Winchelsea is big on gardens as you will see over the weekend of June 15 and 16 when gardeners in the village proudly show off their hard work. It’s a chance to see some of the spectacular gardens in Winchelsea which are not open to the public, and to help raise money for local charities.
On the Saturday, when we open for the National Garden Scheme, visitor numbers are usually double the number of residents in the town, and several thousand pounds are raised for the charities the NGS supports, mainly in the field of nursing. The event mobilises large numbers of townspeople welcoming visitors, baking cakes, serving teas and helping people in and out of the car park – not to mention the creative hard work put in by the gardeners.
Sunday June 16 sees the gardens open again as a fundraiser for the Friends of the Memorial Hospital, Rye. This allows the garden team to support a local charity that we all value in addition to the national ones underwritten by the NGS.
Saturday opening times are 11am to 5pm. On Sunday it’s 2pm to 5pm. Admission on both days is £8 with children admitted free. Tickets are on sale at garden gates and card payments can also be made at the Court Hall on Saturday and the New Hall on Sunday.
Signs round the town will make it clear where to go and all the gardens are within easy walking distance of each other. Most gardens are wheelchair accessible, and this information is marked on the visitor maps that double as admission tickets.
Open gardens wouldn’t be complete without homemade teas, and these will be served at the New Hall on both days. Part of the proceeds from sales on Saturday will go to Friary Gardeners, a local project that supports adults with learning difficulties that started in Winchelsea and is now based at Ore.
Image Credits: David Page .