Heritage Fairy Woods, Uphall : Jumping Generations

In its heyday as a grand private residence, the grounds around Middleton Hall in Uphall had a reputation for being a beautiful place to visit.

Now, a new project is welcoming families here to enjoy something very specific – a trail in the woods of cute miniature fairy doors, painted brightly and personalised with the names of the children, family or organisation who has sponsored the door.

Children love the little doors. The idea is that you sponsor a fairy door and it is painted and personalised. The money raised goes towards purchasing equipment for the Smile Centre, a local charity that provides equipment and activities for the elderly in the community. Children love to come and explore the woods and find their fairy door.

The initiative has been conceived and designed by Jumping Generations, a community project in Uphall which aims to build a connection between local children and the residents at Middleton Hall, for the benefit of all involved. They have already done shared reading, singing and other activities, and the Heritage Fairy Wood - as the new project is called - builds on that. It’s a lovely way of encouraging members of the community to come up to the care home, enjoy the grounds, and strengthen connections between the residents and younger members of the community. Some of the residents help paint the doors.

Regular events are planned for the Heritage Fairy Wood. The opening in October was a great success, and there is a Christmas event planned with elves on the trail, and an Easter event that will feature an egg hunt.

Opening day at Heritage Fairy Woods

A fairy door, a fairy house or bird box are available to sponsor. Why not add one of your own? Doors start at £3.50 each, to order please contact Smile Elderly Activities.

Members of the community are welcome to come up and wander through Heritage Fairy Woods at any time.

To more information and to keep up to date with events, please follow Heritage Fairy Woods on facebook

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Middleton Hall

Dating from around 1700, a mansion was built here from stone from the ruined Strathbrock Castle. Little of the original mansion is identifiable today, as it changed hands and was modified many times. Notable owners included the Earls of Buchan. Its various owners in its heyday though developed and maintained the estate’s 53 acres of land, and it was renowned for its beautiful gardens and hothouses with flowers and fruit.

It was sold to the Broxburn Old Company in 1899, who let it out to the Edinburgh District Lunacy Board as an asylum, then it was used as a rehabilitation centre for convalescing First World War soldiers. It was then used as headquarters of Scottish Oils Ltd from1920. After a brief stint as offices for another company, in 1987 it became a nursing home and has remained so ever since.

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Heritage Fairy Woods is run by Jumping Generations, a collaboration between Middleton Hall Care Home, and two local organisations – Smile and Mia’s Aim.

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Published in Konect November 2019

Author: Helen-Jane Shearer

#uphall #community # families