Our program of Events for 2006 What you've missed! Perhaps you have an event you would like to hold at Cressing Temple.

What we did in 2005

What we did in 2004

February 2006

13th-17th - Half Term Activities for Children.
Monday-Friday 10am-2pm. £3.50.
Monday: Chalk & Pastel pictures of spring flowers, paper craft flowers, flowers made from clay. Sculpture bread dough, painting/colouring.
Tuesday: Heart mobiles, clay heart keepsake boxes, valentine's cards, variety of weaving, heart shape baskets, friendship bracelets.
Wednesday: Clay mushrooms, origami, mask making, collage pictures.
Thursday: Puppet making, string and sand pictures, clay pot & vase making, colouring and painting.
Friday: Spring Wildlife pictures in various mediums, birds, lambs, chicks etc.

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March

STAR PARTY AT CRESSING TEMPLE

Friday 10th - Astronomy Evening. 7pm-9pm. £4 Per Person /£10 Family Ticket. Booking essential. Come along and enjoy seeing the Moon, Mars, Saturn, Craters, Mountains, Lunar Seas. Weather permitting. Multi-media presentation.

This event was heavily over-subscribed so it is planned to run another Star Party later in the year - look out for details.

Sunday 26th - Mothering Sunday Event. Treat your mum to a special day out at Cressing Temple. Why not have lunch in the Templars' Tea Room, serving light lunches and teas or a roast lamb lunch at £5.50, booking essential. Included in your entry fee will be a talk at 2.30 by our horticulturist on Spring Flowers and Painted Pottery. This will include a brief introduction to floral motifs on Dutch and British pottery of the 17th and 18th centuries. While Mum is being educated you can either join her, have a cake and coffee in the tea rooms or guided tours of the site will be available on the day.
Site opens from 10am - 5pm, Tea room 11am - 4pm. For further information or lunch bookings telephone: 01376 584903 / 584453.

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April

Sunday 9th - Kite Festival. Join the Suffolk Kite Flyers Club and the Essex Kite Group for another dazzling display of kite antics. See the new mega 'lobster' kite and the 'sweet drop' from the large delta type kites. Try the tandem buggy rides (older children and adults only), make your own kite or receive advice on how to fly a kite and lots more. Sorry no public flying. From 11am. £1.50 per person.

16th Easter Sunday -17th Easter Monday - Easter Parade. Come and meet the Story Book characters, try the Quiz and win an Easter Egg. Enjoy Dan's Magic Show and play on the Bouncy Castle. Hot Cross Buns on the menu. 11am-2pm £3.50/£2.50.

Review: The Easter Antics went well. The sun shone and we had lots of children. There were story book characters in the grounds eg Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Queen of Hearts, Aladdin etc. The children all had to extract answers from the characters in order to complete a quiz and win an Easter egg. They did this very enthusiastically and the Dads were even more competitive than the children. We had two little bouncy castles – a Bob the Builder and a Little Princess one. There were two magic shows each day which went down very well again with the adults as well as the children. There was balloon modelling, paint spinning and also nail art. All in all, a good time was had by all.

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Sunday 30th April - Monday 1st May - Hallmark's Antique & Collectors' Fair.
A huge array of quality items from all over the South of England. 9.30am-4.30pm. £3/£2.

Tuesday 2nd - Tuesday Talk - Letting Loose - A Brief Introduction to Archery with the Braintree Bowmen. 7.30pm-9.00pm. £4/£3. No need to book. Check their website.

BBC Essex marked its twentieth anniversary by walking the Essex Way and broadcasting from the Templar's Fayre on Saturday morning 6th May.

Saturday 6th - Sunday 7th. Templars' Fayre.
A real Medieval Market with all the noise and entertainment including the Rat Catcher with his music, his mirth and his tumbling. Walk round the stalls and you could even be measured for that new suit of armour. Everything is at the Templars Fayre. 10.30am-5pm Adults £4, Concessions £3. The best re-enactors fayre in Europe. Probably.

See a pictorial review of this years show.

Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th. The Essex Food and Country Show.
The Essex Food Show 'Spring Edition' with a wider than ever range of speciality foods and drinks to taste and buy plus an excellent choice of quality catering outlets over the weekend. Includes 'A Grand Day Out' section with local companies promoting exciting and unusual special days out. Superb falconry display and many other attractions. Sat 10.30am-5pm. Sun 9.30am-5pm. Adults £2.50, Children £1.50.

Thursday 18th - Basic Maintenance of Historic Buildings. Aimed at owners of historic buildings, demonstrating sympathetic maintenance and repair.
9.30am - 4.30pm Cost £35 includes lunch. Ring 01245 437672 for details.

Sunday 21st - Medieval Mayhem with the Medieval Tavern. Sample the delights of the Medieval age with a Banquet at the Tavern, meet the Medieval Seige Society, learn from the Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, make a pomander and lots more. 10am-5pm. £4/£3.

29th May-2nd June. Half Term Activities for Children. Monday to Friday. 10am-2pm. Come and have fun making arts and crafts at our themed days which include Pirates, Space, Dinosaurs, Volcanos and Native Americans. Just come along. No need to book. £3.50 per child. Accompanying adults free.

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Sunday 4th - Plant Myth, Magic and Medicine. June Crisfield Chapman, an exhibiting wood engraver, who wrote and illustrated for The Countryman for eleven years will be talking about the stories and uses attached to many plants through slides showing her engravings. 2.30pm. Free with entrance fee. £3.50 / £2.50. Just come along, no need to book.

Tuesday 6th - Tuesday Talk. Introduction to Mediaeval Gardens with our Horticulturalist. How did our notion of the garden evolve? A look at how monastic gardeners provided horticultural and medical expertise. 7.30pm-9.00pm. £4/£3. No need to book.

Saturday 10th - Sunday 11th. Hallmark Craft and Garden Show. A wide range of quality crafts with both demonstrations and sales. An Essex premier event. 10am-5pm £3/£2.

Sunday 18th - Father's Day. Treat your Dad to a special day out and Lunch in the Templars Restaurant. Lunch booking essential. See our Falcons, watch a demonstration from the Braintree Bowmen, see a classic car or two. Site opens from 10am - 5pm, Tea room 11am - 4pm. For further information or lunch bookings telephone: 01376 584903 / 584453.

Sunday 18th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

Sunday 25th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

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Saturday 1st - Braintree District Arts Concert.
Presents a festival concert incorporating excerpts from some of its affiliated choral and musical societies. Come early and enjoy a picnic and a drink from the licensed bar.
Details from Betty Beal on 01376 517678.

Sunday 2nd - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

Tuesday 4th - Tuesday Talk. Introduction to Tudor Gardens with our Horticulturist. After the closure of the monastries, gardening and garden design became a recognised art. This talk explores some themes of the period. 7.30pm-9.00pm. £4/£3.

Sunday 9th - Lyrebird East Chamber Opera.
Present a 'Gala' Concert highlighting some of the best loved operatic arias and ensembles in costume featuring scenes from Carmen, La Traviata, Cosi fan tutte and l'elisir d'amore. Performance starts at 3pm. Picnic in the beautiful grounds before the performance starts. Tickets £15/£12.50. Box Office 01376 584453.

Sunday 9th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

Monday 10th - Festival Players present Hamlet.
A spectacular production of Shakespeare's great thriller Hamlet - a play of intrigue and passion, boasting all the elements of amazing theatre; pageantry, swordplay, music, suspense, a ghost and a topping of comedy to deliver this spell-binding story of a young Prince's race for revelation and revenge. Performance starts at 7.30pm. Box Office 01376 552080. Tickets £15/£12.50.

Saturday 15th - Rotary Club - Outdoor Concert - Cressing Rocks!
Cressing Rock 2006 Open Air Charity Rock Concert promoted by the Rotary Club of Braintree and Bocking in aid of The The Teenage Cancer Trust and local Rotary Charities. Come and see the fabulous 'Manfreds' with Paul Jones, supported by The Jones gang with Kenny Jones of the Small Faces and Sixties favourites, The Animals. Ticket Hotline 01245 477326. Book online cressingrock.co.uk. See current website.

Sunday 16th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

Thursday 20th - Preview Evening of the Anglian Contemporary Art Fair. 6pm-8pm.

Friday 21st - Sunday 23rd. Anglian Contemporary Art Fair presented by Penman Fairs. 10.30am-5.00pm. Paintings and Sculptures from the last twenty years contrasting with the 800 year old barns. Entrance £4. Enquiries 0870 350 2442.

Wednesday 26th - Farm Buildings.
A lecture by Philip Atkins to Essex Historic Buildings Group on Farm Buildings. Everybody welcome 7.30pm in the Court Hall. Cost £1. Enquiries 01245 361408.

Thursday 27th - Lime and How It Is Used.
The day will consist of talks by nationally acknowledged expert practitioners on the history and practicalities of using lime. Including, pargetting, brickwork and interior plaster work. Demonstrations will also provide practical tips of the mixing, storage and handling of lime based applications. 9.30am-4.30pm. Cost £60 includes lunch.

Saturday 29th - Day School on Historic Buildings in Towns - Medieval to Early Modern. National Speakers. Cost £18 plus lunch £6. Details 01245 361408 or 01371 830416

Sunday 30th - Discover Dowsing. View Program and review.
Ever wondered how dowsers locate water or cables or lost buildings! See how archaeologists use the fascinating art of dowsing to find buried remains; rods available in our gift shop. No need to book.Two sessions: 11am-1pm and 2-4pm. Entry fee only.

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Tuesday 1st, 8th,15th, 22nd, 29th. Children's Archaeological Digs.
Back by popular demand. Come along and learn about archaeology from archaeologist Barry Hillman-Crouch. He has worked on many excavations at the site and will share with you the secrets of the past and how to uncover them. Excavate a real archaeological dig. For children aged 4 to 10 years old. Choose between sessions at 9am, 11am and 1.30pm. £7.50 per child. Booking essential as places are limited 01376 584903 / 584453. Click here for more information. FULLY BOOKED.

Thursday 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st. Children's Historical Activity Days.
Once again our historical characters are back to meet, greet and entertain you with a host of themed activities and games. We will feature a different historical period each week. £3.50 per person. 10am-2pm. No need to book.

Tuesday 1st - Tuesday Talk. Introduction to Stuart Gardens with our Horticulturalist. Continental influences became more widely spread and a greater variety of plants available. A talk that focuses on issues during a time of civil unrest. 7.30pm-9.00pm. £4/£3.

Sunday 6th - Goldilocks and the Three Bears & Little Red Riding Hood.
Suitable for children of all ages this wonderful entertainment is a sparkling show of music, fun and storytelling. Bring along a Teddy Bears Picnic before the show. Performance starts at 3pm Tickets £12/£8. Family Ticket £35. Click picture for more information.

Sunday 13th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

Wednesday 16th - Dating Historic Buildings.
Through a series of illustrated talks we will look at a variety of ways in which you can date historic buildings, from the scientific method dendrochronology and carbon dating, to looking at the plan of the building and its fixtures and fittings. 9.30am-4.30pm. Cost £60 includes lunch. Ring 01245 437667 for details.

Sunday 20th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

Saturday 26th - Murder Mystery Evening - Dear Diary.
New evidence comes to light at a Police Press Conference about a murder at a local hotel. Piece together the clues as the evening unfolds and help the Police arrest the killer. But remember - trust no one (not even yourself)? Starts 7pm. £30 per person. Includes Summer Buffet. Booking essential. Please phone for details 01376 584903.

Sunday 27th August - Monday 28th August. Macbeth. Mad Dogs and Englishmen's electrifying production of Shakespeare's brutal and terrifying account of pure evil. . To complement the performance of Macbeth there will be an additional attraction during the afternoon - a workshop entitled Bringing Medieval Combat to an Audience. An exploration of authentic medieval martial art techniques and how this knowledge informed the stage techniques in Mad Dogs and Englishmen's production of Macbeth. Performance starts at 7.30pm. £10/£8. Box Office 01376 552080. Click for website.

Sunday 27th - Childrens Activities. Traditional games, dressing up and fun in the Tudor kitchen.

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Saturday 2nd - Sunday 3rd. Antique & Collectors' Fair.
A huge array of quality items from all over the South of England.

Tuesday 5th - Adult Craft Class. A chance for all mums (and dads) to try their hand at the craft activities that their children have been busy with all year. 10am-2pm £5. Ring 01376 584903 to book.

Tuesday 5th - Tuesday Talk. Falconry: An Introduction to an Ancient Art with Mike Simmons. Join Cressing Temples Falconer and learn about the history of falconry. The 45 minute talk will include an insight into training a bird of prey, a look at the equipment used and a chance to meet the birds. Learn about modern and ancient ways of flying birds. Starts at 7.30pm with a 15 minute break for refreshments and 30 minutes to meet the birds.7.30pm-9.00pm. £4/£3.

Wednesday 6th - A Day on Timber.
A series of illustrated talks will address a variety of subjects including history of landscape, construction of frames, timber infill, cladding and window and frame repairs. The aim is to highlight the issues and problems associated with timber framed buildings as well as a look at the solutions. 9.30am-4.30pm Cost £60 includes lunch Ring 01245 437667 for details.

Saturday 9th - Sunday 10th. The Guild of Essex Craftsmen's Annual Craft Fair.
with interests for all the family featuring over 60 Guild Members selling genuine crafts, many demonstrating, together with invited groups showing other aspects of Essex. Open 10.30 - 5.30. Entrance: Adults £2.50 accompanied under 16's free. Supporting Essex Air Ambulance. See current website.

Saturday 23rd - Sunday 24th. Hallmark Craft and Garden Show. Hallmark Fairs has been organising events in the Essex area for over twenty-five years and has gained the distinction of being the leading craft fair organiser in the county. Hallmark pride theirselves on the quality of their craftspeople and the genial atmosphere of the events. Many of their craftspeople are of national renown and travel large distances to bring their unique craft skills to Essex.10am-5pm. £3/£2.

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October

Tuesday 3rd - Adult Craft Class. A chance for all mums (and dads) to try their hand at the craft activities that their children have been busy with all year. 10am-2pm £5. Ring 01376 584903 to book.

Tuesday 3rd - Tuesday Talk. Reading the Timbers - A light introduction to the preparation of the timbers found in our many old timber-framed buildings, clues to understanding them and a look at the effect of design on the timber used. Brenda and Elphin Watkin. 7.30pm-9.00pm £4/£3.

STAR PARTY RETURNS

Friday 20th. Star Party. Astronomy for All.
Due to popular demand we are pleased to host a second Star Party at Cressing Temple. Come along and see the Milky Way in all it’s glory; see the Andromeda Galaxy which is our nearest galactic neighbour; see star clusters and (depending on the weather) the remains of exploded stars! Two Astronomical DVD Shows with a 25 minute show repeating on each.
Free Advice Corner – bring your own telescope for helpful advice on how to get the best out of it. Buy a planisphere (£8-99) and always be able to locate star constellations! Lots of knowledgeable people will happily answer your questions on all things astronomical. Children’s Starry crafts. Hot food and drinks. Hubble Space Telescope lectures (25 mins) with lots of stunning colour slides in the Oak Room by the renowned Jerry Workman.
IN ADDITION - Visit the Starlab, the mobile planetarium. Even if it rains you can still see the stars. Numbers are restricted and there will be an extra £2 per person charge if you wish to visit the Starlab. 7pm-9pm. £4 per person, £10 Family Ticket.

23rd - 27th. Half Term Activities for Children. Monday-Friday 10am-2pm. £3.50.
Monday - Beatrix Potter Day - Drawing, painting, collage, water colours, chalks/pastels.
Tuesday - Trees - Bark Rubbing, rainbow trees, twig weaving, tree silhouettes, green man masks.
Wednesday - Environmental Day - Sand pictures, leaf art day, seed mosaics, tie dying.
Thursday - Colour - printing, dying and weaving.
Friday - Firework pictures - make a guy, light/dark pictures, tissue silhouettes.

Sunday 29th - Halloween. Things that Go Bump in the Night.
Owls, Bats and Ghost Tours. 1pm-4pm. Monstrous activities including creating hideous Halloween masks, making perfectly putrid pumpkin faces and listening to ghastly, ghostly tales and spooky goings on. Come and see our live owls, live bats and meet the haunting Hallman in the Tudor cellar (ghost story teller).

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November

Tuesday 7th - Adult Craft Class. 10am-2pm. £5. 01376 584903 to book.

Tuesday 14th - Christmas Capers at Cressing. Don't leave that Christmas shopping until the last minute, come and join us with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie (orange juice for the children). Our gift shop will be open from 4pm-9pm. This is not a Barn event, all shopping will be done in the Visitor Centre shop. Listen to the carol singers and finish buying your presents at the same time. While you shop children can join in with the Christmas crafts (£2) , or visit Santa's Grotto (£1). Entrance is free.

Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th. Christmas Food and Craft Show. The sixth Christmas Food and Craft Show. 120+ stalls of genuine and unusual quality crafts, speciality foods, beer, wines, liqueurs and spirits. Wide range of quality refreshments available all weekend. Owl display and many other attractions. Your Christmas shopping all wrapped up in one weekend - don't miss it! Open Sat 10.30am-5pm, Sun 10am-4.30pm. Adults £2.50, Children £1.50.

Sunday 17th - Santa Hunt. Themed search for Santa in this lovely setting. 1pm-4pm. £4 adults/£3 children. The theme for this event is "The Twelve Days of Christmas".There will be 12 clues hidden around the site. All clues will have a letter which will form an anagram of where Santa will be. When Santa has been found, each child will be given a chocolate Santa to take home. It is hoped to serve roast chestnuts, jacket potatoes and soup in the restaurant.

What's On Now