Plants&Gardens
Sneak a free peek at some glorious gardens Discover the local gardens opening their doors for free as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days
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his year the Heritage Open Days scheme is expanding its list of historic buildings and gardens that the public can visit for free in September. The project includes numerous sites across England, with Cadw running a similar scheme in Wales, although as Shire went print the Welsh wonders were still being kept under wraps. Here are some of the great gardens you can see for free this autumn in Shropshire and Cheshire.
Lyme Park in Cheshire (left) offers many fantastic walks for all the family
Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston, Cheshire
Liverpool cotton merchant Arthur Kilpin Bulley began work on the garden in 1898, creating one of the leading botanic gardens in the country. In 1948 his daughter presented the gardens to the University of Liverpool, with an endowment of £75,000. Today Ness displays plants from all over the world. 15th September, 10am to 4pm; nessgdns@liverpool.ac.uk
National Trust Lyme Park, Stockport, Cheshire
Lyme’s 1,400-acre estate offers fantastic walks and stunning views. Visitors can enjoy the tranquil gardens or marvel at the beautiful interiors of the house. Lyme was once home to the Legh family and in its heyday was a great sporting estate. For a more tranquil walk explore the elegant Rose Garden, Ravine Garden or the luxurious herbaceous borders next to the reflecting lake where Mr Darcy met Miss Lizzie Bennet in the BBC’s 1996 adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. 10th September, 9am to 4.30pm; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme
St Martin’s Church, Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Scrump Shropshire apples and explore the medieval churchyard of St Martin’s in Preston Gubbals. The churchyard is part of a flora and fauna project developed by the Churches Conservation Trust, which included the planting of different varieties of Shropshire apple trees. The churchyard is cared for and scythed by members of God’s Acre to encourage the growth of its grasses and flowers, as well as the abundance of insects that support local wildlife and its bat population. Visitors are welcome to harvest the apples, but only take what you need so others can enjoy the harvest as well. For more venues, visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk
Adversity brings a renewed focus
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ast year’s Heritage Open Days took place in the midst of a pandemic and lockdowns but organisers adapted and ploughed on. “We put on wellies, grabbed our coats and stepped into the outdoors for our theme, Hidden Nature,” say the organisers. “We turned our focus on to the natural world – and asked people to join with us in celebrating our natural heritage, from centuries-old trees to farmer’s fields steeped in history, from clifftop walks to urban oases and everything in between.” While our ancient buildings are welcoming visitors indoors once more, the importance of the outdoors remains for this year’s event. “Now more than ever in the face of climate change, modern development and other threats, nature needs to be cherished and championed. That’s why we want to encourage organisers, volunteers and visitors to celebrate nature in its myriad forms as part of the wider festival – an aspect we hope will continue in future.” September/October 2021 | SHIRE MAGAZINE 83
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