall at Mount Stewart, with its stone floor, statues and chandelier visible

Article

Places with a royal story to tell

Bring history to life and discover some of the best royal connections to the places we look after, from a warrior king and ghost queen to traitors of the crown.

Gardener Fliss Elsom-Cook in the Gertrude Jekyll garden at Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Northumberland

Gardening tips

Discover our gardeners’ top tips so you can make the most of your garden, plot or window box.

Start your journey of discovery

Delve into history, get tips from our experts, learn a new skill and go behind the scenes at your favourite places.

Learn something new

Stack of chocolate cookies and a bowl of mini chocolate eggs in the background

Recipe

Easter cookies recipe

Follow this recipe to bake the perfect cookie for your Easter weekend spread. These treats are chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and are sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Article

How to make an origami blossom

Try our step-by-step blossom origami tutorial in this easy spring-inspired craft. Make flowers in different sizes and colours to decorate your home or give to friends and family.

Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) emerging from log roost.

Article

Our guide to UK bats

The places we look after are home to every kind of bat that lives in the UK; with Bat Appreciation Day on 17 April, make use of our handy guide to identify different species and find out where to spot them.

NARCISSUS 'THE INCOMPARABLE DAFFODIL' by Georg Ehret, 1753. Botanical illustration situated in Gallery IV (the Botanical Gallery) at Dudmaston, Shropshire.

Article

Spring scenes in our collections

Spring's promise of new beginnings has been an inspiration to artists and designers for centuries. Discover spring through some of its most evocative depictions in the collections and objects we care for.

More news

A Eurasian beaver perched by the water and eating

England's first legal wild release of beavers

On 5 March, two pairs of adult beavers were released into the wet woodland that surrounds Little Sea at Studland Bay in Dorset. This was under licence from the government, which was the first licence of its kind to be issued in England – all previous releases have been for releases into enclosures.