What's On in February at Fulham Palace
This month's highlights include a family fun day and a night at the opera
A family fun day and a night at the opera are two of the highlights at Fulham Palace in February.
The theme of the fun day, on Sunday 23 February is The Kingmaker, celebrating the day, in 1689, when the succession of King William lll and Queen Mary ll was confirmed by parliament. The Bishop of London, Henry Compton, risked his life when he joined other noblemen and invited William to take the throne from King James II.
This is a chance to explore a period of intrigue, rebellion and treason. There'll be activities and crafts, you'll be able to compose secret letters and learn about some remarkable history.
The fun day is free with no need to book in advance and runs from 11am-3pm.
On Friday 28 February opera is back at the Palace, which has partnered again with the National Opera Studio for an evening featuring a selection of arias from classic works, showcasing the talents of four young professional a singers.
It’s a chance to hear the opera stars of the future in an intimate setting, and the evening is accompanied by a three-course dinner, with two courses served in one of the historic rooms before the concert, and dessert and coffee served afterwards.
Dinner starts 6pm, with a request to email any special dietary requirements when you make your booking to mail@fulhampalace.org
Tickets are £25 (£65 with a three-course meal). Book tickets here.
Regular events also continue this month, including walks, tours, Palace Explorers sessions for toddlers and the Young Archaeologists' Club for older children.
Sunday 2, 9 and 23 February, 12.30pm - 1.30pm and Wednesday 5 and Tuesday 18, 2pm - 3pm - History Tour
On this tour of the house and garden, learn how their passions, wealth and power shaped Fulham Palace. Find out about the mixture of different architectural styles that make up the house, the stories of the Bishops and their families who called the Palace home, and how the 13 acre garden evolved over the centuries to become the beautiful urban oasis it is today.
Sunday 16 February, 2pm - 3pm - Garden Walk
On this tour around Fulham Palace's 13 acre site, hear how successive Bishops of London made their mark on the garden, learn about the unusual specimens grown here today and find out about the exciting projects the gardener team are currently working on to restore this Grade II* listed garden.
Tickets for garden walks and history tours cost £6 per person, accompanied children free. No need to book in advance. Meet at the visitor welcome desk.
Monday 3, 10 and 24 and Tuesday 4, 11 and 25 February, 9.30am - 10.30am - Palace Explorers
These fun and creative facilitated sessions are geared specifically to 2-4 year olds and their adults.
Booking essential. £5.50 per session. To book your place email education@fulhampalace.org.
Saturday 8 February, 10.30am - 12.15pm - Young Archaeologists' Club
Our Young Archaeologists’ Club (YAC) is for budding archaeologists aged eight to 16, with young adults attending independently.
Each month YAC members investigate different themes, with activities that can range from learning to catalogue artefacts to taking part in a real archaeology dig!
This month YAC will be creating our own Tudor knot gardens, using the Palace’s knot garden as inspiration.
Tickets
£16 per session. Booking essential, find out more and book tickets
here.
Fulham Palace is also hosting an exhibition: Discovering the Bishop of London’s Palace at Fulham
The first exhibition in the palace's new museum celebrates its recent £3.8 million restoration project, revealing what was involved in this thee year programme to restore and reinterpret the Tudor courtyard and historic rooms and create new plant beds in the botanic garden.
Find out how this complex restoration project has resulted in a richer understanding of the building of Fulham Palace, how the site was used and the people who lived and worked here over the centuries.
Learn about the work carried out by the specialist conservators and craftspeople involved in the project, and the traditional methods they employed to remain faithful to those used at Fulham Palace in the past.
See many of the fascinating finds discovered during the restoration works, from artefacts uncovered through archaeology digs to a 17th century painted wall hidden behind plasterboard.
Learn about the vital role volunteers played in discovering more about Fulham Palace and the Bishops of London through carrying out an extensive archive research project and participating in archaeology digs.
The exhibition is on display until November and is open from 10.30am till 4pm until 27 March. Admission is free.
January 31, 2020