Spring family adventures in Lincolnshire with the National Trust!

 From spring themed trails to outdoor games and activities to get closer to nature, there’s plenty to entertain your little explorers at National Trust places this May half term.

Make the most of the warmer weather and longer late spring days by planning a family visit to a National Trust place near you. Enjoy the simple pleasures of being outdoors together, whether you’re playing on lush green lawns, creating your own family adventure through woodlands and secret gardens, or settling into a picture perfect picnic spot for the afternoon.

Gunby Estate, Hall and Gardens, near Spilsby, (PE23 5SS)

A rainbow of colour will be returning to Gunby Hall and Gardens for May half term as Rose Week begins to bloom. Explore gardens filled with striking scents in this annual display running from Saturday 27th May until Sunday 4th June.

On Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May (11am – 2pm) there is an opportunity to make a wild den with the Gunby Ranger team and on Monday 29th May there will be an array of craft stalls to discover.

Gunby is a perfect place for an outdoors picnic on the spacious lawns. Open seven days a week from 10am – 4pm, last admission 3pm. 

Tattershall Castle, near Sleaford (LN4 4LR)

Go on a journey through time at Tattershall Castle with an adventure up and down the great tower on the search for ancient graffiti. Take a graffiti trail and explore over 700 years of this fascinating history, helping paint a creative picture of what the castle looked like all those years ago. The grounds with its ancient ruins will also be open to explore. The castle is open 10.30am – 4.30pm, last admission 3.30pm. It is £2 per trail. Normal admission charges apply.

Belton House, near Grantham (Sat Nav: input Belton Village)

Enjoy Belton in bloom this spring as a kaleidoscope of colour returns to the gardens. Go on a spring adventure following the Pleasure Grounds walk or head out into the parkland to explore over 1300 acres while keeping an eye out for the resident deer. Become a Belton detective and help the mansion team to locate pesky pests hiding within the rooms before they can damage the collection! Pick up your trail sheet at the mansion entrance and learn all about the different pests the team look out for. Why not have a go at designing your own creature?

The mansion is open for free flow visits Thursday to Monday, 11am until 4pm (last entry at 3.30pm). There’s more fun to be had throughout the day with outdoor games available to enjoy in the Estate Yard. Take a train ride through the outdoor adventure playground, enjoy a refreshment in the indoor play area or get lost in the maze.

Woolsthorpe Manor, Woolsthorpe by Colsterworth (NG33 5PD)

Woolsthorpe Manor holds a special place within the history of science as this is the place where Sir Isaac Newton was born and where he made some of his important scientific discoveries. Most famously, the apple tree which inspired Newton to discover gravity still stands in the orchard at Woolsthorpe.

Embark on an adventure to discover the journey that an apple pip takes on a spring trail around Woolsthorpe Manor, running 27th May until the 4th of June. Follow the timeline of Newton’s apple tree from the very beginning, through to the incredible story of pips from Newton’s tree going into space with Tim Peake.

Complete your visit by getting hands on in the Science Centre and testing Newton’s theories, before refuelling in the coffee shop with a slice of cake. Woolsthorpe Manor is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 

Do you have any plans for the May half term?