WHAT’S ON IN MARCH
Seasonal events
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Eats + Beats
20 March 2026
A popular themed evening set in the gardens above Rutland Water, built around good food, cocktails, and DJ-led music. Known for its relaxed summer atmosphere and international flavours, these nights often sell out, so booking ahead is recommended.
Rutland Nursery
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Welcoming Spring Retreat
22 March 2026
As spring begins to open and the light slowly returns, this equinox retreat offers a day of gentle renewal in nature. Guided by wellness practitioners Anita and Jodie, guests will move through yoga, breathwork, sauna sessions and wild swimming, with time for reflection and rest woven throughout.
The Shire Retreat, Towcester
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Rutland Food & Drink Festival
22 March 2026
Set in the centre of Oakham, with Oakham Castle as its backdrop, the Rutland Food & Drink Festival brings together food, drink, and craft stalls in a relaxed, family-friendly setting. A good place to browse, taste, and spend a few easy hours exploring what’s on offer.
Oakham Castle Market Place
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Arthur Swallow Antiques and Home Show
25 March 2026
Established in 1995, the Antiques & Home Show has become a key date for collectors, designers, and anyone interested in thoughtful interiors. Expect a wide-ranging mix of fine antiques, art, vintage and salvage pieces, jewellery, curios, gardenalia, and the unexpected, all under one roof.
Lincoln Showground
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Dawn Chorus with Wild Rutland
25 March 2026
Explore the dawn chorus at Burley Wood, the largest area of ancient woodland in Leicestershire and Rutland. Join Tim Appleton and the Wild Rutland team for an early-morning guided walk, pausing along the way to listen, observe, and take in the woodland as it wakes.
Burley Woods, Rutland
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Newark International Antiques Fair
26-27 March 2026
Held just outside Newark, the Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair is the largest antiques fair of its kind in Europe. With up to 1,500 stands, it draws trade buyers, collectors, and curious browsers alike, offering everything from furniture and jewellery to vintage clothing, vinyl, and rare collectibles.
Newark Showground
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For Rutland Good and New Clothes Sale
27-28 March 2026
One of the largest sales of its kind, offering a wide selection of pre-loved clothes for all the family. It has become a regular fixture in the calendar, drawing shoppers back year after year.
Rutland Hall Hotel
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Spring Tree Tour
28 March 2026
A rare chance to explore the trees of Easton Park in early spring. Join Monty Cholmeley for a guided walk through the parkland, looking at established trees, bark patterns, and early foliage, with time to understand how the landscape has evolved over the past 300 years.
Easton Walled Gardens
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The Artisan's Brocante Spring Fair
28 March 2026
A day of decorative antiques, brocante finds and beautifully made things. Expect gardenalia, ceramics, paintings, jewellery and thoughtful details for home and garden, all set beneath the soaring arches of one of Lincolnshire’s most impressive churches.
St Wulfrum’s Church, Grantham
Supper clubs and cookery classes
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Keythorpe Hall dining club
6 March 2026
Monthly dining club featuring a seasonal menu using estate-grown and locally sourced produce.
Keythorpe Hall
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St Patricks Day at Hoggy's Grill
17 March 2026
Celebrate St Patrick's Day with us at Hoggy's Grill. Featuring smokey flavours brought together with stout and whisky marinades. A welcome drink awaits followed by food and traditional Irish drinks.
Hoggy’s Grill, Rutland Nursery
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Eats + Beats
20 March 2026
A popular themed evening set in the gardens above Rutland Water, built around good food, cocktails, and DJ-led music. Known for its relaxed summer atmosphere and international flavours, these nights often sell out, so booking ahead is recommended.
Rutland Nursery
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The Olive Branch Masterclasses
5, 19 March 2026
Hands-on cookery masterclasses at the much-loved The Olive Branch offer half-day, practical sessions led by professional chefs. From bread and pasta to fish and butchery, each class focuses on technique, confidence, and working from scratch. See their website for full details, options, and dates.
The Olive Branch, Clipsham
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Hoggy's Grill Classes
Various dates
Courses at Hoggy’s Grill range from the best-selling Ultimate Burger class to meat masterclasses, introductions to grilling, seafood, and gourmet cooking. Led by Hoggy himself, each session is hands-on, lively, and focused on building real confidence in the kitchen.
Hoggy’s Grill, Rutland Nursery
Mother’s Day
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Mother's Day Afternoon Tea
14-15 March 2026
Celebrate Mother’s Day with an elegant afternoon tea at Belvoir Castle. A relaxed and thoughtful way to mark the occasion, with beautifully prepared treats, fine teas, and time well spent together in one of the region’s most special historic settings.
Belvoir Castle
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Mother's Day Pottery Painting with Original Ceramics
14 March 2026
Relaxed, sociable workshops bringing people together to make, chat, and enjoy something good to eat. These easygoing sessions are designed to spark creativity without pressure, pairing hands on crafting with the chance to make new connections.
Milly’s Bistro, Stamford
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Spring Wreath Masterclass
15 March 2026
A gentle spring gathering on a working flower farm. Pick seasonal blooms, learn from floral designer Charlotte Myddleton, and create a foam free arrangement using British flowers grown on site, made in and taken home in a Naomi Grace Ceramics x The Leicestershire Flower Farm footed bowl included as part of the experience.
The Leicestershire Flower Farm
Easter days out
Easter arrives with lambs in the fields, the first real warmth in the sun, and gardens waking after winter. Across the Notswolds, country houses, farms and gardens open their gates with a full programme of family days out and seasonal activities. Expect traditional egg hunts through historic grounds, lamb feeding on working farms, trails designed for younger and older explorers, and plenty of space to roam as the first green returns to the landscape.
Whether you are filling a morning or planning a full day out over the spring holidays, here’s our guide to some of the best places to go and what not to miss across our corner of the country.
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Witham Hall Easter Egg Hunt
21 March 2026
Follow the bunny trail through the historic grounds of Witham Hall this Easter. Hunt for clues, meet the Easter Bunny, enjoy crafts, games and a bouncy castle. A pop-up café will be serving coffee and cake, with proceeds supporting the Willoughby Foundation, the charitable arm of Willoughby Academy - a specialist academy in Bourne for pupils with a diverse range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Witham Hall Preparatory School, Lincolnshire
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Windmill Farm Park
21 & 22, 28 March-6 April 2026
Packed with hands on fun and open every day. Families can roam the farmland to meet adorable new arrivals, join in seasonal farming activities like guinea pig fishing & egg collecting, then burn off energy in the indoor playbarn. Outside, there’s water play, ride on tractors, and plenty of space to explore and build dens in Brian’s Wood.
Windmill Farm Park, Leicestershire
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Belton House
21 March-19 April 2026
Easter at Belton brings a Big Bug Ball to the gardens, with a family trail celebrating the insects that live across the estate. Ten activity stations invite children to hop, buzz and fly their way around the grounds while discovering more about the tiny wildlife that calls Belton home.
The trail includes a workbook, bunny ears and a chocolate egg at the finish. With indoor and outdoor play areas, wide parkland to roam and plenty of space to explore, it is an easy day out with lots to keep children busy and time to enjoy the estate together.
Belton House, Grantham
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Sacrewell
28 March-6 April 2026
Outdoor play combined with hands on heritage. Families can explore the animal village, large outdoor play areas and indoor playbarn, discover the working watermill and historic buildings, and spend quieter moments in the sensory garden.
Sacrewell, Peterborough
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Boughton House
28 March-9 April 2026
A chance to explore the gardens and parkland as spring begins to arrive. Families can follow an Easter trail with a workbook, take part in interactive games and enjoy a day out that includes a children’s lunchbox, plus time to visit the gift shop and tearoom.
From 3–6 April, the programme also includes archery, axe throwing and the chance to meet and feed the season’s new lambs.
Boughton House, Northamptonshire
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Burghley House
28 March-10 April 2026
Inspired by the estate’s spymaster past, young explorers can collect a Spymaster’s Guide at Hide & Secrets Adventure Play and set off to explore the grounds during the school holidays, with the South Gardens open throughout the Easter break.
On 5 April, the Sculpture Garden hosts a special Easter Sunday egg trail where children follow clues to claim a chocolate egg from Burghley’s Easter Bunny, while grown ups can tackle trickier questions for the chance to win afternoon tea in The Orangery.
Burghley House, Stamford
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Clumber Park
28 March-12 April 2026
Follow Crack the Case: The Great Easter Whodunit a self-guided mystery trail designed for adults and older children, with clues hidden across the parkland.
Beyond the trails, there’s plenty to fill a day outdoors, from den building, wildlife spotting and the Woodland Play Park to hands-on sessions at the Discovery Centre, where seasonal activities, pondlife encounters, the much-loved 50 Things room and a calm sensory space offer quieter moments..
Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire
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Lyveden
28 March-21 April 2026
This spring, Lyveden will be buzzing. Set out on the Easter trail and step into the world of pollinators, with a gentle, family-friendly adventure woven through one of Northamptonshire’s most unusual historic landscapes.
Young explorers are invited to join the colony and discover some of nature’s most important inhabitants through simple activities and games.
Lyveden, Oundle Northamptonshire
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Belvoir Castle
30 March-19 April 2026
Children can follow the Bertie Bear Castle Trail and enjoy an Easter adventure around the playground and grounds, with clues to discover along the way. The animal park offers the chance to meet the resident animals, while the retail village provides space to browse independent shops before lunch and a slower wander through the gardens.
Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire
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Hoggy's Grill Kids Eat Free Ultimate Burger Class
1, 7, 15, 25 April 2026
Kids eat free at this hands-on burger class at Hoggy’s Grill. Young chefs can build their own dream burgers, choose their toppings and get stuck into the cooking, while adults enjoy a relaxed meal. For every paying adult, up to two children under 16 can join the class and eat for free.
Hoggy’s Grill, Rutland Nursery Manton
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Bowthorpe Park Farm Lambing Season
3-19 April 2026
At Bowthorpe Park Farm, Easter means lambing season on a real working farm. Visitors can meet the newest arrivals, cuddle baby lambs and even take part in bottle-feeding sessions, offering a rare chance to get close to the animals during their earliest days. A simple, joyful way to experience spring in the countryside, surrounded by fields, fresh air and the rhythms of the farm.
Bowthorpe Park Farm, Lincolnshire
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Rockingham Castle
5-6 April 2026
Easter returns to Rockingham Castle with a family garden trail through the grounds. Follow the clues to find Billy the Bunny’s farmyard friends and claim a chocolate reward. This year the search continues inside the Castle too, with hidden eggs in rooms throughout the house. Solve the clues and see if you can find them all.
Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire
Workshops and talks
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Beginners Watercolour Workshop
4 March 2026
The popular beginner’s watercolour workshop with Monty Cholmeley returns for two dates this season, covering the fundamentals of colour, paper, and palette, with all materials provided.
Easton Walled Gardens
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Daffodil Embroidery Workshop
4 March 2026
Spend a relaxed day at the Old School House Village Hall learning the basics of embroidery. Guided by expert makers, you’ll create your own daffodil-inspired piece, with plenty of support throughout and no previous experience needed
The Old Schoolhouse, Belton Estate
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Art Social
5 March 2026
A regular creative event hosted by @art.social.uk, held on the first Thursday of each month. Drop in to draw, paint, and experiment with materials. Supplies provided and a relaxed, bring-your-own-tipple atmosphere.
Curious Magpie, Mountsorrel
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IWD Letterpress Workshop
7 March 2026
An International Women’s Day letterpress workshop at Rutland Nursery, printing a set of postcards inspired by this year’s theme Give to Gain.
Rutland Nursery -
Elizabeth Stanhope Design Masterclass
13 March 2026
Following a successful first event last year, this design masterclass returns with interior designer Elizabeth Stanhope. Set at Rutland Nursery, the session focuses on Christmas styling and table settings, with a hands-on workshop, demonstrations, and seasonal insight in an intimate setting.
Rutland Nursery
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Contemporary Planting Workshop
14 March 2026
A contemporary planting workshop set within the inspiring surroundings of Rutland Nursery. Expect a practical session shaped by modern planting ideas and the nursery’s seasonal setting, with full details to be confirmed.
Rutland Nursery
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Block Printing Workshop
14 March 2026
Isabela Streeter, founder of Haveli Diaries hosts a hands-on block printing workshop, creating a floral cushion cover inspired by the gardens using traditional hand-carved blocks.
Easton Walled Gardens
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Beginners Calligraphy Workshop
21 March 2026
An introductory pointed nib calligraphy workshop hosted by The Modern Calligraphy Co, designed to cover the basics of modern calligraphy in a relaxed, creative setting.
Rutland Nursery
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Thrive & Bloom: Planting for Growth
26 March 2026
A practical planting demonstration led by Sarah Webster, focusing on seeds, tubers, and bulbs and the idea that each plant grows in its own time.
Rutland Nursery -
Mindful Art with Nature with Catkin Flowers
24 March 2026
Join Rachel of Catkin Flowers for a mindful walk and gentle forage in the grounds, gathering natural materials to use in an eco printing workshop.
Doddington Hall
Sporting challenges and events
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Burghley7
1 March 2026
A stunning seven mile road race across Stamford and Burghley, taking in the town centre and private areas of the Burghley Estate.
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Pitsford Water Trail Races
1 March 2026
Starting and finishing at Brixworth Country Park, the routes take in open countryside, big views, and, on the half marathon, a loop through surrounding villages, offering an inviting introduction to trail running or a satisfying step up in distance.
Brixworth Country Park
FIND YOUR NOTSWOLDS
Whether you’re chasing adventure, uncovering hidden stories, getting creative, tasting your way through the region, or simply slowing down, the Notswolds has something for you. Explore the calendar, pick your moment, and make it your own.
Share your Notswolds experiences on social. Tag @notswolds and use #notswoldsmoments to be part of the story.
RECOMMEND YOUR NOTSWOLDS
Do have a favourite events in the Notswolds that you think we should know about? Get in touch at hq@notswolds.com.