The magnificent bluebell gardens at Flintham Hall are open for visitors this weekend.

The grounds will be open from 11.00 to 16.00 on Saturday.

It costs £5 for adults and under 16s are free.

The admission charge will go towards the upkeep of St Augustine’s church and the village hall in the Nottinghamshire village.

Tea and cakes will be served.

Sir Robert Hildyard said:

“It’s always a delight to open the bluebell gardens.

“The walk is well worth the visit.”

St Augustine of Canterbury Church, Flintham is recorded in The Domesday Book (1086).

St Augustine’s has stood as a landmark in the parish since Norman times.

The chancel has Early English arches, two of which were blocked up when the transepts were taken down and the nave rebuilt in 1828. T

The medieval church was cruciform in shape (unusual for the area) and the existing tower with its herringbone stone work is Norman in origin and contains four bells, the oldest dating back to 1613 then 1616 and two from 1718.

The church was given to Welbeck Abbey in the reign of King John – the “baddie” in Robin Hood films and books.

When Welbeck Abbey was dissolved, King Henry VIII gave the rectory and patronage and a considerable estate in Flintham to Trinity College, Cambridge.

In 1828 the church was largely rebuilt, having become ruinous.

The nave and south aisle were replaced by the present nave built of Mansfield stone.

The transepts were removed, and the intention may have been to pull down the whole church.

However, the squire’s death put an end to his intentions and the medieval tower and chancel survived.