Spring is in the air… who can feel the warmer temperatures, the brighter days and spot the blooming flowers? With that extra daylight too, you might be wondering what you can get up to, to make the most of it – so we’ve pulled together a few of our favourite spots and ideas to celebrate and make the most of the new season in Herts…
Easter Trail at Knebworth House
Taking place for four days over the Easter weekend (29th March to 1st April), visit the stunning Knebworth House, Gardens and Park to of course delight in the daffodils, but also pick up a Trail Sheet and get exploring with your kids. As you wander with your Easter Trail Sheet, you will follow characters across the gardens and solve a word jumble to get a prize at the end! Once you’ve done that, be sure to wander the maze, climb to the top of the Watchman’s Tower and come back again later in the year for the likes of Medieval Jousting and Great British Food Festival.
Ayot St Lawrence
The renowned playwright George Bernard Shaw called Ayot St Lawrence home, and his residence in the village, Shaw’s Corner, is under National Trust stewardship. Opening to the public once more on the 22nd March, you can discover original pieces of Morris & Co textiles, his collection of several thousand books and eclectic collection of caps. Outside, the gardens extend for 3.5 acres and are much like how Shaw devised them originally.
Also in the village is The Manor House, which is a six acre garden encapsulating an Elizabethan Manor House. On select dates through the year, you are able to visit these gardens as part of the National Garden Scheme, including the 18th & 19th May this year. On your visit you’ll be able to see a walled garden with glasshouses, herbaceous borders and a Parterre and temple pond garden.
Alban Way
As we’ve noted, the days are only getting longer and longer – so you’ve got to head out there and make the most of them! One way of seeing the countryside colours pop is by taking a cycle, or walk, along the Alban Way from St Albans to Hatfield. Being nearly all flat and tarmacked, the route is a relatively simple way to spend an evening and move those legs if you’ve been working all day. Be sure to also spot the Nast Hyde Railway Station, which was once abandoned but in recent years has undergone a rejuvenation to remind people of the route’s past as a railway line.
St Albans Cathedral
As you would expect, the iconic St Albans Cathedral has a packed Easter schedule, but did you know that beyond this it has an even more packed spring schedule? Throughout April, May and June you can head to the Cathedral for the likes of The Beatles by Candlelight for a euphoric sing-along, a return of the 80s Silent Disco and Tower Tours.
Find all of their events here.
Spring Flowers
It might be hard to believe, but spring officially doesn’t end until the 20th June, so there’s always some spring flowers to spot across the county. Beyond the beautiful, but typically spring-like daffodils, gain the knowledge on where to head to see lavender, tulips and magnolias – all in our spring flowers feature here.