With lots of outdoor space to run and play on, a visit to Chawton House is the ideal way to keep the kids occupied over the Easter holidays.
Enjoy a family day out in the picturesque Hampshire countryside with a visit to Chawton House this Easter. Admire the dazzling display of daffodils now blooming in the Gardens as your kids run and play on the South Lawn and hide amongst the trees in the Wilderness. The Gardens are also dog friendly so your four-legged friends can join you on your day out as you explore the picturesque grounds and wider parkland.
Don’t miss our special Easter activities too, which are sure to entertain to entire family!
Enjoy Our Special Easter Trails
Collect your garden map from the Chawton House Tea Shed and complete our special Easter Trail. Explore the gardens and find all the hidden wilderness rabbits before claiming your prize at the Tea Shed. Don’t worry if it’s raining- we have an Easter Trail inside the House too so you can keep your kids entertained no matter the weather!
Our Easter Trails will be running from Saturday 1 April to Sunday 16 April 2023 and are included in the admission ticket to Chawton House.
Discover The Art of Letter Writing in the 18th and 19th Centuries
Visit our latest exhibition Quills and Characters and explore the art of letter writing in the 18th and 19th centuries. Reconstructing some of the stories told by letters in the Chawton House collection that have never before been displayed, this exhibition will have you exploring stories of science and scholarship, love, and literature. You will be introduced to lesser-known women correspondents, such as the historical fiction writer Anna Eliza Bray, and meet more recognisable figures such as Mary Somerville, Ada Lovelace and Amelia Opie.
Quills and Characters is included in the admission ticket to Chawton House.
Join A Curator’s Tour of Quills and Characters
Delve deeper into our current exhibition Quills and Characters with a guided tour on Saturday 8 April, led by exhibition curator Dr Kim Simpson. Learn more about the practical elements involved in writing a letter in the 18th and 19th centuries before exploring the fascinating stories told in letters held in the Chawton House collection and on display for the first time.
Purchase your tour tickets here.
Pen An 18th Century Letter in the Writing Room
Exclusively over the Easter weekend, we will be opening our writing room to offer you the chance to pen your own eighteenth-century letter. Paper, goose feather quills, ink and seals will be provided, along with instructions on contents, address, signing off and folding.
This activity is included in the admission ticket to Chawton House and will be running from Good Friday to Easter Monday.
Step Inside Charlotte Brontë’s Wardrobe
Visit the Library and discover this beautiful artist’s takeover created by historian, illustrator, and writer Dr Eleanor Houghton. Charlotte Brontë’s wardrobe has been stunningly captured in eight original illustrations and displayed alongside Chawton House’s treasured piece of Brontëana. Discover the brightly coloured and fashionable garments once worn by the novelist, challenging our preconception that Brontë and her famous protagonist Jane Eyre were, at least in terms of dress, one and the same.
Inside Charlotte Brontë’s Wardrobe is included in the admission ticket to Chawton House.