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

Tea, Tours and Traditional Skills: Poulton Hall Open Gardens 2025

Looking through the meadow towards Poulton Hall

The Lancelyn-Greens hosted an open garden event at Poulton Hall Walled Garden and parkland as a fundraiser for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. Poulton Hall lies secluded by woods just above the 'Dibbinsdale Dip' on Poulton Road which connects Spital Crossroads and Bromborough. Many people pass the hall in their cars, but few get a chance to visit -  however when they do, they are delighted to find such an enchanting area on their doorstep.

Meadow Tour at Poulton Hall Gardens

Celebrating National Meadows Day, the first Saturday of July, Dr Hilary Ash gave two meadow tours with the first one having the largest number of participants to date. The tour was a great chance to celebrate meadows and increase awareness about the vital role meadows play in supporting biodiversity, providing habitats for wildlife and enhancing the landscape. Hilary is a keen grass champion and is good at encouraging others to gain an interest in the 12 different grass species present. As well as the interesting flora there were a respectable number of meadow brown butterflies fluttering around the meadow. Marsh Orchids were popular, and there was a good population of Yellow Rattle, which weakens the grasses and allows more wildflowers to thrive.

The Wirral Countryside Volunteers area with a woven hurdle demonstration

Wirral Countryside Volunteers (WCV), who were set up in the parkland under the shade of the large oak, had a mock-up hedge to have a go at hedge laying. This gained a few participants and acted as a window shop for WCV, as a Willaston landowner was interested in getting the WCV to lay his hedge. The WCV will follow up and investigate this lead. There were tool sharpening demonstrations where most the of tool edges were so highly polished, they were like mirrors. Also a newspaper pot making and seed sowing seed activity. There was a display about the coppicing the volunteers conduct in Thornton Wood which is part of the Poulton Hall Estate. New this year was 'have a go at making a woven hurdle'. This hurdle was a small one, but the WCV realised a miniature one would be an even better activity for youngsters. It could be put on a table, would be easily to complete and make a take-home souvenir of the day.

The mock hedge

There was a taster archery session laid on by Wirral Archers; their coaches were good and coached complete novices until they could shoot arrows to hit the golden area in the centre of the target. Butterfly related crafts for children raised awareness of New Ferry Butterfly Park and Wirral Wildlife. It was possible to learn about honeybees, local archaeology, buy some plants sold to support the Samaritans, listen to stories, be greeted by a witch and just enjoy the main feature, the enchanting gardens followed by a cream tea. It is very much a personal and family garden - charming, quirky, full of humour and literary associations. It is a memorial to Roger Lancelyn-Green, the biographer and writer of children’s fiction.

Anyone for a cream tea?

Two volunteers were going round with a tea pot to bring tea and cake for the volunteers on stalls and parking duties, but guests hailed us for a top up of tea - not really our job, but as we had the means to hand, we were happy to oblige!

Thanks to Caroline and Scirard Lancelyn-Green, the Poulton Hall Estate Team and the twenty-two volunteers who supported this event on the day, those who worked behind the scenes transporting gazebos and woody materials, baking cakes for the volunteers and those who came tidying up on the Monday.


Paul Loughnane

(Photographs by Paul Loughnane and Ben Hart)

Cutting With The Best at Poulton Hall

Caroline and Scirard Lancelyn Green of Poulton Hall, Bebington, hosted an open walled garden and parkland event to allow others to see the quirky features and biodiverse meadow which is enclosed by a species rich hedge, laid by Wirral Countryside Volunteers. This was a fundraiser event for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park.

The cream tea team relaxing after making 120 cream teas

Caroline rang the night before to see if the cream tea making team could come early due to a sizeable number of pre–booked ticket sales. Caroline was impressed that the volunteers prepared 120 cream teas in about an hour and a quarter. That is 120 scones, sliced, buttered, jammed and creamed. It was a five-person team, a gofer, a scone slicer, a butter spreader, a jam dispenser and a cream topper. For those of you wondering about helping in future you often start as a gofer and gradually move up the ranks until you become the cream topper.  This top job was entrusted to Linda Higginbottom. Caroline had it all set out for us with special jam spoons and broad spreading knife to ensure each scone was buttered to its very edges.

With the event being brought forward this year, the mighty tulip tree in the centre of one of the walled gardens was in flower. A wonderful spectacle, which make it easy to see why it has its given common name.

Andrew Clough and son brought a demonstration beehive full of honeybees. Hunting out the queen bee amongst all her workers was quite a challenge, despite being marked with a fluorescent green marker. Interestingly the pair had a collection of bee stings, extracted using strips of Sellotape from the gloves that were used when they were dealing with a swarm.  They also had an Asian Hornet display so people know what to look out for. The hornet looks very black with a wide orange strip on the 4th segment of its abdomen and its legs look like its been dipped in yellow paint. These hornets are a new threat for native bees having arrived in the UK in 2016.  

Wirral Archaeology CIC came with fascinating finds, all found within three miles of Poulton Hall. Two meadow tours were given by Hilary Ash. The marsh orchids were particularly impressive - one species that has enjoyed the wet weather this year. Despite the showery weather, meadow brown butterflies were on the wing.

The Wirral Countryside Volunteers stall in the meadow at Poulton Hall

Frank from Poulton Estate was impressed when he saw the mock hedge ‘grow’ on Friday, be laid on the Saturday and removed on Monday. Thanks must go to the Wirral Countryside Volunteers who were there on Friday putting up the mock hedge, then on Saturday delivering gazebos, hedgelaying, sharpening tools and growing cuttings, and coming back to collect gazebos left for the Samaritans fundraiser on the Sunday and returning on Monday to disassemble the hedge. On the Monday the volunteers used their new brash cart for gathering the hedge debris and clearing all the hedge, and two builder’s bags of offcuts in three easy loads. It was certainly quicker than the numerous trips of previous years when we used Poulton Hall’s trolley. Half the costs of the new brash cart was met by Wirral Wildlife. Great to see it in action.

For many there was the pleasure of meeting up with acquaintances you see at such events and taking tea while watching the world go by. Thanks to Caroline, Scirard and the Poulton Estate Team for hosting the event. The staff and owners looked smart in their new dark green Poulton Hall blazers with the family crest on. These are used for hosting weddings at the hall and for gardening openings. Thanks to the twenty Wirral Wildlife/ Wirral Countryside Volunteers who made this event work so smoothly. Caroline said we are the most organised group she works with for the garden openings. So not only are our tools sharp, so are our cream tea making skills!

Paul Loughnane

30 Years a Wild Flower Grassland

Marsh orchids at Poulton Hall wild flower grassland.
Photo: Paul Loughnane 

Celebrating National Meadow Day, the first Saturday in July, the Lancelyn Green family and Wirral Wildlife hosted a cream tea and open garden event afternoon at Poulton Hall, Poulton Lancelyn, Bebington.

At 10.30am the cream tea making and gazebo transport teams arrived. Gazebos were put up and secured by weights and 140 cream teas prepared. At 1pm stall holders arrived to set up a butterfly craft activity, Wirral Wildlife display, Samaritans plant sale and a beehive demonstration stall. At 1.30 pm the entrance and car parking teams arrived. Crowds gathered at the entrance over the ha-ha for the 2pm opening. The draw bridge was lowered over the ha-ha and visitors entered the enchanting world of the walled garden greeted by a friendly witch. There were musicians, roving archers and story tellers.

The Cream Tea Team. Photo: John Bateman

The Walled Gardens, which include an Oriental, a Classical, a Nursery Rhyme and a Witch’s Garden, have interesting artworks inspired by the literary works of Roger Lancelyn Green, his friends and associates: Robin Hood and Excalibur from his Robin Hood and King Arthur retellings, an Ent from J.R.R, Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and a Jabberwock from Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass. The Parkland has a wildflower meadow surrounded by a nine-species laid hedge, each species with at least one tree allowed to grow. Mown paths enable walkers and runners to immerse themselves in it.

Dr Hilary Ash gave two tours of the wildflower grassland outside the ha-ha. The area was used for growing potatoes until 1993. Since then, it has been mown annually in late August or early September, with occasional aftermath grazing. The grassland’s fertility has gradually reduced and the grass sward height and density lowered. Grasses have become finer which has allowed space for marsh orchids to get in and for plants such as meadow buttercup, common sorrel, ribwort, and hairy tare to colonise the grassland. Yellow rattle could be rattled and seeds scattered and there were many meadow brown butterflies on the wing. This area is looking like a classic Cheshire meadow. The marsh orchids and their hybrids were particularly numerous this year. Much patience is required to make a wildflower meadow and this one has been 30 years in the making.

On the second tour Caroline Lancelyn Green, our hostess, joined the tour and expanded on how the hedgerow came about. Two of the far copses were occupied by badgers, one a sett and the other a latrine. The family loved badger watching and wanted to connect the copses up. Further to this there was an old painting in the hall looking over the copses which showed a previous hedge linking them together. In 1993 planting of the hedgerow started, a few sections at a time over the next few winters. Hedgerow shrubs were chosen for coloured flowers, fruits and winter coverage, with a total of nine species, one species for each century the family have lived here.

Tool sharpening at the Wirral Countryside Volunteers stall. Photo: John Bateman

Wirral Countryside Volunteers held a mock ‘come and have a go’ hedge demonstration, tool sharpening, scything, and making a newspaper pot for taking cutting of plants such as rosemary. Three pots completed and then you could take them home in your very own plant incubator, a reused pipette tip holder box. One of the Wirral Countryside Volunteers, Jane, came and helped serve the cream teas and whist she was doing this had her billhook sharpened at the Wirral Countryside Volunteer stall. Jane was very pleased with this. Poulton Hall head gardener, Irene, got her billhook sharpened too and was equally delighted.

A new and interesting stall this year was Wirral Archaeology, a group of well informed and enthusiastic volunteers who research into the battle of Brunanburh in 937AD which is thought to have occurred nearby. This is when an alliance of Dublin Vikings, Scots and Britons came from the north of the peninsular and were defeated by Anglo-Saxon forces as they entered into the Anglo-Saxon part of Wirral. They had many interesting finds, all found within three miles of Poulton Hall, ancient coins, dice, a crotal bell that still worked after several centuries in the ground and Irish arrow heads from pre 950AD. They had excellent enlarged photographs of these artefacts so that you could really appreciate them and volunteers to explain their significance and bring them alive to you.

The day is a wonderful team effort requiring various roles, including being a witch at the entrance to the walled garden! Thank you to the 24 volunteers who made this event possible. This is the third time Wirral Wildlife have held this type of event and it is running along more smoothly each time it is hosted. Thanks also to Roger and Lynn for serving the cream teas, and Scirard, Caroline and Arthur Lancelyn Green and the hall staff for all their support to make it a successful day.

Look Back at National Meadow Day at Poulton Hall

Enjoying cream teas on the lawn at Poulton Hall

The first Saturday in July has been nominated as National Meadow Day by Plantlife. To celebrate this, Wirral Wildlife was fortunate to be invited to host a cream tea event at Poulton Hall Walled Gardens and Parkland. Poulton Hall lies just above the dip at Dibbinsdale Road, Bebington.

One hundred and forty cream teas were created by Wirral Wildlife volunteers, that is the maximum number of cream teas that can be served from the walled garden hatchery. Caroline Lancelyn Green of Poulton Hall was impressed by the number of visitors attracted to the event and complimented the Wirral Wildlife publicity team.

The day before the event, the Wirral Countryside Volunteers (WCV) gathered materials from New Ferry Butterfly Park to create a mock up hedge in the parkland, for a ‘have a go at hedge laying’ stall. This stall also provided opportunities to try scything and tool sharpening, and make a newspaper pot to plant a seed in. On the day WCV met at New Ferry Village Hall at 7.45am to pick up the gazebos. The volunteers then went for a breakfast break and arrived at Poulton Hall at 10.30am to put up the gazebos and displays, and sort out tables and chairs.

The cream tea making team!

At 10.30am more volunteers arrived to start making the centre piece of the day - the cream teas. This involved slicing the scones, spreading the butter, adding the jam, and finally crowning the arrangement with clotted cream. There were also many sandwiches to be sliced.

At 12 noon stall holders arrived to set up a butterfly craft stall, Wirral Wildlife display, spider stall and costume jewellery stall. At 1pm the entrance team and car parking team arrived. Crowds gathered at the entrance over the ha-ha for the 2pm opening. The gardens were looking good, with the Red Queen’s Garden looking particularly striking in its vivid red colours.

This the second year that Wirral Wildlife group has hosted such an event. As well as the story telling, the Samaritan’s plant sale, and wildlife stalls already mentioned there were musicians, roving archers and a beehive demonstration. Interestingly the 'classic' beehive as represented in pictures and paintings, with an external housing that splays out towards the bottom of each frame was designed by William Broughton Carr in 1890 who once lived in Higher Bebington.

Dr Hilary Ash giving a tour of the wildflower meadow at Poulton Hall

In celebration of National Meadow Day, Dr Hilary Ash gave two tours of the wildflower grassland. The area was used for growing potatoes until 1993. Since then it has been mown annually in late August or early September, with occasional aftermath grazing. The grassland’s fertility has been gradually lost and the grass sward height and density reduced. Grasses have become finer which has allowed space for marsh orchids to get in and for plants such as hairy tare to colonise the grassland. Hay rattle could be rattled, and seeds scattered. There were many meadow brown butterflies on the wing. This area is looking like a classic Cheshire meadow.

Soldier beetles on hogweed flowers in the meadow

The day is a wonderful team effort requiring various roles, including being a witch at the entrance to the walled garden! Thank you to the nineteen volunteers who made this event possible. Thanks also to Roger and Lynn for serving the cream teas, and Scirard and Caroline Lancelyn Green and the hall staff for all their support to make it a successful day. On Sunday afternoon the WCV returned to pick up the gazebos which were left for the Samaritan’s fund-raising day and then returned on Monday to clear away the mock laid hedge. This successful event is well worth the effort, an enjoyable day for all and a great fund raising and awareness day for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. The total amount raised was £1,760, so Wirral Wildlife and the New Ferry Butterfly Park each received £880.

Paul Loughnane

Poulton Hall Garden Opening on Saturday 2nd July

After such a successful event last year, Poulton Hall are kindly holding another Open Day in their Walled Gardens to raise awareness and funds for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. This will take place on Saturday 2nd July, from 2 - 5 pm.

• Enjoy a guided tour of the wild flower meadow
• Have a go at hedge laying and scything
• Make a newspaper pot and sow a seed to take home to nurture
• Explore the eclectic mix of themed formal gardens
• Be entertained by the storyteller
• Find out more about spiders
• Watch a bee keeping demonstration

​
Admission: £6 for entrance, £9.50 for entrance and cream tea.
Free entrance for under 16s, with £3.50 for a child's cream tea.

Please book your ticket here:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/wirral/poulton-hall/poulton-hall-walled-gardens-opening/2022-07-02/14:00

You can also book in advance for your guided tour of the wild flower area:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/walk-around-wildflower-area-at-poulton-hall-tickets-368259172097

For pictures and a description of the gardens, please see our blog post written prior to last year's open day:
https://wirralwildlife.blogspot.com/2021/06/poulton-hall-garden-opening.html

A Simple Pleasure, Well Enjoyed

Tucking into afternoon tea at Poulton Hall Garden

Last month, Wirral Wildlife were fortunate enough to be offered Poulton Hall Parkland and Walled Garden for a fund and awareness raising event. Entrance to the wildflower meadow area required you to pass through a passage way of hedges excellently laid by Wirral Countryside Volunteers. The Countryside Volunteers were offering ‘have a go at hedge laying’ mock up on a fresh upright willow branch hedge, to be cut and laid between hedging stakes. Several guests relished the opportunity to pick up a billhook and slice part way through the willow stem and weave the stem to build a hedge.

Have a go at hedge laying

Along the mown path through the meadow you pass Scirard’s pillar where the inscription says in Latin “Scirard de Launcelyn flourished here in the year 1093”. Entering over the ha-ha you leave the wild area and enter the formal gardens in front of the hall. Continuing on through the shady garden you were able to check out the creatures that live in the shady pond with a bit of pond dipping, progressing through the fragrant rose garden where you could take in the perfume. At the end of the rose garden you were met by a witch who guided you into a wardrobe, from where you come out into the world of Narnia, the enchanted walled garden.

In the walled garden, there are so many features to take in, from triffids, to the smoking Jabberwock, to the Singing Rose. Every half an hour the chimes of the carillon bells play a different piece of music, and the end of the recital heralds the story teller to commence a tale. There were volunteer marshals to guide you around the one-way Covid secure system which also made sure you have a chance to see everything.

Being National Meadow Day there were tours of the meadow and hedgerow by Dr Hilary Ash. The meadow here was potato field until 1993 before being converted to a wildflower meadow. After many years of work, it was looking colourful with the yellow and red of buttercup and sorrel flowers, interspersed with the pink spikes of marsh orchids and blue saucers of meadow cranesbill. Above fluttered meadow brown butterflies. It now looks like a proper Cheshire hay meadow, a habitat that has been almost completely destroyed in the last 70 years. Hopefully it will become more species-rich over time, naturally or with some human help.

Is it a bird?

Scirard was asked what the feature behind the Dalek was? A guest thought it was an art feature. Scirard simply replied it was the top of a cut monkey puzzle tree (see photo above). It shows you how this garden puts you in the world of imagination and fantasy.

Despite the pouring rain in the morning the weather brightened for our guests. If it had been a little wet we were prepared with space in the conservatory and under gazebos. Seventy cream teas were consumed!

If Wirral Wildlife were afforded this opportunity again, they would jump at the chance, not only is it a fund and awareness raising event; it is also a chance of a social where members and friends can meet each other in a convivial and relaxing setting. It provided a wonderful occasion to reconnect with friends as for many it was the first time had actually seen their friends in 18 months.

Many thanks to our supportive hosts, to the 20 plus volunteers involved in running the event and to our friends at New Ferry Village Hall who lent the tables and robust market style gazebos.

Poulton Hall Garden Opening - 3rd July

Fruit trees in the Walled Garden at Poulton Hall

On Saturday 3rd July, from 2pm, we have kindly been offered the use of Poulton Hall Walled Gardens to raise awareness and funds for Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park. Poulton Hall is situated just north of where the valley of the Clatter Brook joins the River Dibbin.

Caroline and Scirard Lancelyn Green, our hosts, are fervent wildlife supporters. Cheshire Wildlife Trust manage three of the Poulton Estate’s woodlands, namely Foxes Wood, Thornton Wood and Intake wood, which are all part of Dibbindale SSSI and are being the finest examples of ancient woodland in Merseyside. Cheshire Wildlife Trust also manages a small wildflower area for the Estate known as Tom’s Paddock which acts as woodland glade for Foxes Wood.

Hedgerows and trees in the Poulton Hall gardens

Wirral Countryside Volunteers have used the hall grounds to host four very enjoyable and successful hedge laying training days when a mixed hedge of nine shrub species was laid and an example of each species left as a standard tree. Although some of the species do not normally form standard trees, this has been achieved. Why nine species of shrub? One species of shrub for every century the family have resided here. This 400metre hedge is hand trimmed with secateurs by staff at the hall. This dedication to detail and aftercare much impressed the Wirral Countryside Volunteers, no split ends here.

Wildflower meadow at Poulton Hall gardens

Adjacent to this species rich hedge bedecked with a diverse species of standard trees lies a colourful wildflower meadow with some notable species such as early purple orchids. Guided tours of this area will be given as well as a self-guided trail being available. Have a go hedge-laying mock ups will be available as well as have a go with a scythe. You can make a newspaper pot and sow a seed to take home to nurture. All this wildlife to enjoy even before you have crossed the ha-ha and walked into the more formal gardens.

Classical Garden at Poulton Hall

The series of gardens are an eclectic mixture of themes with literary connotations from Greek mythology, Beowulf, Arthurian legends, Shakespeare, Alice in Wonderland to a Dalek. There are over 40 interesting artistic features to view in the garden with four new features to spot this year.

Spot the Viking head

There's a witch in the garden

The shrub and flower collections are colourful, impressive and inspirational. There will be various activities such as pond dipping and a costume jewellery sale. There will be story telling every half an hour following the chimes from the set of the 32 bells at the hall.

Fountain and willows

To walk around the garden and meadow taking in all these fascinating features is about one mile and will take about two hours, but you may like to take the opportunity to sit down and enjoy a cream tea and soak up the atmosphere before heading round to view more of the gardens. There is a children’s themed garden inspired by nursery rhymes.

Narnia themed garden at Poulton Hall

For entrance to the gardens and to make sure there is a cream tea waiting for you and your friends book online. Admission £6 for entrance, £9.50 for entrance and cream tea, under 16s free.  

http://www.poultonhall.co.uk/GardenOpenings.html

Pergolas in the garden at Poulton Hall

We look forward to welcoming you to these wonderful gardens.