A visit to Spetchley Park Gardens on the edge of Worcester has been organised for members. Arrangements have been made to visit the 30 acre estate on the evening of Wednesday 27 May, when we will be shown round by head gardener Mike Beak.
The 90 minute tour starts at 6.00pm and the usual admission charge of £6.50 has been reduced to £5.00. If you’d like to book a place, email speaker secretary, Mick Dunstan, or contact him at one of our meetings.
The garden, owned by the Berkeley family since 1606, is a nationally important Grade II registered park and garden with a 17th century deer park, 19th century landscape park and 20th century garden. It recently received a £1,017,800 Heritage Lottery Fund award as part of its plans to restore the horticultural heritage of the park. That followed an earlier grant for development funding of £134,700 to help Spetchley progress its plans.
The park featured this year in the BBC 2 series Great British Garden Revival – with TV presenter Carol Klein admiring its displays of daffodils - and also as the setting for some scenes in the BBC 1 afternoon series Father Brown.
The renowned horticulturalist and plantswoman, Ellen Wilmott, was instrumental in helping her sister, Rose Berkeley, design and plant the garden. It is famous for its extensive range of peonies, some of which should be in flower at the time of our visit.
The gardens and surrounding landscape are one of the few remaining unchanged landscapes of its kind in the country. The parkland is largely unchanged from the 17th century, and the garden, one of the first to be opened to visitors, is a classic example of Victorian horticulture on a grand scale.
Built at the beginning of the 20th century for the Biddulph family, this Arts and Crafts house, still with much of the original furniture and decorations, is one of the last houses to have been hand-built and furnished by craftsmen using local materials including stone and wood.
The 8 acre garden, laid out at the same time as the house, is divided mostly into rooms, containing much variety and interest. The artistry, care and inspiration which has evolved in this garden are quite evident, with easy access to most areas.
The one and a half acre garden at Hookshouse Pottery is the beautiful creation of Christopher and Lisa White and has all that can be enjoyed and explored in a Cotswold Cottage garden, with the additional temptation of Christopher’s pots available for sale!
| 9.00 | Depart Crowle. PLEASE PARK at the BACK RIGHT HAND SIDE of the car park. |
| 10.30 - 12.30 | RODMARTON GARDENS and Arts and Crafts Manor House, GL7 6PF. Coffee/tea can be purchased on arrival. For those who have pre-booked, the owner of Rodmarton, Mr John Biddulph, will be taking a tour round the house, at about 11 am. |
| 1 - 2.30 | Tetbury DIY/free-grazing lunch! |
| 3.00 - 4.30/5pm | HOOKSHOUSE GARDEN AND POTTERY, GL8 8TZ (Tea and cakes available £3) |
| 6.00/6.30pm | Crowle |