NT

Saturday 19^th May, 9am until 11pm

Find us at the war memorial by the Ranger’s Yard, Comber Road, sat-nav DY7 6HU. Free lay-by parking.

This Saturday, Kinver Edge will be hosting a day of free wildlife activities and guided walks for the whole family, so that you can get up close to nature.

In the morning there will be a bird-ringing catching our feathered friends, and all afternoon you can have a go at pond-dipping in our Ranger’s Yard. All day there will be a pop-up laboratory where you can check-out creepy crawlies that we’ve caught under microscopes, and handle at the amazing natural artefacts on our nature table (like snake skins, deer skulls and live moths!). Throughout the day there will be free guided walks, from reptile rambles looking for snakes to bird song strolls: all free, just drop in and have a go. In the evening stray up late to listen to bats with our detector equipment and hunt for moths with mega moth-traps.

There’s no need to book on to any of the walks, just turn up on the day at the Ranger’s Yard.

Helen Selkirk, Visitor Experience Officer for Kinver Edge says:

‘How often do you get to hold a blue-tit, or see a wild snake? We know that our visitors already love the wildlife of Kinver Edge, and now they have a chance to get that bit closer. Find out what is flying above your head at night, and buzzing in the heather! It’s also a great chance to meet the Ranger here and ask about our conservation work.’

Visit Kinver Edge and the Rock Houses this December for a cosy Christmas and explore by candlelight these curious homes carved out of rock. Father Christmas will be here to welcome little visitors, and mulled wine will be warming on the range.

Join us inside the Rock Houses from 11-3pm on Saturday 2nd, Sunday 3rd, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th December for a cosy Christmas celebration. Explore the winding woods and crisp heathland of Kinver Edge with a free festive-themed family trail whilst taking in the spectacular views from the Hill Fort. Step inside the atmospheric rock houses, twinkling by candlelight and decked with boughs of holly and Ivy from Kinver Edge, whilst indulging in a cup of mulled wine warming on the range. Then why not pay a visit to Father Christmas in the magical cave grotto and be sure to tell him what’s on your Christmas list this year. You never know, he might have a little gift already waiting for you. Then warm up with seasonal treats in our tearoom or treat yourself to a little something in our shop.

Normal admission charges apply, free entry for NT members. Visits to Father Christmas cost £3 per child. There is no need to book, just drop in.

For more information contact us on:

01384 872553

Or visit our website:

https://nationaltrust.org.uk/kinver-edge-and-the-rock-houses

Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th, with 2 performances each day at 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Tickets : £5 per person

Join us for an atmospheric theatre performance enacted right inside the unique Holy Austin Rock Houses. In a play written exclusively for this performance, the New Kinver Players will bring to life the stories and legends about these homes carved straight into the belly of the Rock.

The intimate setting of the Rock Houses forms the back-drop to this special event, which is being put on to celebrate 100 years of National Trust looking after the wildlife-rich haven and rock houses of Kinver Edge. The Rock Houses have a wealth of social history, and have been lovingly restored in recent decades to show how people lived in such unusual dwellings. Local theatre group the New Kinver Players have created a family-friendly show based on these intriguing tales, that capture the imaginations of so many visitors every year. The play, called “Spirits of the Rock”, will be performed right inside the largest of the caves, with stage lighting adding to the dramatic setting.

The performance will open first with live music from Harmonikx female vocal group, and then the play will follow, with the whole production lasting around 1 hour and 15 minutes. It is suitable for families, but not aimed specifically at children. Tickets only cover admission to the performance – to explore the restored Rock Houses, gardens and tea-rooms earlier in the day visitors will either need to show National Trust membership or pay normal admission. Toilet facilities will be open throughout, but are up a flight of stairs.

Tickets are available from Omnipresent shop on Kinver High Street, or online from the New Kinver Players website http://www.nkp.org.uk/ There may also be tickets available on the door, depending on advance sales.

The unique Rock Houses and surrounding countryside of Kinver Edge are seeking volunteers to bring them to life.

The Rock Houses, between Stourbridge and Kidderminster, will be open seven days a week in school holidays for the first time, so needs extra helpers to join the team. They also want to recruit volunteers to help create lasting memories for visitors with exciting new activities.

With extra help, the National Trust hopes to bring the Rock Houses to life for visitors even more than ever. This year the variety of roles for volunteers includes leading tours around the site, to take visitors onto the middle level of Rock Houses for the first time and helping children to try traditional hands-on activities, such as rag-rugging like grandma used to do. Volunteers help to keep the cottage gardens neat and tidy and serve visitors in the quaint garden tea-room. There’s also opportunities outdoors working with the ranger team to undertake practical conservation tasks on the special heathland habitat of Kinver Edge…where you might even catch a glimpse of the rare wildlife such as adders and sky lark.

Helen Selkirk, Visitor Experience Officer, said: “The Rock Houses are such a unique and quirky place that we want to welcome even more people here this year, and to make sure that they have a really memorable visit. We’ve got so much to tell so just need energetic and passionate people to help us do it.  We appreciate everyone’s free time is precious so our volunteer rotas can be flexible to meet people’s needs.

Our volunteers are a great team and by sharing ideas, working together and creating an amazing day out, they have fun, grow in confidence and really make a difference. They help to shape the way we look after this special place, so this is a brilliant time to get involved as we make exciting changes to how we tell our visitors these fascinating stories.”

Volunteering with the National Trust is a great way to socialise, as you make friends with other volunteers and share stories with visitors. It can be really helpful for people looking for work or thinking about a new career, volunteering can help by improving CVs; aiding time management, planning and prioritising expertise. New recruits will also get training and National Trust accreditation.

Volunteer Drop-in Days are being held at the Rock Houses this March for volunteers to find out more:

• Saturday 12^th, 11am to 4pm
• Wednesday 16^th, 11am – 1pm
• Thursday 24^th, 1pm – 4pm

The sessions will include the chance to meet staff and volunteers from the countryside, visitor welcome, tea-room, events and education departments and find out about opportunities to volunteer.

There is no need to book, just turn up on the day, but for further details call: Helen Selkirk on 01384 872553 or email kinveredge@nationaltrust.org.uk

For more information about the National Trust at Kinver Edge, you can check out our website on www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kinver-edge/