NOW THAT we’re approaching the end of half term, we will be opening every weekend until March 23.

Every Saturday and Sunday the house, gardens, shop and tearoom will be open between 10.30am and 4.30pm.

You don’t need to pay an admission price to visit the shop, the tearoom or the historic Great Barn, so with free parking too it makes a lovely afternoon out when combined with a gentle stroll along our Riverside Walk.

Did you know that dogs are also welcome on the lower field and on the Riverside Walk? There’s an abundance of wildlife down there too such as weasels, goosanders and kingfishers.

A free rambler’s guide can be collected from the shop to help you explore the walk.

On weekdays when we are open at weekends only, the office staff are working hard behind the scenes getting ready for the main season which starts on March 23.

One of the key tasks that we do during this time is volunteer recruitment. Have you ever considered volunteering with the National Trust or at East Riddlesden Hall?

In 2014 over 60,000 volunteers gave 4.2 million hours to the National Trust to help carry out vital work at 100s of different places. The value of this time was £38.2million!

Volunteers are quite simply the lifeblood of the National Trust, and without the army of enthusiastic helpers, we wouldn't be able to maintain the special places that we look after.

There are so many reasons to volunteer, and everyone has their own reason, however, volunteering is a great way to learn new skills, meet people and expand your horizons. It counts towards the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and is great for your CV too.

There are endless ways to volunteer with us - from working as a room guide to helping to clear tables in the tearoom, from selling raffle tickets to helping in the shop. Whatever your interests, it's likely we'll have something to suit you.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that you need to be able to commit an enormous amount of time, or know a lot about conservation.

In reality, as long as you’re friendly, energetic, interested and happy to spend a bit of time learning about East Riddlesden Hall, then we’re happy to provide the support and the training to enable you to do that.

Why not come and try it for a week or two, or for a season? You can always increase or decrease your time to fit in with your circumstances, and some opportunities can also be done from the comfort of your own home through remote volunteering.

If you are considering volunteering with us, then thank you for thinking about it. Please get in touch with me to have a chat, and I’ll be over the moon to hear from you.

I can be contacted on 01535 607075, option 3, or emailed via carla.weatherall@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Alternatively, all current volunteering opportunities can be found at nationaltrust.org.uk/east-riddlesden-hall/join-in.

East Riddlesden Hall is currently open at weekends between 10.30am and 4.30pm.