Green Festival 2024
Thank you for visiting our Green Festival this year. We hope that you enjoy the day.
Buzz - Live Family Theatre
11:30am & 2.30pm in Skippings Field
Join us for a bee-rilliant adventure as as award-winning puppetry and theatre company, Smoking Apples return with a spectacular giant bee puppet performance. Join Billy Bumble as he shrinks down to bee-size and learns about the troubles that they face. Featuring spell-binding puppetry and a giant honeycomb set, join us for a whirlwind ride avoiding grumpy Mr Fred and the gaping jaws of Shredder the dog! Buzz finishes with the audience being given wildflower seeds, to plant and help our black and yellow friends to flourish.
The Head Gardener - Live Theatre
1pm in Northolt Barn
Brothers Jake and Warren Oldershaw have propagated a delightful theatre show that digs deep into the reasons why we could all do with a bit more horticulture in our lives.
After growing up on the rural Isle of Wight, Jake made a career out of ’showing off’ and Warren ended up with a nice (proper) job, designing and looking after gardens. But it hasn’t always been easy. As we all know - there are sunny days, and there are days when it feels like you really shouldn’t have got out of bed.
During the show they tell personal tales of why gardening is so important for mental health; design, draught and bring to life a unique and beautiful garden; share fascinating stories of different projects, plants and species; and even throw a few songs into the mix.
“Living proof that gardening is good for you” Alan Titchmarsh
"Uplifting, gentle, fascinating and encouraging - What’s not to love?” Audience feedback 2022 Tour
Free Garden Design Advice
Outside Northolt Barn - all day
Two local garden designers will be offering free advice on creating sustainable, biodiverse gardens that help conserve water, reduce the pressure on our sewerage system and help protect our rivers. Bring photos of your garden and tap into their knowledge and experience to explore how to make your garden more sustainable and tolerant of wet and dry periods: how to improve your soil, what plants to choose, how to conserve water and how to increase biodiversity. conditions.
Chiltern Voice will be broadcasting live from the Green Festival.
Say hello to them on the Village Green.
Meet the COAM Gardeners
Take a guided tour round the museum gardens to see how our gardeners conserve water, enhance biodiversity and make planting choices for different conditions.
Sustainable Shopping
Visit our independent market showcasing a wide range of eco-friendly products and services. From organic food to upcycled crafts, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Explore the market and discover unique, sustainable products and support local businesses.
Our artisan market is organised by Duck Pond Market.
Live Music Stage
12pm - 4pm on the Village Green
Sit back, relax, and let the sounds of talented local musicians serenade you as you take in the green surroundings.
Featuring Shane Lamont, The James Trio, Anoushka and Em Mayo.
Wellbeing Sessions
Take some time for self-care amidst the hustle and bustle of the event.
Visit The Glade behind Northolt Barn for a tester session with Herts Tai Chi or take a trip to Arborfield Barn for mini-meditations with Isha Foundation Yoga.
These activities are designed to help you find balance and connect with the natural world around you.
Plant Sale
The Friends of the Museum Centre in Maidenhead Pavilion
Take a little bit of the Museum gardens home with you when you visit the plant sale at the Friends Centre. All of the plants have either been grown at the Museum or donated by our volunteers.
Profits from the Friends Centre go towards Museum projects.
Woodland Walks
11am & 3pm - Meet at Arborfield Barn
Take an immersive trip through our woodlands with bushcraft expert David Willis. Find out about the different trees that grow in our wood and find ways to connect with nature through sight, touch, smell and taste!
Between the walks, David will be demonstrating traditional spoon carving techniques. If you want to experience more of this craft, why not book a woodcraft workshop at the museum?
Community & Conservation Groups
Find out how to support our local environment when you visit these groups during the festival.
Chilterns Chalk Stream Project
Save Soil
Family Activities
Go pond dipping at Northolt Barn Pond with Bucks Amphibian and Reptile Group.
Create your own decorated spoon outside our Nissen Hut.
Take part in a craft workshop with Watford Recycling Arts Project in Thame Vicarage.
Our Top Water Saving Tips
Help conserve this important resource by following our tips to save water.
Turn off the tap
Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save up to 4 buckets of water per person per day!
We are used to seeing signs telling us to wash our hands for 20 seconds. Many of us never used to wash our hands for this long. In fact, we are now using nearly 3.5 litres of water each time we wash our hands! By turning the tap off when you’re rubbing soap in, you could save up to 2.5 litres of water. That’s over 12 cartons of juice from our shop!
Fill your bath with less water
Filling your bath just an inch lower can save as much as 5 litres of water.
That’s 10 bottles of your favourite fizzy drink!
Baths did not become common in working people’s homes until the late 20th Century. Most people used jugs of water poured into a basin. They would then use a cloth to clean small parts of themselves, drying off before moving onto the next bit to avoid getting too cold.
Can you spot the washing jug and basin upstairs in Haddenham Cottage?
Take shorter showers
By spending two minutes less in the shower, you can save up to 30 litres of water. That’s 50 large coffees!
Wash up wisely
By washing up using the plug or a bowl, you could save up to 36 litres of water every day. If you use a dishwasher instead, you could save up to 65 litres of water every day by only running it when full and on eco mode. That’s 289 cups of tea!
Use a watering can
A hosepipe uses about 15 litres of water per minute. Plants only need their roots watering. Using a watering can means, you can aim where the water is going and reduce weed growth.
Install a water butt
Our gardens love a little rain. Did you know you could use a water butt to store rainwater for later? A water butt can be any container that collects water from the drainpipes of a house. Many plants even prefer this type of water than what comes from our taps!
Fill up the washing machine
Make sure your washing machine is full. Only doing big loads of laundry is one of the best ways to save water.
Don’t just pull the plug
Don’t just pull the plug! You can reuse your bathwater to water your plants. This is called grey water – water that is dirty but does not have any harsh chemicals in it.
This event is kindly supported by a River Chess Community Grant.
Don't miss a beat – stay in the loop by sharing your details with us.
Be the first to uncover the latest news, exclusive offers, and upcoming events at our museum.