It has been a busy time at one of the area’s country parks. Werneth Low recently held an exciting outdoor event for all the family, which saw many artists of different styles attend the country park for a day of adventure and crafting.

The day kicked off at 11am and quickly filled up with people, who were keen to join one of five different activities that went on throughout the day. 

Outdoor arts and engagement officer Natasha Lolljee said the park held a  Foraged Delights event, which was enjoyed by many people.

She said: “We had the wonderful James Brunt who delivered land art made with natural pieces and stunning designs along the edge of the orchard. 

“Julie Turnbull delivered playdough and plant bashing, while further up the hill we had Carrie Williams creating nature weaving and Helen Dodsworth creating nature kites. 

“We also had two sets of adventure story walks by Adam Blake as well.” 

The artists were from a range of backgrounds and companies, with the event itself organised by Tameside Council to get families and people more engaged with the green spaces in the borough throughout the summer holidays. 

Natasha added: “It is about giving people the confidence to come out and explore the wider Tameside area which has a huge amount of green space for everyone to enjoy, so we support and collaborate with places such as the Werneth Low Visitor Centre.” 

One of the main attractions on the day was Adam Blake’s adventure stories, which ran twice on the day.

Adam is the co-founder of Open Attic Company and the Opposable Thumb Theatre and spends his time between performing storytelling adventures at community events and working for the Opposable Thumb Theatre.  

“The adventure stories are improvised storytelling for the whole family.” Adam said. 

“I take a big group of kids and their families and we create a brand new story all together.

“We use the site as inspiration for the story we make and it is very fun and very silly!” 

The other activities on offer were also enjoyed by families - the orchard at Werneth Low was turned into a space for designing natural art, as James Brunt, the organiser of the natural art activity, explained. 

“We foraged in the orchards, making beautiful temporary artworks,” James said.

“We used things we found on the floor. We had a little gallery which grew throughout the day.” 

The herb garden, next to the orchard, was taken over for the day by Julie Turnbull. Visitors made natural playdough, while people also explored the herbs. 

Julie explained what the activity was about and what the children got out of it. 

She said: “Natural playdough is very simple to make, just cornflour and baby lotion.

“It gets the senses going and allows people to explore the textures and the smells of the herbs, and then they start to mix it all together. It is great and they love it.” 

With artwork and adventure on the cards throughout the day, visitors to Werneth Low County Park were treated to a fantastic day full of fun. 

To keep updated with the latest on summer holiday events, head to intameside.co.uk and find the best upcoming family events over the rest of the holidays.