What's on?

A solo exhibition by Mercedes Lucy
7 June – 31st July 2025
Goodnestone Contemporary 

Through tender, grotesque, and resilient ceramic forms, Bletting the Mother Beast explores grief, motherhood, and the quiet rituals of care. Inspired by the natural process of “bletting”—when fruit softens through decay—Mercedes Lucy reframes rot not as ruin, but as transformation: a process of release and remembering.

Mercedes is a Margate-based artist and permanent studio holder at Tracey Emin’s TKE Studios. Her practice bridges fine art and craft, with work previously exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, Matt’s Gallery, and Flowers Gallery. This is her first solo exhibition since 2023.

Important information: The exhibition is located within the garden grounds at Goodnestone Park. A standard garden entrance fee applies for all visitors. Please ensure you purchase a garden admission ticket at the entrance.

The Old Dairy Café & The Mansion
2nd – 6th July 2025

Join us as we celebrate 250 years since the birth of Jane Austen – one of Britain’s most cherished authors. Spend the afternoon soaking up the atmosphere of Georgian England with a specially curated Jane Austen-inspired afternoon tea, served in our café and featuring period-style delicacies, fine teas, and sweet treats. To book an afternoon tea please review our menu on the cafe page and call the Old Dairy on 01304 695098 or email olddairy@goodnestone.com

To further enrich your visit, you can also book a separate guided tour of the mansion, exploring the elegant interiors and stories of the era Austen so vividly brought to life. Please purchase tickets via the link below.

Please Note: Mansion Tours are only available on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th July and attendees must be age 16 or over. 

Saturday 12th July 2025  10.00

Join Paul for an entertaining and informative stroll around the gardens at Goodnestone Park.  Paul’s enthusiasm for sustainable gardening is infectious, and he’ll share his ideas for encouraging wildlife through the creation of beneficial habitats.

The Old Dairy Cafe will be open, so why not round off the walk with a delicious lunch?  to be booked separately

With Anna’s Country Flowers
Wednesday 30th July | 10:00 – 12:30 | £60 per person

Join Anna from Anna’s Country Flowers and aromatherapy practitioner Julie Edwards for a fragrant, sensory workshop set in the beautiful surroundings .

Begin the morning with a peaceful walk through the gardens as Julie introduces you to the aromatic properties of various flowers and herbs, explaining how scent affects our senses and wellbeing.

Following the walk, Anna will guide you through creating your own fragrant hand-tied bouquet using flowers freshly cut from her garden. You’ll leave with a beautiful arrangement to take home and enjoy.

This workshop is suitable for all skill levels—no experience necessary. All materials are provided. Let your creativity bloom in a relaxed, inspiring setting.

After the workshop, why not treat yourself to a delicious lunch at the award-winning café onsite? It’s the perfect way to round off your creative morning.

To book, email Anna directly at anna@annascountryflowers.co.uk

Friday 8th & Friday 22nd August
£18 per child | Adults attend free

This summer, we’re delighted to welcome back Wild Classroom for two special family pizza-making workshops here at Goodnestone Park.

Set within our beautiful gardens, these hands-on sessions offer young people the chance to create their own hand-stretched pizzas, cooked over an open fire. The experience begins with a short guided walk through the grounds, taking in the beauty and history of the estate, before settling down to prepare and cook your meal outdoors.

After the workshop, you’re welcome to spend time exploring more of the park or visit the Old Dairy Café, which serves a wonderful selection of homemade cakes, bakes, and refreshments.

Tickets are £18 per child and include full participation and all ingredients. Accompanying adults attend free of charge, but must remain with and supervise their children at all times. Please note that bookings are non-refundable.

To reserve your place, click the link to book. For any dietary requirements or further enquiries, please contact scott@wildclassroom.co.uk.

For more information about Wild Classroom and their other events, visit www.wildclassroom.co.uk.

Thursday 14th August – Tuesday 19th August 2025

The Grade II* listed mansion at Goodnestone Park will be available for guided tours between the hours of 10.00 am – 16.00 pm. Our tours will last approximatley 1 hour and you will be shown key rooms within the mansion as well as objects of historical interest and unique architectural features. Our morning tours will run from 10.00am – 12.00pm and afternoon tours will run from 14.00pm – 16.00pm. Please book your tickets online via the link below which will take you to our Eventbrite Page. If you have any queries then please do get in touch on admissions@goodnestone.com.

Attendees must be aged 16 or over. 

Saturday 16th August 2025  14.00

DOT Productions are bringing an hour of pure escapism to the gardens with this performance full of silliness and songs and sword fights!  Come and meet Robin and his merry men and watch them do battle with the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

This will be an outdoor production, please bring something to sit on.  Picnics welcome, please note only assistance dogs permitted at the performance.

Please wear suitable footwear and take care when walking across uneven surfaces in the car park and grounds.

Saturday 16th August 2025  18.30

We are delighted to welcome Dot Productions back to Goodnestone with their adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, her first published work.   This comedy of manners full of heroes, heartbreaks and villains is a wonderful way to commemorate the birth of Jane Austen 250 years ago.

This will be an outdoor production, please bring something to sit on.  Picnics welcome, please note only assistance dogs permitted at the performance.

Please wear suitable footwear and take care when walking across uneven surfaces in the car park and grounds.

Saturday 23rd August 2025  10.00

Join Paul for an entertaining and informative stroll around the gardens at Goodnestone Park.  Paul’s enthusiasm for sustainable gardening is infectious, and he’ll share his ideas for encouraging wildlife through the creation of beneficial habitats.

The Old Dairy Cafe will be open, so why not round off the walk with a delicious lunch?  to be booked separately

Monday 25th August – Sunday 31st August 2025

The Grade II* listed mansion at Goodnestone Park will be available for guided tours between the hours of 10.00 am – 16.00 pm. Our tours will last approximately 1 hour and you will be shown key rooms within the mansion as well as objects of historical interest and unique architectural features. Our morning tours will run from 10.00am – 12.00pm and afternoon tours will run from 14.00pm – 16.00pm. Please book your tickets online via the link below which will take you to our Eventbrite Page. If you have any queries then please do get in touch on admissions@goodnestone.com.

Attendees must be aged 16 or over. 

Sunday 31st August 2025 18.00

The Duke’s Theatre Company return to Goodnestone with Macbeth, Shakespeare’s landmark play first performed over 400 years ago.   Contemporary themes of ambition and power are interwoven with witchcraft and prophesy in a memorable production by this creative company.

This will be an outdoor production, please bring something to sit on.  Picnics welcome, please note only assistance dogs permitted at the performance.

Please wear suitable footwear and take care when walking across uneven surfaces in the car park and grounds.

Friday 12th September 2025  09.00 – 17.00

Today the gardens are open in aid of the National Garden Scheme which raises funds for nursing and health charities.

In 2024 the charity donated a record £3,501,227.  Thousands of people who live with health conditions such as cancer or Parkinson’s, who have poor mental health, or who struggle financially as unpaid carers, have been supported by NGS funding of the nurses, health professionals and case workers who support them.

Saturday 13th September 2025  10.00

Join Paul for an entertaining and informative stroll around the gardens at Goodnestone Park.  Paul’s enthusiasm for sustainable gardening is infectious, and he’ll share his ideas for encouraging wildlife through the creation of beneficial habitats.

The Old Dairy Cafe will be open, so why not round off the walk with a delicious lunch?  to be booked separately