The magnificent gardens at Flintham Hall near Newark are being opened to the public.
Flintham Hall has been the family home of the Thoroton Hildyard family for more than 230 years.
The Nottinghamshire hall was the setting for the 2008 rom-com film Easy Virtue starring Oscar winner Colin Firth and Kristen Scott Thomas.
The Walled Garden was built at the turn of the 18th Century.
It measures over one acre and has the classic features and proportions of a Georgian walled garden with its heated brick walls, a vinery, paths bordered by box hedging and a garden house.
The flower borders are backed by espaliered fruit trees.
The one-acre orchard is next to the walled garden.
It is bordered on two sides by village roads and forms an attractive green space within Flintham village.
Head gardener Philip Preston said:
“I feel the unique quality of the gardens live in its long history of being shaped by the tastes of one family; the trends they have chosen to embrace together with more personal impulses.
“There is a loose freedom, which combined with the maturity and scale of the place, can feel enchanting.
“Both the walled garden and orchard have evolved over time and Sir Robert Hildyard and his family wish to continue this with the introduction of appropriate new varieties and diligent maintenance.”
The gardens are open on Sunday 19th June as part of the National Garden Scheme (NGS).
They will open at 13.00 and last entry is 16.15.
Tickets cost £7.50 a person – children under the age of 16 years go free.
There are also stalls offering plants, local crafts, homemade cakes, and refreshments.
The proceeds go to the selected charities the scheme supports.
These include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
There will also be a donation to St. Augustine’s Church, Flintham.
Mr Preston said:
“We grow yearly more than 2,000 half-hardy annuals for the borders, containers, and other areas.
“These are complemented by plants from specialist nurseries.
“The intensively planted areas amount to about three acres, and we have considerable input into other areas of what may be termed the ‘pleasure grounds’ enclosed by the ha-ha.”
A Ha-Ha is a landscape design that creates a vertical barrier on one side – yet keeps an uninterrupted view from the other.
Mr Preston added:
“The area open to the public on the 19th is shown on a map created by the NGS.
The woods beyond the ha-ha steps, the courtyard, woodyard and terrace will be out of bounds.
Sir Robert said: “We are delighted to be opening the gardens once again – and all in a variety of worthy causes.
“A lot of demanding work has gone into making the gardens special and it’s good to know we can share them with so many people.”
The award winning Flintham Museum will also be open on the 19th from 15.00.
The current “shop window” features The Flintham Agricultural Show – which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
Also, “Making Ends Meet” as seen through the eyes of a twentieth-century village shopkeeper.
