Our CAST-Off programme of free artist-led creative activities will return this summer, with sessions taking place on Saturdays from 1 August to 29 August in the walled garden at National Trust Penrose.
There will be a wide range of activities to get involved with each Saturday – individual pages listing all activities will be published on our What’s On page in July.
CAST-Off sessions run from 10am to 12 noon and 2pm to 4pm. All the activities are free and offered on a drop-in basis, no booking required. Participants of all ages are welcome. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Funding:
CAST-Off 2026 is part-funded by the Geoffrey and Carol Holland Trust and FEAST.
Since CAST-Off first started, the number of participants has grown year on year, with upwards of 300 children participating in each daily session. CAST-Off is not financially supported by the National Trust and has no regular ongoing funding, so each year we face the challenge of finding funds to sustain this programme alongside our other free learning programmes for local schools and young people. If you or your organisation are able to make a contribution, we would be most grateful. To do so, please contact our programme coordinator Cat Bagg [email protected] or visit our page on the Charities Aid Foundation website where one-off or regular donations can be made.
Weather:
We won’t be put off by a bit of drizzle and hope you won’t either, but check our social media (@castcornwall) on the day in case of extreme weather or last-minute changes.
Parking:
We recommend parking at the Fairground car park in Helston and making your way along the footpaths to the walled garden. This route is tarmac all the way and is well suited to pushchairs, scooters, and bikes. The route is 2.4km / 1.5 miles, with an approximate walk time of 45 minutes.
For those who need to get a little closer by car, there is a small National Trust car park, approximately 1km / 0.6 miles from the walled garden along the official paths.
Bus:
It is a 10 minute bus journey from Helston to Penrose on the number 2, which runs hourly between Falmouth and Penzance. From the bus stop at Penrose Hill it is approximately a 10 minute walk to the Walled Garden.