Events

Join Mima Cornish from HedgeRose Healing for meditation in the beautiful surroundings of Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn on select Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The sessions vary each week and take the opportunity to access the many different places and atmospheres at Norton Priory, both inside and out, to truly enjoy the present moment. All meditations will be guided, and any mindful activities will be gentle and relaxing, promoting a natural sense of peace. Suitable for all levels from beginners to experienced. Please bring a blanket.

Current Dates for Autumn 2024: 

• Sunday 29th September
• Saturday 5th October
• Sunday 20th October
• Sunday 3rd November
• Sunday 17th November

As the harvest season ends, we are asking visitors to bring your own apples along to our classroom on Sunday 6th October from 12pm till 4pm.  

You will get the chance to use the Norton Priory Apple Press to press and juice your apples to create some fresh and seasonal apple juice!   Bring your own containers to take the juice away with you to enjoy at home.  
This is the perfect opportunity to make use of any spare apples that you might have on trees at home or that you can access from your local area.  

The event is free for the community, and is being supported by Hazlehurst Studios, Runcorn.  www.hazlehurststudios.co.uk 
Once you have juiced your apples why not stay for lunch at the Brooke café and an afternoon visit to the Walled Garden?  The museum is open from 10am till 5pm, the Walled Garden is open until 4pm and the Brooke Café until 4.30pm, normal admission charges apply if visiting the museum and gardens.  

Drop-in creative workshop: 10.30 - 3.30pm, Discovery Space
Storytelling trail: 11.30am & 1.30pm, meet in the atrium

Join artists from Blue Room at Norton Priory in their ‘indoor orchard’. Explore handmade artworks, see a nature inspired animation and listen to an atmospheric soundscape of birdsong. You can get creative and have a go at making your own paper and yarn apple sculpture.

You might spot a snoozing fellow in the indoor orchard, that’s the Green Man who is having a slumber in between leading quests out to the Walled Garden to find the hidden apple artworks. Can you spot them all and find out which are the true heritage apples? Which have been swapped by the Orchard Fairy for magical varieties dreamt up by Blue Room artists?

Created with support from Halton Borough Council for Halton 50.

Children must be supervised at all times.
We encourage parents and guardians to join in.
Suitable for ages 4+

This activity is included with general admission. Please note that the trail is outdoors and suitable footwear and clothing should be worn.
The Walled Garden is a 5-10 min walk from the Museum and will involve moving across uneven ground.

Under the Apple Tree is a project exploring nature, sculpture and storytelling. With support from the Henry Moore Foundation it was first developed by artist Alfred Beesley, in collaboration with fellow artists and facilitators from Blue Room, the Bluecoat’s inclusive arts project with learning disabled and neurodivergent adults.

In Spring 2023, the Beesley spent time exploring the historic orchard at Norton Priory making sketches, taking photographs and capturing the texture of tree bark. He developed a collection of sculptures inspired by the life cycle of apple trees and developed a technique for creating apple sculptures using paper and yarn. While working in the studio, Beesley would often describe how he would like audiences to interact with his art, sharing magical scenarios that recall fairytales and folklore. The Blue Room team saw a perfect opportunity to share his work as part of the Bluecoat’s popular programme of creative activities for children and families. In Spring 2024, the project was shared at a special creative workshop with immersive storytelling.

Working with artist Juliet the workshop will use a natural loom base of a twig or small branch to create a unique woven piece of woven artwork working with a variety of wools and fancy yarns and simple weaving techniques. 

No experience required. All materials provided. 

Juliet is a freelance artist educator who delivers formal and informal educational art workshops across the North West. Her work is inspired by the natural environment and the exploration of landscapes, and she uses mixed media including mark making, gestural drawing and textiles. She has previously led workshops at Norton Priory on botanical art and felt making.

Learn the basics of pruning your fruit trees then get some practical experience using the Norton Priory Museum & Gardens orchards, with guidance and advice from an expert tutor from Heathfield Orchards.

Hedges can be a haven for wildlife, providing shelter, protection, nesting sites and sources of food. Many popular species of our wildlife love hedges, including hedgehogs, small mammals, bats, small song birds and invertebrates.

We are running a hands-on hedge laying course. Learn this ancient craft by laying the hedge around our pear orchard, providing you with the skills to lay your own hedges.

A hands-on workshop to learn about grafting fruit trees from our expert. Graft a couple of small apple trees to take home using Norton Priory's heritage apple varieties.