Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens

　　Visitor Information

　　How to Get to Holker

　　By Car: Follow brown signs on A590 from J36, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere - 20 minutes, Kendal - 25 minutes, Lancaster - 45 minutes, Manchester - 1 hour 30 minutes.

　　By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster and Preston for connections to major cities & airports.

　　Opening Times

　　Sunday - Friday (closed on Saturday) 11:00am - 4:00pm, 30th March - 2nd November.

　　Admission Charges

　　Hall & Gardens Gardens

　　Adults: £12.00 £8.00

　　Groups: £9.00 £5.50

　　Special Events

　　Producers' Market 13th April

　　Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.

　　Holker Garden Festival 30th May

　　The event celebrates its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.

　　National Garden Day 28th August

　　Holker once again opens its gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.

　　Winter Market 8th November

　　This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifts while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.

21. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?

　　A. 20 minutes. B. 25 minutes. C. 45 minutes. D. 90 minutes.

22. How much should a member of a tour group pay to visit Hall & Gardens?

　　A. £12.00. B. £9.00. C. £8.00. D. £5.50.

23. Which event will you go to if you want to see a live music show?

　　A. Producers' Market. B. Holker Garden Festival.

　　C. National Garden Day. D. Winter Market

　　Some names have become famous because they are always connected with important things. One of these names is that of Alfred Nobel, who founded the famous Nobel Prizes.

　　Nobel was born in Sweden in 1833. He became an engineer and an inventor. He was particularly interested in explosives. These were very dangerous in those days, and Nobel's own brother was killed in an explosion in their factory.

　　In 1867, Nobel invented dynamite. This was a very powerful explosive, but unlike the others it was safe to handle. The invention made Nobel a very wealthy man.

　　However, he was never particularly happy. He realized that his invention was being used for warlike purposes, and that thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of people were being killed and injured in wars with his explosives.

When he died in 1896, he left over 3 million pounds to be spent setting up five prizes each year. These prizes were to be given to people who had made outstanding contributions to peace, to science, and to literature. Originally there were five rewards: