North East Blossom at Seaton Delaval Hall

North East in Blossom 2026

Seaton Delaval Hall is part of a region-wide programme of activity celebrating blossom and providing opportunities to connect to nature and each other. Events and activities will be taking place at Gibside, Crook Hall Gardens, Washington Old Hall, Seaton Delaval Hall and Ormesby Hall.

Festival Blossom 2026 is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery with funds awarded from Postcode Earth Trust.

Blossom at Seaton Delaval Hall

Every year at springtime trees burst into bloom, offering a sense of hope and renewal. For centuries blossom has been celebrated in literature, art and music all around the world. During the celebrations at Seaton Delaval Hall, we encourage you to take a moment in nature and take in the signs of spring.  Blossom highlights at the hall include the laburnum arch, rhododendrons, azaleas, ceanothus and wisteria.

Blossom trail

Follow our blossom trail across the grounds to spot the garden blooms and discover spotlight items in the hall’s collection.
 
Grab a deckchair or giant bean bag and choose a blossom zone within the formal garden, from the laburnum arch with all of it’s golden splendour, to the sweet scented orange azaleas or the bright pink, lilac or white rhododendrons.

The Secret Bats of Seaton Delaval Hall

Site-wide, Saturday 9 May - Sunday 7 June

Discover the hidden world of bats this Blossom season through a thoughtful installation by artist Amy Dover. While blossom is a vibrant sign of spring, bats play a quieter but vital role in supporting healthy ecosystems. This installation invites you to look more closely at the connections between wildlife, seasonal change and the landscapes around us.

Explore a series of specially designed bat boxes placed across the hall & grounds. Peek inside to uncover beautifully illustrated portraits of individual bats that roost at Seaton Delaval Hall, each one based on real animals observed by the artist in collaboration with the Hall’s bat ecologist, Tina Wiffen.

During the first week of the exhibition, you’re invited to take part in a gentle interactive experience. An erasure display encourages visitors to carefully rub away parts of the drawings, revealing how environmental change can impact protected species. This shared moment offers a chance to reflect on the delicate balance of nature, and how easily it can be altered.

Amy Dover is a lecturer in illustration at Edinburgh College of Art and a PhD student at Newcastle University, currently undertaking a practice-based Fine Art project focused on reconnecting humans with wild animals.

We Are Wildflower Women – Patchworked Care

Kitchen Passage, Saturday 9 May – Sunday 7 June

Discover this community quilting display created by a women’s recovery group in collaboration with Dr Angelika Strohmayer, Associate Professor in the School of Design, Arts and Creative Industries at Northumbria University. The work celebrates recovery, the blossoming of spring, and the connections that can grow through making together.

Discover the finished quilt and learn more about the process of collective making, on display in the Kitchen Passage.

Flower mandala workshops

Saturday 23 May, 11am – 12.30pm and 1pm – 2.30pm

Flower Mandala sessions are a creative and colourful way to connect with nature and take a mindful moment this Blossom season. Join artist Mim Robson and help create a large, collective flower mandala using natural materials. Inspired by patterns found in nature, mandalas are circular designs that bring a sense of calm, balance and creativity.

These relaxed, drop-in sessions are suitable for all ages and abilities – no experience needed. Simply choose your petals, leaves and natural treasures, and add your piece to a growing artwork, created together throughout the day in the grounds of the hall.

Blossom Print Sessions with Northern Print

Stables workshop, Saturday 9, 23 & 30 May, 11am - 2pm

Join Northern Print to create your own blossom artwork, using a mix of flower, leaf and branch cut outs. Make your own one-of-a kind print to take home in this drop in session. Standard admission applies or free with your membershp. No booking required.

Blossom Gardens Tours

Lost Wing, Saturday 9 May, 11:30am-12:30pm, 2-3pm

Lost Wing, Friday 29 May, 2-3pm

May is the very best month of the year to join our gardens talk, which this month has a blossom flavour. Discover more about Blossom in the gardens and pick up some top tips from our expert gardening volunteer team. No booking required. Standard admission applies or free with your membership.

Tots Plots, Blossom Time

Community Kitchen Garden, Friday 15, 22 and 29 May, 5 June, 10.30am - 12pm

Join our free weekly drop-in gardening club for toddlers, with special blossom themed crafts during May like paper roll butterflies, cherry blossom lanterns and fork tulips. Free, drop-in session. No booking required. Admission not required.