About Stottesdon Village Open Gardens
Stottesdon, now a charming rural village, was once the bustling market centre of the Saxon ‘Condertree’ Hundred. St. Mary’s Parish church, recently restored with Lottery support is a real heritage gem – Saxon stonework, an amazing 12th century stone font, rare medieval tiles, a Jacobean pulpit and other treasures – all open to NGS visitors. Teas, refreshments and cake are on sale here…
With heavy clay soils at 620ft (189m) above sea level, gardening here has many challenges, and, as visitors can learn, just as many solutions – from shelter-belt hedging, to no dig/mulching and hardy varietals. Our Springtime opening this year will inevitably reflect the vagaries of winter – so anything from late snowdrops to tulips and hopefully abundant fruit tree blossoms await.
NEW FOR 2025: three newly-acquired cottage gardens at The HOLLIES, SWALLOWS REST and HILLCREST with enthusiastic gardeners willing to share their plans and progress. Near the ticket gazebo, Manor Farm Barn and The Wain House are not open, although gardeners here are very happy for visitors to take a peek over the fence to see what can be done with long, narrow and largely shaded spaces. Pop into PEEWITS for interesting planting and a peek over yonder to Brown Clee (Shropshire’s highest hill).
A contrast to all these in style is 12 STATION ROAD where the largely edible garden is a superb demonstration of the principles of Permaculture – with extensive use of up-cycled material. At THE OLD STORES, the self-seeded ferns lining the ancient 60 foot-deep well are well worth a look; only the well water is used around this challenging ‘secret garden’ in the heart of the village. Nearby, at BURNS FARMHOUSE much has been achieved since last opening, and the easterly views are terrific! Likewise, the westerly panorama from The COTTAGE is well worth the short stroll beyond the Car Parking field – as is the extensive, developing garden.
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