Our Response to the Relaxation of Lockdown

With the Government announcement that museums and galleries can reopen on 4 July 2020 the Manor House team have been looking at how best to respond to this relaxation of lockdown.

‘As a first step to welcoming visitors back to the Manor House we are going to focus on making the outdoor space at the Manor House a lovely place to visit, relax in and learn more about the house and the grounds it sits on’ says Daisy Johnson, Trustee.

This plan, called ‘Inside Out’ will start from the beginning of July and have activities and points of interest for all age groups. There will also be access to landscape and heritage walks that begin and end at the Manor House and a puzzle trail around the outside of the house all of which can be downloaded from the website for free. We are also planning to improve the signs about the history of the house, gardens and Roman fort site in the courtyard and produce a number of podcasts that you can listen to as you explore the courtyard and area around the house.

‘We are keen to open the Manor House itself as soon as we can but we need to do this safely for our visitors and volunteers. As soon as we have developed a plan that we feel works we will let everyone know but we are so lucky to have this beautiful courtyard setting nestled in the heart of the town and we wanted to use this opportunity to make more of the space, especially over the summer period. As well as being a space for families we would love to welcome people of all ages and those who have found lockdown especially difficult. The courtyard will be accessible to all.’