Water, water everywhere, and how amazing it is!   The 2nd of February marks World Wetlands Day, a time to shout out how important wetlands are, both for wildlife and humans. Wetlands are so important that 40% of all life live or breed in them.   Wetlands are very diverse habitats, with one thing in… Read more »

Pensthorpe holds a diverse range of habitats and trees play an important part in all of them. Whether it’s an Oak in the woodlands, Willow in the reedbeds, or Hawthorn along the hedgerows, each provides safe spaces and food for wildlife. For birds, insects, mammals, lichens, fungi & humans, trees are vital! Around 50ha (123… Read more »

A bold new chapter for Pensthorpe When we first opened the café many years ago, it was perfect for the number of visitors we welcomed at the time. But, Pensthorpe has grown, and so have our ambitions. Visitor numbers have doubled since those early days, our menu offering has expanded, and the way people dine… Read more »

25 Years of the Millennium Garden: A Celebration for the Ages This week at Pensthorpe, we’ve been celebrating a very special milestone – the 25th anniversary of our Millennium Garden. Designed by world-renowned plantsman Piet Oudolf, this breathtaking space has been delighting visitors since 2000 and remains one of the jewels in Pensthorpe’s crown. From… Read more »

Pensthorpe is hosting a week of events in September to celebrate its much-loved Millennium Garden, created by award-winning designer Piet Oudolf. The 700-acre nature reserve on the outskirts of Fakenham is home to five stunning gardens, but this September, the Millennium Garden is marking its 25th anniversary. This milestone will be celebrated, with a week… Read more »

Local residents are being advised to expect something exciting through their door ahead of a Love Local campaign. At the start of September, around 16,000 homes, which surround the 700-acre nature reserve near Fakenham will receive a leaflet through their door offering a 50% discount on entry to the park. This will be the first… Read more »

July seems to have whizzed by, with heatwaves & heavy rain all added in. A big focus during the summer months is controlling invasive & dominant plants & our amazing volunteer team, with help from two Corporate Teams, have been hard at work with removal. Himalayan Balsam and Monkey Flower are two invasive species, originally… Read more »

On the 27th June, members of the team went along to the Royal Norfolk Show. We’d been nominated at the Norfolk Rural Business Awards in the Best Rural Tourism Attraction category, kindly sponsored by Thursford. And we won! There are so many amazing places to visit in this area, so to be chosen as the… Read more »

This month we have had scorching sunshine to heavy thunderstorms, more the first than the latter. In this hot weather the insect population is thriving, especially for Aphids and Flies. Swallows are nesting and feeding their chicks on all these flying invertebrates, look in the hides to see their nests, but please be careful not… Read more »