Around 150 parents and children enjoyed a special Family Monsters Picnic at Hardwick Hall.

Activities included a bicycle track, badminton nets, outdoor jigsaws, archery stall and more.

Mum of two Dominique was among the many parents attending in three coaches arranged by Family Action, which brought the families to the site from children’s centres across Mansfield.

She said: “The children and families here can’t always do things like this themselves as many of us don’t have cars, so we couldn’t come here otherwise.

“My children loved it — during the summer they get a bit tired of just spending time with each other so they’ve loved coming here, being outdoors and having the chance to play with the other children.”

Family Action hosted the picnic at the National Trust location to recognise and celebrate the two organisations’ shared founder, Victorian social reformer Octavia Hill, who had a vision for everyone to be able to enjoy beautiful open spaces and fresh air.

The free event was one of several Family Monsters Picnics held at locations across the country as part of Family Action’s 150th anniversary celebrations.

David Holmes CBE, chief executive of Family Action, said: “Family Action would like to thank the National Trust for giving us the opportunity to host the Family Monsters Picnic at the beautiful Hardwick Hall and we are delighted to celebrate our shared heritage with them.

“We have organised the Family Monsters picnics to give families the opportunity to relax together, to talk and reconnect and above all have fun and it was fantastic to have so many local families come along to help us celebrate our 150th anniversary.”

Jo Rawson, volunteering and community involvement manager, National Trust said: “We are really excited to welcome Family Action to Hardwick for their Family Monsters Picnic. Here at Hardwick we are passionate about making our special place accessible to everyone, and this is a fantastic opportunity for local families to come out and play together in a beautiful setting.”