Pick the Poppies in Durham During a Crook Hall Gardens Poetry Walk

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On December 6, 2025, immerse yourself in flora and create metaphors by taking a guided stroll down Crook Hall Gardens in Durham for its “Winter Words – for frost and snow” poetry walk at 1 pm. Best known for its listed medieval hall, walkers can take themselves down a flowery path of not just petals, but imagination. So, bring a notebook, as there are plenty of seating spaces on which you can sit, for when your stalk is ready to burst with ink.

With views of Durham city and its nine-hundred-year-old cathedral ahead, you are guaranteed a magnificent glow which you can capture to weave together something otherworldly—or melancholy, depending on what your poetry aims to convey. The picture of a perfect blending of Romanesque and Gothic stone allows for a writer’s own direction, whether that be fancy or frightful.

Durham on Water

The walk is said to last for around fifty minutes, and you will not just capture your feet on foot, but also wildlife on water in the Hall’s unique moat pool. This is Durham’s Culture County describes it to be a “seasonal poetry walk”, so will the quiet of the leaf burst into song of the lyric during this brief, beautiful event? Will it be works from the past, or present poets sharing their written words, in the moment?

Taking place in December, it is described to be an event of winter words; specifically, poetry for frost and snow. And what a cultural moment it is to take your children to this magical yet educational free event. Though must be accompanied by an adult, children aged ten and above are allowed to immerse themselves in poppies and poems. And have maybe a whiter walk!

Creating a Maze

At the Crook Hall Gardens, there is also a maze; if it were to be covered in snow, it would form a dreamlike web on which a walker could paint a picture. Even without the snow, it remains a lovely place to stroll through the greenery. Crook Hall Gardens has the petalody to offer poets an imaginative mental labyrinth. Beside the maze sits a café, where devoted writers—or simple admirers of nature—can sit back and take in the tranquil surroundings while indulging in a tea or coffee of their choice. In winter, a hot chocolate would be the perfect companion.

More on this Event

You can find out more information and keep up to regular updates about the recurring event by visiting the National Trust’s official event page for the Crook Hall Gardens poetry walk. You can also visit the This Is Durham Culture County event page for additional information, including a map.

The poetry walk takes visitors on a gentle journey through a short section of the gardens, beginning at the admissions hut by the entrance to Crook Hall Gardens. Though the paths wind through narrow and uneven terrain—making some areas inaccessible to wheelchair users—the experience offers an intimate encounter with nature’s shifting moods. Each walk embraces the beauty of the changing seasons, with sessions held throughout summer, autumn, and winter.

Whether you arrive on a frost-tipped winter afternoon or under the blaze of a summer sun, the guided poetry walk at Crook Hall Gardens offers more than just a stroll—it invites reflection, imagination, and nourishment for the senses. With lines of verse echoing the flora and landscape, and a peaceful café nearby for a warming drink afterwards, the experience lingers long after you leave the ivy-clad walls behind.

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