Things to do this half-term by Samuel the spaniel

Come and join me, Samuel the spaniel, at Petworth House and Park this half-term - there’s loads to see and do! I’ve been busy trying my paw at some finger puppets, dressing up and playing games in the house, and working my way through the '50 things to do before you're 11 3/4' in the park.

Petworth Puppet Theatre

Try your hand at being a star with our Petworth Puppet Theatre workshops. We'll supply all the materials for you to make your very own little puppets, with a chance to put on a great show at the end of the session! I do hope someone makes a spaniel puppet. The Puppet theatre will be running on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 May. Let me know if you're coming - book a place by clicking here

In the Park... 50 things to do before you're 11 3/4!

Time to start ticking off those 50 things. I've made a list of my favourite five to do here in the Park and Pleasure Grounds - click here to read them and find out more.

In the Pleasure Grounds... Find some woodland friends

I’ve asked my friends to stay well hidden, so don’t expect this to be easy! They are all in the Pleasure Grounds somewhere. Check the bushes, look down low on the ground, and look up high in the trees… you may come across a fox, a woodpecker, an owl, and a rabbit, although I have even more friends coming to visit me in the summer holidays…

In the House... Spot the spaniel

There are 8 little spaniels hidden around the house, see if you can spot them all! You even get an amazing sticker with me on it once you've spotted them all. Petworth House is open from Saturday to Wednesday.

In the House... Treasure chests

Miniature rooms, dressing up outfits, giant jigsaws, and.... Well, I won't give away all our secrets, but nearly every room in the house contains a box filled with exciting activities based around the history of the room and it's objects. Remember the house is closed on Thursdays and Fridays. Let me know which treasure chest is your favourite and I might even reveal my favourite.

I hope I've given you some half-term inspiration, have a great week all!

Samuel the spaniel visits Woolbeding Gardens

Hi all, it’s me again. Today I’ve been out to visit the beautiful gardens at Woolbeding! I loved running around the grounds, and my new friend Pete took his camera out to get a few snaps of me enjoying the views! Pete has just joined the team and will be helping me to get some fun trails and activities out in the Park and Pleasure Grounds. And more trails to set up mean more walkies for me!

I loved walking around everywhere, but here were my favourite spots!

1) The waterfall
Although I love swimming I decided to give it a miss today, looked a bit cold. Best to admire from a distance.

2) The stream
Me and Pete had a really fun game of pooh sticks on this little crossing, he tried hard but my stick won!

3) Picnic bench
If you're like me you'll love eating outdoors.

4) Ruined abbey
The shell of this ruined abbey makes a fantastic place for hide and seek!

I hope you'll come and visit them during half-term! Woolbeding Gardens are open Thursdays and Fridays until 27 September. Booking for all visits is essential on 01730 811960, find out more on their website - here
 

Speaking of half-term, have you heard about Petworth Puppet Theatre on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 May at Petworth House. Let me know if you're coming - book a place by clicking here. We'll help you make your very own puppet, then if you want you can put on a little show at the end. I can't wait!

A new team member

Hi all, Samuel here. I’ve been given the very important task of introducing the newest member of the Petworth team… meet Bella the cocker spaniel!

Bella is just 10 weeks old and will be living onsite with our Visitor Experience Manager and hopefully spending lots of time in the office with us.

I’ve been trying to show her the ropes, but so far her attention span is rather short. Bella's favourite activities involve exploring the offices and chewing cardboard boxes, shoes and anything else she can find, including torches and bags as you can see below.

Maybe when she’s a bit older I’ll teach her how to blog too! Right, I’m off to try out some ‘50 things to do before you’re 11¾’ I think I'm older than that in dog years, but definitely not in human years. Check out the Petworth website to find out more.