Scampston Conservatory Preservation Company Ltd: School visits, lectures and events bring the Scampston Heritage Learning Centre to life....

May and June was a busy time for school visits and events at the Heritage Learning Centre. Four Schools – Barrowcliffe, Rillington and Settrington and West Heslerton and Norton came to Scampston to plant up beds or explore the conservatory, gardens and parkland. The group from Barrowcliff School Scarborough also took part in a tour of the Hall cellars and walled garden.

Rillington school explore the conservatory

Planting the bed

Rillington bed design

West Heslerton and Norton Schools enjoyed exploring the Capability Brown Geocache trail in the parkland. Two of the West Heslerton classes had the chance to enjoy pond dipping at the Palladian Bridge, discovering a wide variety of pond life including: Great diving beetle larvae, may fly larva, freshwater lice, dragonfly larvae, water boatmen and leeches to name just a few!

West Heslerton Explore the Bothies

West Heslerton Prepare to Pond Dip

Pond Dipping at Palladian Bridge

Pod Dipping

Pond Dipping Kit

Barrowcliffe Bed Design

Camp Hill Weeding the beds

Oliver Caroe Lecture

Corrine Young Textile Workshop

Courses and Events in May included creative textiles with Corrine Young and June included a lecture on the restoration of the Scampston Conservatory by Oliver Caroe – Architect and Linocut printmaking workshop with Hester Cox

Hester Cox printmaking workshop

Printmaking work

Printmakers hard at work

Printmaking work

June also saw the conservatory well used for a range of events conferences and meetings including PDSA and RAPt. The conservatory has been very well received with excellent feedback on the new facilities, restoration, exhibitions and display of pelargoniums and other plants in the hothouse, all looked after by a dedicated team of volunteers.