HUNDREDS of people descended on Keighley's Cliffe Castle over the Easter weekend.

On Saturday, there was an Easter egg hunt.

Participants searched for brightly-coloured wooden eggs concealed around the Spring Gardens Lane park and museum.

When all were found, letters spelled out a word which enabled entrants to claim a chocolate treat.

The activity was amongst several free attractions that day.

Two of Cliffe Castle's resident rabbits joined visitors in the park.

Bingley-based Hedgehog Emergency Rescue, supported by Oakworth's Hedgie Hog Hotel, gave two well-attended talks about how people can help hedgehogs in the wild. Measures include hedgehog highways, square gaps in the bottom of boundary walls and fences which help ensure the creatures can move around and access habitat.

The day also saw honeybees make their first public event appearance this year at Cliffe Castle. Members of Airedale Beekeepers Association were in attendance to explain more about honeybees, and about an observation hive. The bees will be available to see upstairs in the museum throughout the summer.

And in the Cliffe Castle learning room, the museum's family team was hosting crafts – using plastic bottles, forks and screw tops as paintbrushes to create pictures inspired by spring.

A spokesperson for Cliffe Castle Support Group said the event was a huge success.

"The rain stopped and the sun came out – what more could we ask for?" she said.

"Two of Cliffe Castle’s rabbits came out of their normal home to join visitors in the park – they enjoyed the warm weather and fresh green grass, and some lucky children were able to see them close up and give them a cuddle.

"There were quite a few 'rabbit ears' to be seen around Cliffe Castle too, and a large white rabbit popped out of her burrow in the museum to say hello!"

She said the hedgehog and honeybee activities had proved extremely popular.

Another Easter holiday event takes place at Cliffe Castle this Thursday (April 4), between 11am and 3pm.

Tales and Trails will feature a host of activities, staged by the National Literacy Trust and partner organisations.

Attractions will include story telling, campfire cooking, forest school pursuits, poetry writing, tree trails and craft activities.

There will also be free books on offer from the Bradford Stories Bus.

For further information about events and activities at Cliffe Castle, and at other Bradford Museums and Galleries venues in the district, visit bradfordmuseums.org/whats-on