Volunteer at Turton Tower
If you enjoy history, old buildings, meeting people and making new friends then why not volunteer at Turton Tower? We need room stewards and people to welcome visitors and serve in the shop. Join our friendly team of volunteers and make a valuable contribution to caring for this historic building and enhance our visitor’s experience.
Volunteer ReceptionShop Staff Role Description
Volunteer Room Steward Role Description
Volunteer Room Steward Role information
The Collections Care Group
The Collections Care Group is a friendly group of ladies (men are welcome) whose aim is to maintain and enhance the numerous items throughout Turton Tower. We have had training from Museum Development Officers on how to repair and clean the furnishings and artefacts, and to make dust covers to keep the antique furniture dust-free during the time the Tower is closed. Curators of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London were very impressed when they visited in winter 2012. Printed instructions are available to newcomers. Occasionally items are put back into storage or returned to the museum that loaned them, causing a search of the numerous rooms and maybe a reworking of dust sheets to fit others.
There are advantages of being with the CCG as other local museums invite us to join them. Members have been invited to an introduction to Crewel Embroidery by a Royal School of Needlework Tutor, and recently to embroider a pillowcase to be hung from the ceiling at York St Mary’s in an exhibition about Sleep. In addition to maintaining historical items, there will be opportunities in future to make our own additions to the present day Turton Tower, as has always been the case.
The Walking Group
The Walking Group has been strolling on for many years now. We meet every 6 to 8 weeks in the Tower car park on a Sunday morning, and either set off on foot or drive to more exotic locations (other parts of the West Pennine Moors). Numbers vary, but average 7 or 8 participants.
We usually meet at 10.30 am and return to the Tower by 4 pm in the afternoon having walked about 5 or 6 miles, depending on the terrain. In the winter, with reduced daylight hours, we usually remain in the locality of the Tower. As we get more daylight, we can venture further afield to explore new areas.
In the past, we have been to Blackburn, Darwen Tower, Roddlesworth and even to Haworth. More recently we have explored Scout Moor, Waugh’s Well and the Cheesden Valley. Sometimes we are rewarded with wonderful views from Pendle Hill to Jodrell Bank and from the Lake District to the Peak District.
If you feel like a bit of exercise, please come and join us. Bring your own refreshments and comfortable, stout shoes/boots and be prepared for inclement weather. Any suggestions for places to go and new routes to take will be most welcome!
The Friends of Turton Tower take no responsibility for any injuries which may occur on the day. The walks are not official FoTT events and are undertaken at your own risk, but are very pleasant social occasions and with good company, in the beautiful countryside taking in places of interest along the way.
More information on other walks can be obtained from the following links:
If you would like to join the group and/or the mailing list, please email us. We will endeavour to reply as quickly as possible.
The Tower Gardening Group
We are an enthusiastic, friendly group who help look after the tower gardens maintaining, renewing and revamping
The gardens are quite extensive, but unfortunately, in the past have been neglected due to underfunding. We work hard to help provide a garden where everyone can enjoy the peace and tranquility of such beautiful surroundings.
We meet on Wednesday’s 10am-3pm in spring and summer and 11am-2pm in winter, if the weather is fine
If you feel you would like to join us and enjoy fresh air and good company, please email us.
Kitchen Garden Group
Set in the tranquil gardens of Turton Tower, the Kitchen garden is open throughout the year to visitors, walkers and the local community. It is set on a sloping site, with four large beds and borders which have been subdivided for vegetables, herbaceous perennials, summer annuals, soft fruit and a variety of fruit trees. Spring bulbs give a fine and increasing display from late February to early April.
Good paths give access to the entire garden and these were resurfaced by the volunteer gardeners to make them accessible whether on foot, in a wheelchair or with a pushchair.
The garden was established in Victorian times but fell into disuse and became badly overgrown in the 20th century, though it was worked for a few years during and shortly after WW2. The project to restore it began over 12 years ago by a committed enthusiastic group of volunteers. The garden was completely covered with brambles, ferns, old bushes and trees – unrecognisable as a garden. It took the volunteers two years to clear it; a lot of sweat and tears included! The Kitchen Garden is now an attractive, functioning garden which continues to develop to retain and increase both interest and structure.
