Country Life
2025
The Best of 40 years
Open Gardens
Ashwell itself is a village hidden over the hills and over the watershed from the rest of the county. It is also a village full of hidden surprises and we hope you will have a rare chance today to share some of its many interesting and delightful features. You will be able to enjoy exhibitions, talks, trails, fun activities, music, dancing, art and craft demonstrations and workshops, as well as our traditional programme of open gardens. Your wristband will give you access to all these activities and events. Admission to everything is free for children under 18 if accompanied by an adult with a wristband.
This is a year not to be missed! Classic cars exhibition, guided village walk on 'The Great Fire of Ashwell', get your hands dirty on a test-dig with Ashwell's archaeology team, medieval street dancing and performers, and much more.
FREE Children's Activities
Every Ashwell at Home brings a surprise and they are often in the form of a magnificent or secret garden, which you are given the chance to wander around.
This year there will be no less than 17 open gardens from tiny courtyard to manor house, herb garden and wildlife allotment - for green fingered visitors or just to sit and enjoy the views. Buy your seasonal plants at our plant stall and bring your gardening questions to 'Gardeners' Questions Answered... enjoy a great day out in this most special North Hertfordshire village.
There will be many and varied open gardens for 2024 - see the Programme for details.
Walks & Talks
Every year we have fascinating walks and talks and there are some great ones for 2024. Check out the programme for more information.
Children and young adults under 18 can enjoy Ashwell at Home for FREE when accompanied by a paying adult. They can also enjoy some or all of the many children's activities arranged throughout the day from welly whanging to making junk robots, stage school workshop, fun with folk dance and arts & crafts. And not forgetting the funfair!
There's something for crafty ones, sporty ones, quiet ones, noisy ones and even little ones can have a lovely time with storytime. See the programme for times and locations.
The Hertfordshire Police will be on the Recreation Ground from 11.45 with a 4x4 and a Quad bike.
Food & Drink
Morning coffee and teas, wonderful homemade lunches from ploughman's lunches to hot dogs & burgers, afternoon tea and cake and cream teas - available at various locations around the village including the School, URC Hall,Parish Rooms and Cricket Pavilion. Check out the programme to plan your refreshment stops!
Arts & Crafts
Enjoy the work of local artists with spinning & weaving,art & pottery display and workshop, drop-in arts and crafts activites.
Music
& Performance
Plan Your Day
With so much going on it's hard to fit everything in! To make sure you don't miss anything, check out the times for the main events in the Programme. And for timely reminders, listen out for Ashwell's very own Town Crier who will be roaming the streets to keep you posted on what's on next!
There's a lot going on this year! A host of local professional and private musicians and entertainers will be waiting to enchant and entertain you as you wander around Ashwell or visit the different venues. And if you feel like joining in, try your hand on the mini-harp at the Church, Tudor or Folk dancinhg or join our adult pop and rock singing wokshop! See the programme for details of what's on, when and where!