Flower Fairies and The Living Landscape

Saturday 4 July to Sunday 30th September 2026 | The Sill | 10:00 - 17:00

Exclusive to Northumberland National Park, this unique Flower Fairies™ exhibition showcases artworks and sketchbooks that have never been on public display before. 

This enchanting exhibition invites you to explore the timeless work of artist and author Cicely Mary Barker (1895–1973), creator of the beloved Flower Fairies. Inspired by the rich detail of the natural world, Barker paired each fairy with a real British plant, carefully observed and beautifully illustrated, and brought to life through her gentle, evocative poetry. 

But this is more than a celebration of illustrations. It is an invitation to see the landscape differently. 

From the tiniest garden bloom to the windswept heather moorlands and fragile peatlands of Northumberland National Park, this exhibition connects Barker’s magical world with the very real landscapes that surround us. Rooted in centuries of folklore and imagination, the Flower Fairies remind us that every plant and tree has its own story, its own character, and its own quiet kind of wonder. 

Through art, nature and storytelling, Flower Fairies™ & the Living Landscape encourages visitors of all ages to slow down, look closer, and rediscover the beauty and importance of the natural world. 

Come and experience a place where imagination and ecology meet and where the living landscape reveals its magic. 

Visitor Information  

Flower Fairies & the Living Landscape: Magic, Nature and Northumberland National Park  opens Saturday 4 July and runs throughout the summer holidays. The exhibition is open 10am-5pm, 7 days a week.  

Magical activities this summer  

Get magical  this summer with these fairy-inspired crafts and activities: 

• Paper flower craft sessions – create  a Bee Orchid  

• Create your own fairy peg doll (adult session) – a mindful, creative experience inspired by the fairies  

• Family Fun Weekend (18–19 July) – featuring Hapa Zome natural printmaking and fairy peg doll drop-in sessions  

• Monday Mini-Makes – including ‘Magic Nature Doors’ and ‘Wonderful Wings’ for younger visitors  

• Tree Folk trail – find the eight fairy doors hidden around The Sill’s grounds 

T: 01434341200
E: [email protected]
W: www.thesill.org.uk/