Events

Orchard Blossom Day is the annual celebration of fruit trees, orchards, blossom, and food. Celebrated at the end of April/start of May (when orchards look their best), it is a chance to celebrate orchards and the coming harvest.

Did you know? Norton Priory is home to the National Collection of tree quince, as well as dozens of varieties of apple, plus pears, plums, damsons, medlars, and many other varieties of fruit. We've also recently planted the new Oldfield Orchard, filled with local heritage varieties of apple from Cheshire and Lancashire. We have plenty to celebrate about Norton Priory's beautiful orchards!

Join us on Sunday 4th May for family-friendly crafts, tours of Norton Priory's orchards, themed trails, and a blossom-spotters guide!

Included with general admission (part of Discover Norton): crafts such as blossom head band making from 12-3pm, themed trails and our blossom-spotters guide! Book general admission here.

Bookable sessions: tours of Norton Priory's orchards with our Ranger, Paul Quigley, and orchard expert Katie Tonge at 12pm or 2pm. Adults £5, children £3.

Access requirements: The orchard tours involve walking in areas with uneven ground.

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with general admission (apart from pre-booked orchard tours). Book online ahead of time for a discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

A day to celebrate both Norton Priory's honeybees and wild pollinators!

We love bees at Norton Priory! As well as keeping honeybees, we try to provide a habitat for a range of wild pollinators, including bumblebees and solitary bees.

Learn about the different bees at Norton Priory with activities in the museum and at the Walled Garden.

Included with general admission (part of Discover Norton) 

• Family activities including including seed planting and bee-themed trails

• Insect ID and wildlife recording with RECORD - Local Environmental Records Centre

• Bumblebee talk with naturalist Tony Parker at 11am

Book general admission here.

Bookable sessions

Beekeeping at Norton Priory, honey tasting and a "walk and talk" session to learn about honeybees at Norton Priory with our ranger and beekeeper, Paul Quigley. Adults £5, children £3.

• 12pm - Family Beekeeping at Norton Priory session for all ages!

• 3pm - Adults Beekeeping at Norton Priory session for ages 17+ - a chance to ask more in-depth questions about apiculture!

Access requirements

The beekeeping "walk and talk" sessions involve walking in areas with uneven ground.

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with general admission (apart from pre-booked sessions with our beekeeper). Book online ahead of time for a discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

We are looking for stalls with a bee, beekeeping and honey theme! Norton Priory is always interested in hearing from unique local businesses and artists who want to be involved for our events. If you are interested in being a stallholder at Norton Priory for this event, or any of our fairs, please contact bookings@nortonpriory.org

Seek out new and unusual plants to make your garden stand out in 2025! With a range of specialist nurseries providing a myriad of beautiful plants, this event is one of the most popular in Norton Priory's annual calendar.

It's £1.00 per person to visit the Plant Hunters' Fair! Or to visit both the fair and the museum purchase the special 'Early Bird Ticket' priced at just £8.50 for each adult visitor (up to three 0-16 year olds are admitted with each 'Early Bird' adult). This Early Bird ticket includes access to the stunning 2.5 acre Georgian Walled Garden, the main museum building and medieval undercroft, and acres of woodland walks.

With free car parking and Norton Priory's onsite Brooke Cafe, it makes for the perfect day out.

The following specialist nurseries will be attending on the day (more to be added):

• A Love Blossoms Garden accessories, stakes, planters, garden wall decorations and more
• ChickenStreet Grasses and herbaceous perennials for naturalistic plantings
• Dibleys The Houseplant Specialists: over 150 RHS Gold medals including 33 Chelsea Golds NEW
• Eastoft Echeveria Tender Echeveria, Graptopetalum, Pachyphytum, Sedums & Interspecific hybrids Hardy Sedum, Delosperma and various alpine plants NEW
• Freddie's Flowers Fresh Flowers Delivered As A One-Off Gift Or Regular Subscription NEW
• Hoyland Plant Centre Agapanthus, Amarines, Nerines, Tulbaghia, Dierama , Arisaema and Scadoxus. National Collection Holders,RHS Medalists NEW
• Kilned Earth Premium quality Cretan terracotta pots containing herbs and rare plants NEW
• Mayfields Plants Wide range of bee and butterfly-friendly cottage garden perennials.
• Meadowmakers Wildflower and native tree plants and plugs
• Penmere Plants Hardy, half-hardy and species Fuchsia.
• Pottertons Nursery Alpines, Dwarf Bulbs and Woodland Plants RHS Gold Medalists
• Primrose Bank Wide range of perennial plants RHS Gold Medalists
• Priorswood Clematis Clematis. RHS Medalists NEW
• Stonyford Cottage Nursery Moist and shade loving plants, some Exotics and Alpines including Sempervivums.
• The Gobbett Nursery Shrubs, perennials inc Iris, Cornus, Syringa in season RHS Medalists

This is a Discover Norton event and has discount Early Bird rates available for combined General Admission and Plant Hunters' tickets, and children go free on General Admission to the museum!* Book online ahead of time for the Early Bird discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for admission on arrival!

*Up to 3 children free per full priced adult ticket, additional children will be charged.

After an expert-led talk by Tony Parker about bats and identifying bats using bat detectors, we will head out into the woods to see what bats we pick up! The route will take us up to the Bridgewater Canal, which is an excellent site for watch for bats hunting for insects over the water.

Throughout the summer holidays there will be bat walks on Tuesdays, timed to try to catch bats as they head out to hunt.

• 29th July at 8.15pm

• 5th August at 8pm

• 12th August at 7.30pm

• 19th August at 7.30pm

• 26th August at 7.15pm

Pre-booking for this event is essential! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before the event or when tickets sell out, so book now to avoid disappointment!

Access requirements

Please note that this will involve a walk in Norton Priory's woodlands and near the canal after dark, so please dress appropriately and bring a torch. There will be some uneven ground. Although there is no age limit for this event, we recommend parents’ discretion regarding very young children.

Historia Normannis present a siege special at Norton Priory Museum & Gardens. See an exciting battle on the event field where medieval knights and soldiers attack the palisades with siege engines and 12th century weaponry.

In between acts, explore our dynamic living history encampment to see the clothes, food, crafts and skills of every day medieval life. Discover Norton Priory's medieval history through our permanent museum gallery displays and historic ruins.

There will also be family friendly crafts in the classroom, trails around the museum and gardens, and why not take your photo trying on some of our medieval fashions!

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with General Admission, plus children go free!* Book online ahead of time for a discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

*Up to 3 children free per full priced adult ticket, additional children will be charged.

Quince and Apple Weekend is back at Norton Priory, offering a delightful experience for the entire family. This annual event showcases the best produce from the walled garden, where you can purchase fresh apples, quince and other produce grown at Norton Priory. Dive into creative craft activities and explore a marketplace filled with unique offerings from local businesses! Whether you're looking to pick up some fresh produce or enjoy a fun-filled day of entertainment, Quince and Apple Weekend promises something for everyone.

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with General Admission, plus children go free!* Book online ahead of time for a discount! Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

*Up to 3 children free per full priced adult ticket, additional children will be charged.

Norton Priory is always looking for unique local businesses and artists for our events. If you are interested in being a stallholder at Norton Priory for this event, or any of our fairs, please contact bookings@nortonpriory.org

Step into the festive spirit and kick off your Christmas shopping with a wonderful selection of food, crafts, and gifts from local businesses. The museum will be filled with a variety of stalls, offering everything you need to find the perfect presents for loved ones. From handcrafted treasures to delicious treats, you’re bound to find a stocking filler or two! Enjoy musical entertainment and festive food and drink while you browse and soak up the seasonal atmosphere.

As well as entry to the fair, admission tickets include access to the museum, ruins and woodlands. After picking up some wonderful Christmas gifts, why not enjoy a lovely winter walk in Norton Priory's woodlands?

This is a Discover Norton event and is included with General Admission at a reduced price of £5 for adults and £4 for children.  Pre-booking closes at 11:45 the night before your visit. But if you miss out, you can pay for General Admission on arrival!

Norton Priory is always looking for unique local businesses and artists for our events. If you are interested in being a stallholder at Norton Priory for this event, or any of our fairs, please contact bookings@nortonpriory.org