Putting Fota House ‘to bed’ for the Winter

Each summer, thousands of people visit Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens and this summer was no exception. Lots of visitors of all ages enjoyed the historical house tours, beautiful gardens and arboretum as well as the wide variety of programmed events including; our annual Easter Egg Trail; the Fota Plant & Garden Fair; the Teddy Bear’s Picnic in aid of Barnardos; Cork Craft Fair; regular musical concerts and the popular new ‘Elevenses’ series of monthly tours & talks.

As we near the end of our summer season, we would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to the many visitors who supported us over the summer months and extend a big thank you to the dedicated hard work of the staff and volunteers of Fota House. We would not be able to deliver such a wonderful visitor experience without them.

So have you ever wondered what happens in Fota House during the quieter off-season period when the house ‘rests and recuperates’? Well, it’s actually quite a busy time for staff as they can dedicate time to the many conservation and cleaning issues which arise throughout the year. As one can easily imagine, keeping a house like Fota in good condition is an ongoing challenge and the work being carried out over the winter months will ensure that it is in tip top condition next year.

With fewer visitors to look after on a daily basis, staff can focus their attention on planning and projects for the forthcoming season. Lots of work goes into our winter schedule of events and staff are busily planning Christmas and the 2012 calender of events already. Other projects include the digitising of the collections database, introduction of new signage as well as the ongoing and thorough accreditation process involved in the Museum Standards Programme for Ireland.

Next year will see lots of changes introduced at Fota including better signage and the introduction of three interesting new guide books on Fota which will be launched in the Spring. We will also introduce historic audio tours featuring new material on the following areas:

The servants who worked in Fota House over the years – lots of interesting personalities to learn about and lovely old pictures.

The secret walled garden at Fota – what was grown, who worked there and the Victorian glasshouses.

A Plant Hunters Trail on the great 19th Century botanical explorers who brought back rare trees to the Arboretum at Fota. We think this will be a particularly enjoyable tour to take for those who regularly walk in the gardens as there is a lot to learn, surprise and delight you!

For those of you interested, we are always looking for interesting ways to make our work accessible to and safe for volunteers. Please keep an eye on our website and Facebook page (Fota House & Gardens) for more details on how you can lend us a hand behind the scenes.