Room on the Broom at Wakehurst

The autumnal tale Room on the Broom, based on the award-winning book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, arrives at Wakehurst in Sussex this autumn.

The trail, developed in partnership with Magic Light Pictures presents a new interactive adventure for October half term. Welcoming the Halloween season, the trail will recreate Witch’s windswept adventure, through 3D installations and family-friendly activities. There will also be an add-on sticker hunt to accompany the main trail, where participants can build their own “magnificent broom”.

Visitors will begin their journey in the enchanting Bethlehem Wood, where a willow wand-making workshop will set the scene for this magical adventure. At the start of the trail will be a wooden sculpture of a broom with plenty of room, the perfect photo opportunity to capture this memorable day at Wakehurst.

Families can navigate their way through the birch woodland, as they take part in a treasure hunt to find the witch’s lost items amongst the trees. As intrepid explorers reach the end of the journey, they will encounter more surprises inspired by the whimsical tale as they continue into the shelter of Coates Wood.

At the end of the trail lies the friendly Witch, carved from wood, in a garden of cauldrons. Here, visitors will be able to re-enact the end of the story, collecting natural ingredients to mix up in a cauldron to create their own autumnal spell. This imaginative and playful trail, set within Wakehurst’s 535 acres is the ideal October half term activity, suitable for children of all ages.

Children will love crunching leaves underfoot as they roam through wild woodlands, spotting wildlife across the biodiverse site. Surrounded by fiery autumn colour, visitors can venture further out into the wild botanic garden to explore the Water Gardens, meadows and the majestic Westwood Lake. There will also be the chance to warm up with delicious treats at Stables Kitchen, and stock up on themed gifts in the shop, the perfect seasonal treat. With early opening for members, quiet sessions for those with additional needs and disabilities, and a £1 entry ticket for people in receipt of Universal or Pension Credit, this trail is a truly accessible and enjoyable adventure for all.

Notes to Editors

Ticket Information

Room on the Broom adventure
10am to 5pm
Included with entry – pre-booking essential
Children 16 and under go FREE.

A truly magnificent mission (Add-on activity)
10am to 5pm
£3 per child

Wakehurst and Kew member’s early opening
15, 16, 20, 22, 23, 27 & 29 October
9am to 9.30am
Get a head start on the Room on the Broom adventure with exclusive member-only early opening.

Quiet sessions
16, 22, 27 October
9.30am to 10am
Our 9.30am opening slots will also be available to book as quiet sessions for those with hidden disabilities.

About Wakehurst

Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.

Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.  

RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months of 2022, Kew has welcomed over 10,000 visitors with a £1 ticket for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits.

About Magic Light

Magic Light Pictures is an award-winning brand-building company with a strong background in production, creating rich and imaginative experiences for families worldwide. The company, founded in 2003, directly manages production, licensing, global distribution and marketing. The company balances its brand-building work with film making of the highest quality – including Oscar-nominated animated feature Chico & Rita, comedy thriller Wild Target and natural history documentary One Life. Magic Light’s key brand is The Gruffalo, from the best-selling picture books by author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler. Magic Light produced the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning half-hour animated films, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, and has sold them to over 180 broadcasters worldwide. Magic Light also runs a cross-category international merchandising programme for The Gruffalo brand, with over 80 licensees and hundreds of products that capture the charm of the original books. Magic Light also produced Room on the Broom, Stick Man, The Highway Rat, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Zog and the Flying Doctors and Superworm films – which have proved to be award winning half-hour classics that are as loved as The Gruffalo. In 2016 Magic Light produced two half-hours based on Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes. They were watched by 9.3million viewers and have won numerous awards including a BAFTA for Best Animation. Magic Light's film for BBC One, for Christmas 2022 will be The Smeds and The Smoos.

www.magiclightpictures.com
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