Quintessentially English: Open Garden Event at Poulton Hall

The herbaceous border at Poulton Hall

Caroline and Scirard Lancelyn Green of Poulton Hall, Bebington, hosted an open walled garden and parkland event on 4th July to allow others to see the gardens with their quirky features and a biodiverse meadow. The meadow is enclosed by a species rich hedge which was laid by Wirral Countryside Volunteers. This was a National Gardens event which benefits many charities including Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. This is the fifth time that this event has been assisted by Wirral Wildlife and the best so far, as the event grows a little each year.

The Oriental Garden

There were the customary attractions of the walled garden, honeybee demonstrations, have-a- go at hedge laying, making newspaper pots and sowing seeds, tours of the meadow, storytelling, and Samaritan plant sales, all delightfully topped off with a cream tea served on china crockery.

Crowds at the Wirral Countryside Volunteer stall

Wirral Beekeepers

The Wirral Countryside Volunteers stall was much improved with their own branded gazebo, giving a very professional look, so guests could see what the stall was about at a distance. Wirral Archaeology CIC came with fascinating finds, all found within three miles of Poulton Hall. They had found a small knife blade which they thought Roman but turned out to be much older, being from the Bronze Age. The Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park joint stall were making pretty patterns from flowers hammered on to a white folded sheet. There were strolling archers, Maid Marian and Robin Hood, and witches to welcome you into the magical world of the walled garden via the wardrobe.

Making pretty patterns from flowers on the Wirral Wildlife and Butterfly Park stall

The Story Garden

A carved figure in the garden

Additional attractions were the Wirral Barn Owl Trust and the Cheshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, along with Maypole dancing. The Wirral Barn Owl Trust had a very impressive display and a large team of volunteers. They have installed a barn owl box on the edge of the meadow outside the hall, the meadow providing a valuable hunting ground for the barn owls. The Cheshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers were spinning and weaving from various natural and manufactured materials. You were encouraged to feel all the different materials from a source sample to finished product. There was the fun of Maypole dancing complete with band and caller.

Cheshire Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers stall

Wirral Barn Owl Trust stall

Two volunteers were going round with a wheelbarrow with a tea pot to bring hot drinks and homemade cake for all the volunteers on the stalls and parking duties, it took an hour to get round them all.

Car park attendants enjoying a refreshment break

Thanks to Caroline and Scirard Lancelyn-Green, the Poulton Hall Estate Team and the twenty volunteers who supported this event on the day, those who worked behind the scenes transporting gazebos and woody materials or baking cakes for the volunteers and those who came tidying up on the Monday. With all these attractions it does make a great afternoon out. Look out for more of these garden openings on the Poulton Hall web page

The gazebo assembly team