Tatton Park Celebrates 100 Years of Winnie-the-Pooh with Summer Family Trail
Families can explore 50 acres of historic gardens while following a new story trail inspired by Pooh and his friends throughout the summer holidays.
By Cheshire Live
Tatton Park is celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh this summer with a new family trail spread across its 50 acres of historic landscaped gardens.
The "Three Cheers for Pooh!" Garden Story Trail runs until 6 September and has been created in collaboration with HarperCollins Publishers to mark the centenary of A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard's much-loved characters.
Families following the trail can encounter scenes inspired by the original stories, including Pooh with his honeypot, Tigger and a Poohsticks-themed stop, while exploring some of the estate's best-known garden areas.
The experience is designed to combine storytelling with outdoor exploration, encouraging children and adults to discover more of Tatton Park's extensive gardens while following familiar characters from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Tatton's gardens cover around 50 acres and have developed over several centuries, with formal gardens, woodland areas, an arboretum and a number of historic features reflecting generations of work by the Egerton family.
Among the oldest attractions is the hedged maze, which appears on a surviving plan dating from around 1700. Tatton Park says its layout is based on the same format as the famous maze at Hampton Court.
The maze is also one of only two hedged examples found in gardens owned by the National Trust, making it an unusual surviving feature of the estate.
Other areas visitors can explore include the Italian Garden, Rose Garden and arboretum, which contains almost 300 species of trees and forms part of a collection first developed by the Egerton family in the late 18th century.
Alongside the garden trail, Tatton Park Farm is hosting a separate Winnie-the-Pooh Centenary Exhibition exploring the history of the books, their characters and the creation of the Hundred Acre Wood.
The summer programme also included a special storytelling day with author Jane Riordan on 1 August. The fully booked sessions introduced children to Winnie-the-Pooh stories and included activities exploring how stories are written and illustrated.
The Three Cheers for Pooh! trail is included with standard admission to the gardens, while the centenary exhibition is included with entry to the farm.
Visitors planning to explore more of the estate can also purchase a Totally Tatton Ticket covering the Mansion, Gardens and Farm. Current prices are £20 for adults and £12 for children aged four to 15, with family tickets starting from £38. Separate vehicle entry charges apply for visitors arriving by car.
The Winnie-the-Pooh trail and centenary exhibition continue at Tatton Park until Sunday, 6 September.