Mud, music and forest play with Percy the Park Keeper

Summer may be drawing to a close, but Tatton Park is encouraging visitors to continue playing outdoors throughout autumn and winter with their third Percy the Park Keeper event this year. Families have already enjoyed Percy stories brought to life at the Gardens and Farm, and now a new trail, based on Nick Butterworth’s much-loved book ‘After the Storm’, starts on Saturday 11^th September.

With a mud kitchen and den building, wellies are a must!

The Parkland’s Dairy Wood is where Nick’s terrific tale of friendship and teamwork has inspired an activity-based trail for families to enjoy and get ‘hands on’. The adventure starts when a storm leaves Percy’s animal friends homeless, and it’s your job to help Percy find somewhere new for them all to live.

The ‘Year of Percy the Park Keeper’ events programme was planned with the intention of helping Tatton’s youngest visitors reconnect with nature and outdoor play during all four seasons. As well as Nick Butterworth’s wonderful story, the trail includes den building, a mud kitchen, animal art and a music wall. “This new ‘After the Storm Parkland Trail’ offers plenty of activities to spark children’s imaginations in a beautiful woodland setting, as summer changes to autumn.” says Caroline Jackson, Marketing Manager at Tatton Park. “It’s a great way for families to explore Tatton Park through forest play. Prepare for muddy fun and we recommend wearing wellies!”

Forest play helps children develop a love for the natural world, playing outdoors strengthens their bodies and the sensory stimulation from a natural environment allows them to learn through smell, sight, touch and sound.

After the Storm Parkland Trail starts 11^th September

The Parkland is open daily 10am – 7pm until 31^st October and then Tuesday to Sunday 10am – 5pm from 2^nd November. Parkland vehicle entry tickets can be bought at tattonpark.org.uk or from the gates on arrival. Pedestrians and cyclists can enter the Park free of charge and a children’s trail sheet is just £1 from Tatton Park’s Welcome Building near the car park, or from any of the Stableyard shops. The Gift Shop also sells favourite Percy books and toys.

Even without Percy, Dairy Wood is a special place

You’ll find Dairy Wood opposite the main car park in Tatton Park. A path takes you from the road and into the woodland, where your Percy trail will start, following a circular route. The woodland here is made of up Elder, Beech, Pine, veteran Oak trees which are hundreds of years old, brackens, ferns and rhododendron, and like so much of Tatton Park’s 1000 acres, it provides a precious habitat for birds, mammals and insects.