News | Mrs Smith’s Cottage

October is a lovely time to visit Mrs Smith’s Cottage, with seasonal activities for little ones and creative family fun throughout half-term. Here’s what’s coming up this month.

NavenBees Toddler Group

Our popular NavenBees Toddler Group returns this October with two exciting themed sessions for children aged 2-5.

Friday 9 October – Spiders
Discover the fascinating world of spiders through rhymes, crafts and hands-on activities designed to inspire curiosity about nature.

Friday 23 October – Mrs Smith’s Birthday
Help us celebrate Mrs Smith with a special birthday-themed session featuring seasonal crafts, songs and garden-themed fun.

NavenBees takes place in our modern learning centre from 11am-12pm on the second and fourth Friday of each month. Bring your little bees along for hands-on learning about the natural world, with crafts, rhymes and have-a-go gardening activities.

£2.50 per child, adults free. No booking required. Simply drop in anytime between 11am and 12pm.

October Half-Term Crafts

24 October – 1 November

Looking for something creative to do during the school holidays? Join us for our October Half-Term Crafts sessions in the learning centre.

Enjoy an afternoon of colouring, cutting, sticking and creating, inspired by the season. It’s the perfect opportunity for children and families to get creative together before exploring the Cottage and gardens.

Craft activities are available Friday to Monday, 12pm-3pm, and are included with admission.

We recommend booking your visit in advance to avoid disappointment.

We look forward to welcoming you to Mrs Smith’s Cottage this October for nature-inspired learning, family creativity and plenty of seasonal fun.

Did you know there’s a bicycle rack just a few metres from Mrs Smith’s Cottage?

If you’re visiting by bike, you can leave your bicycle at the rack located close to the cottage. It’s a handy option for anyone exploring Navenby on two wheels or looking for a more sustainable way to travel.

The bike rack was installed as part of our heritage project to help encourage sustainable travel and make it easier for cyclists to visit the cottage and enjoy all that Navenby has to offer.

So next time you’re planning a visit, why not swap four wheels for two and cycle to Mrs Smith’s Cottage?

You can find the bike rack in the NKDC parking area adjacent to the cottage.

Mrs Smith’s Cottage is delighted to have once again achieved Museum Accreditation from Arts Council England, marking an important milestone in our journey from closure to national recognition.

The museum in Navenby showcases a simple way of life, whilst offering a window into the past that is relevant to the present. It tells the story of Mrs Hilda Smith, who was well-loved in the village she resided in until she was 102, and the contents and appearance of the cottage have been preserved from when she last lived there in 1995.

The museum was originally accredited before serious structural issues forced its closure in 2013. Reaccreditation was identified as a key objective of the subsequent National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported restoration project. It saw the historic cottage conserved and repaired before the coronavirus pandemic delayed the reopening to visitors until August 2020.

Since then, our team has worked to ensure the museum meets the rigorous standards required by the Museum Accreditation Scheme. Museum Accreditation is the UK industry standard for museums and galleries, administered by Arts Council England.

Over the past two years, staff have focused on developing policies and procedures, strengthening collections management and demonstrating best practice across all areas of its operation.

The successful application confirms that Mrs Smith’s Cottage meets nationally recognised standards for governance, collections care, visitor experience and organisational sustainability.

This comes less than a year after the museum was awarded a 2025 VisitEngland Hidden Gem Accolade.

Councillor Richard Wright, Leader of North Kesteven District Council, said: “We are very proud that Mrs Smith’s Cottage has regained Museum Accreditation.

“This achievement reflects the dedication, professionalism and perseverance of the team and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to bring the museum back to life following its closure and the challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Accreditation is the benchmark of quality for museums across the country and this recognition, as well as last year’s VisitEngland award, confirms that Mrs Smith’s Cottage is providing an excellent visitor experience while caring for its unique collections to the highest standards.

“It is a fitting milestone in the Cottage’s remarkable journey from closure to restoration and renewed success.”

Today’s the day! Happy Museum Shop Sunday! You may have seen our previous news and social media posts about today, and it’s time for the final instalment in our Spotlight series – where we celebrate our local makers and produce, and their amazing contribution to sustaining museums in our shop.

Today’s highlight is our jams and chutneys, all handmade by the fabulous Judy – who knew Mrs Smith!

These may very well be the last jars… so come and grab some whilst you can. We have delicious apple & blackberry jam, plum & orange jam for those with a sweet tooth, and of course, apple chutney. The apple chutney is made using Mrs Smith’s own recipe, which is a rather special nod to our history at the Cottage. Judy even made us a batch with apples from Mrs Smith’s tree earlier this year! The chutney is a firm volunteer favourite, and goes wonderfully as a snack or in cooking.

All dates on the jars are production dates, which encourages us to waste less and live more like Mrs Smith.

Judy is also a whizz at knitting – creating wonderful pumpkins, Christmas puddings and mince pies for us, which you can also purchase in our shop.

We wanted to end with a huge thank you to everybody who has read or interacted with our Museum Shop Sunday posts. It is greatly appreciated, and we hope they have been an interesting read. On a final note – we could encourage everybody to pop into their local museum, gallery or heritage space and have a browse! See you next year.

N.B.: Apple Chutney recipe

Ingredients:

1kg apples, chopped and peeled
500g onions, finely chopped
500g sultanas
400g dates, chopped
500g soft brown or demerera sugar
500ml white wine vinegar or spiced vinegar
2tsp mustard
1tsp mixed spice
1tsp powdered cloves
1tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:

1. Place all ingredients in a large, heavy bottomed pan and cook gently until sugar has dissolved
2. Bring to the boil and then simmer until fruit has softened
3. Stir occasionally and continue to simmer until the mixture is the consistency of jam
4. When ready, pour mixture into warm, sterilised jars and seal

As you may have already seen, we are running a showcase of our wonderful makers and their products as part of Museum Shop Sunday, an ‘international celebration of cultural retail’ which is designed to show the way in which museum shops support makers and sustain the future of museums.

For our second spotlight, we want to tell you about our range of artwork and cards by Debbie Davidge, who is a self-taught artist working within the mediums of watercolour, acrylic and soft pastels.

We spoke to Debbie about her journey with her artwork:

“After moving to Navenby, from Leicestershire, and also being an American citizen, I have always celebrated Halloween from a small child into adulthood. I decided to paint some pumpkins, one year – never having painted them before and they worked well. I then explored about joining a local Art Group and the journey began there.

Never having picked up an artist paintbrush before and with the guidance and support of the local art group, plus watching YouTube videos, and taking part in Workshops and completing an online course with the London College of Art (during lockdown) in Painting and Drawing and receiving a Merit Diploma for my year’s course, the ‘painting bug’ really took hold!

Since then, I have attended regular Art & Craft Fairs across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. I have taken part in the local Artists of Navenby Art Group Exhibitions every year since May 2018 and also took part in solo and joint art exhibitions ranging from the Caistor Heritage Centre, Vale of Belvoir Rotary Club Art Exhibitions, Gallery at St Martin’s in Lincoln, alongside Harding House Gallery in Steep Hill and The Rickyard Gallery in Wickenby.

I would describe my art as eclectic as I enjoy the challenge of painting different subjects letting the curiosity and creativity guide my art piece. My work is inspired by quiet moments in nature and the stillness that often goes unnoticed. I create calm, atmospheric paintings that focus on simplicity, emotion and the gentle beauty of the natural world. The mediums I use are watercolour, acrylic and soft pastels.

For me, painting is both an intuitive and deliberate process. I embrace experimentation across the mediums I use. I am drawn to painterly approaches that celebrate visual gesture and texture.

My aim is not to provide answers but to invite reflection – encouraging viewers to pause, question and discover their own meaning in the work.

I have my printed cards, which I change over on a seasonal basis, and also cards including a depiction of Mrs Smith’s Cottage and The Wash House which have always been popular in the Gift Shop at Mrs Smith’s Cottage.

There are also hand-painted miniature paintings that include miniature easels and make excellent and unique gifts.  I very much appreciate the opportunity that Mrs Smith’s Cottage has given me and the lovely working relationships I have had with the staff there over many years.”

You can see more of Debbie’s work on her website www.debbiedavidgecreations.co.uk, where original artworks and prints are regularly uploaded. Home appointments are available, by prior arrangement, for viewing artworks. You can also check out Debbie’s work on social media: Facebook under Debbie Davidge Creations Artist & Instagram @debbiedavidgecreationsartist.

We are so pleased to have a range of Debbie’s work for sale in our shop! See the wonderful pictures below (used with permission) and pop in anytime we are open to have a browse. Right now we have a display of Debbie’s Christmas cards and miniatures.

Thank you for all the support so far!

#MuseumShopSunday #SustainingCulture