Family fun days this summer at Fulham Palace
Press Release: March 2019
Tudor May Day at Fulham Palace
Fulham Palace kick off a series of family fun days with a Tudor fete, celebrating the Palace’s brand new museum.
Sunday 26 May 2019, 11.00 – 15.00
Free, suitable for all ages
The first Fulham Palace Family Fun Day will re-launch the newly restored Palace and museum to the public. This celebration of the Palace, its long history and the local community is the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of the Tudors’ favourite holidays – May Day!
May Day celebrates spring and new beginnings and in the sixteenth century the Tudors at Fulham Palace celebrated with community fetes, feasting, dancing, music and storytelling. May Day was so popular because it was one of the few times that the social barriers came down and people from all backgrounds were able to mix more freely. These ideas, of new beginnings and inclusivity, provide a perfect theme for Fulham Palace’s relaunch, where everyone is invited to come and celebrate May as the Tudors would have done at the Palace 500 years ago.
The festival atmosphere will transport visitors back to the Tudor Palace as soon as they arrive, with wandering minstrels, dancing and craft activities. Visitors will be encouraged to dress up, make music, create a May crown or a dewdrop suncatcher and keep their eyes peeled for Katherine of Aragon, who may be making an appearance! Plus, visitors on the day will be some of the first people to explore the Palace’s brand new museum!
Family Fun Days
Tudor May Day will be the first in a series of monthly Family Fun Days. Each has a different theme, and they offer a chance for visitors of all ages to discover the secret history of the Palace and get creative with crafts, archaeology, gardening, storytelling and much more.
Other upcoming events in the series include:
Designed by Dunstan
Sunday 23rd June, 11.00 – 15.00
St Dunstan was the patron saint of jewellers, goldsmiths and silversmiths and many the bishops of London who lived at Fulham Palace were famous for their patronage of craftsmen and artists. See the artistic side of the Palace, discovering more about centuries old crafts with activities and live demonstrations.
Parchmarks project
Sunday 28 July, 11.00 – 15.00
Did you know there is a hidden medieval chapel under the main lawn? Only visible in the hot summer months, it is an archaeological mystery! Join our community archaeologist Alexis Haslam to help solve some of the mysteries of the hidden chapel.
Bishop for a day
Sunday 25 August, 11.00 – 15.00
As the home to the bishops of London, Fulham Palace has seen some fascinating characters over 1,000 years of history. If the walls could speak they would tell you a mixture of hilarious, moving and scary stories. Find out more about the bishops during this day of crafts, trails and activities for all ages.
Glory of the garden
Sunday 22 September, 11.00 – 15.00
Fulham Palace sits in a 13 acres botanic garden, which includes a world famous walled garden. Meet the gardening team and discover more about the unusual history of the garden (an inventory of 1869 includes over 50 pineapple plants!), see one of the Great Trees of London and enjoy a host of garden activities including a garden trail and plant ID challenge.
Astonishing Archaeology
Sunday 27 October, 11.00 – 15.00
People have lived on the site of Fulham Palace continuously since the Stone Age. Join community archaeologist Alexis Haslam as he peels back the layers of history beneath your feet and discover more about the Palace’s ancient past.
