Events
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from March to early July
PENSYCHNANT’S SUMMER SEASON 2025
Every Weekend (plus bank holidays), 29th March - 28th September. 11 - 5pm
We open starting Mother’s Day this year. There will be at least one Art Exhibition to see any time you visit. Our FairTrade Tea, Coffee and Cakes will be available to enjoy outdoors or indoors.
We expect Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers, and with abundant wildlife and natural beauty to enjoy what better place to visit!
2025
Saturday 29th March 11am – 5pm
Alison Holt - Textile Artist - Solo Exhibition
& each weekend & Bank Holiday Mon until 27th April
Pensychnant (House)
Tea & Cakes available
Saturday 5th April 11am – 5pm
Nadine Carter-Smith - Artist Solo Exhibition
& every weekend & Bank Holiday Mon
until 18th May
Pensychnant (House)
​Tea & Cakes available
Saturday 5th April 11am - 5pm
Kevin Moore solo exhibition
& each weekend and Bank Holiday Mon,
until May 18th 11 - 5pm
Pensychnant (House)
​Tea & Cakes available
Tuesday 29th April, 10am
BLUEBELL & PRIMROSE WALK
A short walk to see Spring springing. Hopefully the spectacular bank of primroses at Oakwood will be in full bloom. This simple pleasure is all too rare in today’s world. About 2½ miles on local footpaths. (Just one short but steep downhill for those of us with achy knees).
Booking advised. Donations appreciated
Wednesday 30th April, 2pm
WILDLIFE RECORDING
Anyone can record wildlife. By recording wildlife you are helping to conserve the nature that you love, and by looking, you may come to love it more. In a quick whizz, Julian will instruct us in the simple processes of wildlife recording, but also consider why it is important, look at some examples, and consider some outcomes.
Friday 2nd May, 7:30pm
WHERE WRYNECKS SING
WITH JIM ASHTON (WILD HORIZONS)
Wild Horizons designs and builds ecologically rich gardens and landscapes in UK and abroad. Jim Ashton will talk about a 3-year nest box project for the conservation and study of Wryneck in Poland.
Cambrian Ornithological Society meeting. £1
Sunday 4th May, 10am
BIRD SONG WALK
Carole Walker has watched and enjoyed birds all her life, but the most part of bird watching is listening. Carole will teach us the songs of some of our familiar garden and woodland birds on a short walk around Pensychnant. Free. Donations appreciated Tea & cake available afterwards
Monday 5th May, 7:30pm
MOTH GROUP
Informal meeting of North Wales Moth Group. Donations appreciated
​​Tuesday 6th May 1-4pm
SILVER-SMITHING WORKSHOP
earn how to make your own seaglass pendant with Evie Roberts, using sterling silver to make a bezel setting for your chosen piece of glass. All tools and materials provided. £65 including tea & cake. Booking essential on www.emporiumconwy.co.uk
Weekend 10th & 11th May, 11 - 5pm
BIODIVERSITY FAIR
With stalls by various local and national wildlife recording and conservation groups, representing a full range of British taxa from microbes to mammals this will be a celebration of our biodiversity.
Cofnod will have a stand, recording all our sightings on their Online Recording System.
Thanks Cofnod!
Various activities for adults and families:
Bioblitz show-and-tell with hundreds of species - especially moths Good photo opportunities
Wildlife Safaris in the fields led by experts outstanding in their fields.
Displays and advice about wildlife, identification and conservation.
Wildlife through the microscope!
Children's games and crafts & Tea & cake!
Between us we hope to be able to identify quite a few species and answer some of your questions about invisible dust mites to hawkmoths, and whatever else we can find.
Donations appreciated.
Stands & display areas available for your group or taxon, please let us know.
Tuesday 13th May, 1 - 5pm
HAND PRINTED LINOCUT WORKSHOP
In this half day workshop Liz Toole will guide you through the process of lino cutting and printing a single-colour greetings card or mini print. No experience necessary. All materials and tea & cake provided £46. Enquiries and bookings please email Liz Toole at liztooleart@gmail.com
Friday 16th May, 1 - 4:30pm
NEEDLE-FELTING
Learn how to needle-felt with Beryl Naybour. £30 includes tuition, all material, Fairtrade tea/coffee and cake. Booking essential with Beryl Naybour on 07928 484584 or naybourberyl@gmail.com
Sunday 18th May, 10am
NATURE BIMBLE
Another short amble to explore Pensychnant and just see what we can see and to start to make some wildlife records for Pensychnant
Back in time for elevenses from Karen’s cake stall
Sunday 25th May, 10am
CUCKOO WALK
According to legend, centuries ago, the parish council of Dolwyddelan decided to build a high wall around the parish to keep the cuckoos therein all year round. We will be checking Pensychnant’s walls! Hopefully we will hear the cuckoo, a species which has declined by 65% since 1980’s. About 2½ miles. Not far but some steep rocky places. Bring provisions. Bring binoculars. Booking advised. Donations appreciated
Wednesday 28th May, 2-5pm
BUTTERFLY IDENTIFICATION
WITH VIC HITCHINGS
In this course Vic will look at how to identify the butterflies of North Wales. Whilst their visual appearance is the prime identification method, successful identification is best achieved by using a variety of data sources, including flight periods, flight patterns and geographic distributions. North Wales has 33 resident butterfly species and 3 common migrants. Two other recently recorded species will also be included. It is suitable for beginners to those more familiar with North Wales butterflies. £20 including tea & cake. Booking on www.pensychnant.co.uk
Friday 30th May, 1 - 4:30pm
WILLOW WEAVING WORKSHOP
WITH CRAFTY AS HEL
Suitable for the complete beginner or those wishing to enhance their basketry skills - you will make 3 to 4 dragonflies to take home to adorn your gardens. £35. All tools and materials are provided plus fair trade tea/coffee and cake. Booking essential with crafty-as-hel-ynys-mon.sumupstore.com
​​​​Saturday 31st May, 10 - 5pm
RECORDERS’ DAY
A largely self-guided day to record wildlife at Pensychnant. Whatever your taxon of interest, or level of expertise, all records will be valuable. We want to make Pensychnant the best recorded site in North Wales. This isn’t a serious competition, but we want to make as complete a species list as possible for the nature reserve. Cofnod will collect all records. Thanks Cofnod!
Sunday 1st June, 10am
NATURE BIMBLE
Another short amble to explore Pensychnant and just see what we can see and to start to make some wildlife records for Pensychnant. Back in time for elevenses from Karen’s cake stall
Monday 2nd June, 7:30pm
MOTH GROUP
Informal meeting of North Wales Moth Group. Donations appreciated
Tuesday 3rd June, 6-9pm
SILVER-SMITHING WORKSHOP
Learn how to make your own spoon-bowl pendant with Evie Roberts, using a sterling silver spoon of your choice. All tools and materials provided. £60 - £65 including tea & cake. Booking essential on www.emporiumconwy.co.uk
Sunday 8th June, 10am
NATURE BIMBLE
Another short amble to explore Pensychnant and just see what we can see and to start to make some wildlife records for Pensychnant. Back in time for elevenses from Karen’s cake stall
Sunday 15th June, 11 -5pm
OPEN GARDEN FOR NATIONAL GARDEN SCHEME
Pensychnant will open for the National Garden Scheme again. Tea & cakes available on the lawn in the sunshine. Plants for sale. £4 entrance in aid of MacMillan Nurses, Marie Curie and other caring charities. Helen from Crafty-as-Hel will have a drop-in stall to make easy willow crafts.
​​​​Weekend 21 -22nd June
DRY-STONE WALLING TRAINING COURSE
A professional level dry stone walling course, from foundations to coping, led by a master-craftsman waller of Dry Stone Walling Association of North Wales. £100 Details from Paul Smyth, 01766 513213 pasmyth@btinternet.com Booking via www.craftcourses.com
Sunday 22nd June, (time to be arranged)
BRACKEN ROLLING WITH SHIRE HORSES
A rare opportunity to see working heavy horses crushing the bracken in Pensychnant’s fields.Tea & cake available at the house.
​Saturday 28th June, 11-5pm
NATIONAL MEADOWS DAY
97% of Britain’s wildflower meadows have been destroyed since the War. Pensychnant has created three new ones. This day will be a blatant celebration of Pensychnant’s meadows, with instructive guided walks on the creation and traditional management of meadows, plant identification, invertebrate sampling and recording, crafts and children’s activities. FairTrade tea & cakes available on the lawn in the sunshine amidst flowerbeds buzzing with bees and hoverflies. Free but donations appreciated
Sunday 29th June, 10am
NATURE BIMBLE
Another short amble to explore Pensychnant and just see what we can see and to start to make some wildlife records for Pensychnant. Back in time for elevenses from Karen’s cake stall
​​5th July - 28th September, 11-5pm Weekends (plus bank holidays)
PENSYCHNANT’S OPEN ART EXHIBITION 2025
Pensychnant’s ‘Open’ 2024 was undoubtedly our best exhibition ever, with some of the best artists from all over Britain, painting in diverse media and styles. For 2025, all of the pictures will again be on the theme of Nature, Conservation and the Environment; some celebrating the beauty of nature and its importance to our well-being; others show the threats to nature. This exhibition will be worth seeing! And you can vote for your ‘People’s Choice’ which will be announced at the end of the show. Call for Artists: If you would like to be part of this exhibition in 2025, you can submit your entries online via www.artopps.co.uk/opportunities/pensychnantopen2025 All proceeds from entries support the charitable work of Pensychnant.
Monday 7th July 7:30pm
MOTH GROUP
Informal meeting of North Wales Moth Group. Donations appreciated
Saturday 5th July, 7:30 -10pm
ELFIN BOW: INTERWOVEN
Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Elfin Bow, will be joined by composer and instrumentalist, John Silvers, and songwriter and vocalist, Tracey-Anne Green, for a songwriter’s circle-style performance of ‘Interwoven.’
It promises to be an intimate, uplifting and magical concert, as each artist shares the stories that have inspired their music. ‘Interwoven’ are three friends, brought together by music, sharing their profound desire to weave their musical magic and shine a light in the dark corners of the world.
This outdoor concert will be special. Songwriter and great, great granddaughter of Abraham Henthorn Stott, Elfin Bow, will perform, for the first time ever, new music inspired ‘to honour both the history of Pensychnant and the community that is interwoven into the life of the house’
Tickets £15 available at www.pensychnant.co.uk.
Wine and Pimm’s will be available at the event but you are welcome to bring your own refreshments
Sunday 6th July, 10am
NATURE BIMBLE
Another short amble to explore Pensychnant and just see what we can see.and to start to make some wildlife records for Pensychnant. Back in time for elevenses from Karen’s cake stall
