Worcester's Greyfriars National Trust house and garden giving visitors a place to cool off

The National Trust says ponds and water features at some of its sites dried up during the July heatwave and several wildfires have broken out on Trust land in recent weeks.

But Greyfriars, a medieval house and garden in Friar Street, says it hasn’t been badly affected.

The lawn, like almost all others in the city, looks parched but visitors are still able to enjoy the colourful flower beds and even a bite to eat in the garden.

A family of ducks enjoying the sunshine at Greyfriars

Steve Strain, a volunteer tour guide at Greyfriars, said: “The heat hasn’t had too much of an impact - if anything, people see it as a nice place to cool off inside. The sun does get people out and about, which is nice.

“Most people coming here are visitors to Worcester and they’ve already planned what to do with their day, whether it’s coming here, going to the Tudor House, the cathedral or wherever.

Greyfriars rescued from demolition

“The weather won’t put them off, it’ll just change what they wear.

“The food and drink helps here - people can choose whether they want to sit outside in the garden or inside in the Great Hall, where it’s nice and cool and gives them the chance to look around.

“It’s an oasis in the middle of Worcester.”

READ MORE: Ducklings rescued from an unconventional location at city tourist spot

Greyfriars is thought to have been built as a brewhouse circa 1485 for Thomas Grene, a former brewer and High Bailiff of Worcester.

It was threatened with demolition during the 1930s but saved after the Second World War and has been in the care of the National Trust since 1966.

Greyfriars house in Friar Street (Image: Phil Wilkinson-Jones, Newsquest)

The house is open for guided tours only from Tuesday to Saturday each week. Tickets are allocated on arrival on a first-come, first served basis.

Greyfriars is a popular destination not only for tourists but also for ducks, who seem to enjoy the sheltered garden.

We reported in May how a flock had been moved to the canal by the RSPCA, but saw a number of ducks happily mixing with picnicking families on our latest visit.