The Great

Summer Escape

The Tale of Terence the

Troll and the Magic Acorn Escape to the ancient woodlands of Speke Hall this summer. Discover the mischievous creature that is gobbling up our trees and help the small but mighty Magic Acorn to protect its leafy friends and rescue nature.

Share your memories with us @NTSpekeHall

30 July-1 September 2020

National Trust 2020, registered charity no. 205846. Photography: ©National Trust Images: Arnhel De Serra: John Millar:

James Dobson: Rob Coleman

Start your adventure…

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Use the digital booklet and map to help you discover

the Magic Acorn’s tree-mendous quest.

While you’re exploring please be mindful of other

explorers and keep your distance at all times.

Let’s help everyone have a great day

together…

Please keep your dog on a lead at all times.

Supervision of children is recommended at

all times.

Be kind to nature by sticking to the paths,

picking up your litter and not snapping

branches.

If you need our help in an emergency while

you’re on the adventure please call us on

0151 427 7231 until 4.45pm.

Terence the

Troll

Meet Terence the Troll. Big and scary, he

is on the prowl for trees to gobble up.

Terence patrols the gardens and grounds

of Speke Hall always looking for the next

tasty treat.

1

From Giant Oaks to Spiky Holly, Terence

devours every kind of tree. His most

favourite tree snack of them all is the

deliciously nutty, tiny but tasty acorn.

Terence gets tree trumps when he eats

too many trees, keep back!

2 The Story

Tree

With a tree eating troll on the

loose the trees of Speke need

our help.

Meet our Magic Acorn. It is on a

very special quest to protect its

tree friends from the tree eating

Troll! The Magic Acorn knows

just how important trees are to

nature and us.

Thinky Thoughts

What is your

favourite story?

Why not have a go

at writing one when

you get home?

The best things about

trees:

1. They can be made into

paper giving us our

favourite story books.

2. They produce yummy food.

3. They make homes for

nature.

4. They clean our air, ahhh.

3 Whispering

Oaks Passing by, the Magic Acorn hears a noise… Shh…

listen closely...

Can you hear the Oak trees whispering together?

Stop a moment and have a listen to their

voices on the wind. What are they saying?

It looks like the Troll has already been

here and gobbled up half a tree!

Trees are important as they help to clean the air but

with fewer trees, and sad eaten trunks, the air is

going to be full of tree trumps!

Help the Magic Acorn to protect the other trees

by saying aloud:

creak, creak, swoosh and swish, protect my tree friends from being the Troll’s next dish’

4 A Mini

Rescue Down the path by the Orchard you see little

mice scurrying into the flower bed on a mini rescue

mission.

It looks like they are saving the apples from the

naughty troll. Can you spot them carrying the

apple above their little heads? How many mice are

there?

Trees produce lots of delicious things we love to eat.

Let’s help to protect the apple trees by casting the

Magic Acorn’s protection spell below:

Can you count how many apple trees there are

on the Orchard?

‘apple, apple growing on the trees, we will protect you from this naughty thief’

‘Hiding behind tiny doors, is an Fairy world yet to be explored. Keep it hidden in the trees as a little secret between the Acorn and me’

5 The Home

Tree You have arrived at the Home Tree

where the Magic Acorn’s Fairy friends live.

The Troll makes the Fairies do lots of work collecting

Acorns for him to eat. They try and hide away behind

their Fairy doors but the Troll always finds them.

Let’s help the Fairies by casting the Magic Acorn’s

protection spell over the Home Tree.

Like lots of other creatures,

Fairies make their homes in

trees and rely upon their

sturdy trunks, branches and

luscious leaves to keep

them safe.

Have a think,

what other

animals call

trees their

home?

6 The Ancient

Woodland Creep through the woodland and try not to disturb

the wildlife. These trees have been here for many,

many years looking after Speke Hall.

How old do you think this woodland is?

Why not help the Magic Acorn identify

his tree friends?

There are lots of different types of trees and they each have

very different leaves. Match the leaves you find on the

ground or can easily see in the trees to the pictures below to

identify the types of tree.

Answer: the woodland is roughly 700 years old.

7 The Weather

Tree As you explore you may

discover a magical tree.

Its dazzling clouds and

rainbows remind the Magic

Acorn why the weather and trees are so important.

Trees shade you from the hot summer sun, they

shelter you in the wind and the rain and they help to

keep the ground beneath your feet healthy and

strong.

By stopping the troll on his tree munching mission

you are helping to look after all parts of nature.

Let’s protect the whole woodland by performing

the Magic Acorn’s weather dance:

Wiggle your fingers down for the rain

Twirl on the spot for the wind

Raise your arms up high to the sky and stretch them out wide to make a rainbow

Repeat 3 times for extra protection.

8 Acorn Trail

You stumble across a troll treat

trail!

The troll seems to have dropped his

pouch of acorns; he will not be very

happy.

Creep past extra quietly just in case he is

still close by.

Look over the hedge at the Hall. Speke Hall was built

nearly 500 years ago and is made from lots of

ancient trees.

How many acorns has the troll dropped,

can you count them?

9

5 big deep breathes of tree trump free air.

Stretching up high on your tippy toes like a tree.

Waving your arms around and flying like a fairy.

10 magic star jumps.

Lying down on the grass and watching the clouds.

Having a family picnic.

Out in the

Open WELL DONE! You have helped the

Magic Acorn care for all the trees at

Speke Hall.

By casting your magical protection spells all the trees

can live for many more years not bothered by the

pesky troll.

Help us to look after nature by donating just £5 to

Well Done and a Big

Thank You!

Congratulations on completing the Great

Summer Escape and helping to protect trees and

nature at Speke Hall forever, for everyone.

Visit the National Trust website to see other

properties in the North West and to book your

next adventure online in advance.

To support the work of the National Trust and help

us stay open, please donate £5 by texting TRUST to

70515. Thank you.

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©National Trust 2020, registered charity no. 205846.