Britain's Finest - Events

Join us in celebrating everything gin on World Gin Day.

Gather around the campfire amidst summer's chilled vibes and indulge in a quintessential British BBQ. Begin your evening with a tantalizing Cotswold Gin cocktail upon arrival, then explore a selection of diverse Gins through tastings. Embrace the warmth of the campfire and the flavourful Gins in this spirited celebration of all things gin.

Did you know... the Aldabra Giant Tortoise can live up to 150 years!

Join Colchester Zoo as thy share all things smooth and scaly with a range of reptile inspired activities. From the humid habitat of the Komodo Dragons to the brightly coloured Emerald Tree Monitor Lizard, find out more about these incredbile animals and how the Zoo cares for them.

We will be opening up our doors to give you the chance to explore our beautiful manor house wedding venue.  Join us for a glass of prosecco and meet our experienced wedding coordinators, Françoise Gysemans and her team of wedding experts.

Their hand-picked selection of wedding suppliers will be available to answer all your questions and bring those Pinterest boards to life!

No appointment required.

An action packed weekend of family Drag Racing entertainment including Nitro Funny Cars, Jet Car Show and National Drag Racing classes headlined by 200mph Pro Mods. Plus all things powerful off -track including monster trucks, stunts, sideshows and more. Make this bank holiday one to remember and come along to the three day extravaganza that is Festival of Power! We have an action-packed line up of family drag racing entertainment with all things powerful on and off the track. Explosive track action comes in the form of nitro-burning 10,000 horsepower Funny Cars as well as the crowd thrilling side by side Jet Car shootouts! The entertainment off-track is just as spectacular with an array of stunt and exhibition demonstrations including the ever popular car-crushing Monster Trucks, dazzling family entertainment and multiple 2-wheeled mayhem!

Join us for a delightful Family Afternoon Tea with kickstart the summer with a burst of excitement. Join us for a thrilling Circus Workshop hosted by the talented local performer, Rob Horsman, and don't miss the entertaining sheepdog and duck herding demonstration by David Seamark. Participate in the excitement every hour between 12.00pm and 4.00pm. It's a unique blend of circus charm and adorable duck herding that promises a day filled with fun and unforgettable memories. After the activities, make your way to your reserved table and enjoy a sumptuous afternoon tea with your family.

Join Vanessa for a garden walk when she will show you the highlights of the garden in May. This will be an informal tour with the garden owner, Vanessa who will provide you with plenty of tips on the best plants to grow to give you beautiful borders throughout the year. You will also learn how the garden is managed for wildlife and Vanessa will highlight some of the many ways she has blended stunning planting with being wildlife-friendly.

The walk is included in the garden admission for the afternoon, but is on a first-come-first-served basis. There will only be 12 places, so make sure you get on the list when you arrive at the hut!

Start is at 2:00pm prompt and will last about an hour, so plenty of time afterwards for refreshments and a visit to the plant nursery.

Join Vanessa for a garden walk when she will show you the highlights of the garden in June. This will be an informal tour with the garden owner, Vanessa who will provide you with plenty of tips on the best plants to grow to give you beautiful borders throughout the year. You will also learn how the garden is managed for wildlife and Vanessa will highlight some of the many ways she has blended stunning planting with being wildlife-friendly.

The walk is included in the garden admission for the afternoon, but is on a first-come-first-served basis. There will only be 12 places, so make sure you get on the list when you arrive at the hut!

Start is at 2:00pm prompt and will last about an hour, so plenty of time afterwards for refreshments and a visit to the plant nursery.

“Join us for an enchanting celebration of wedding bliss, with our Wedding Showcase, offering Canapes and Fizz upon your arrival, carefully selected suppliers, live DJ and much more!

A perfect opportunity to plan your special day, discuss ideas with our award winning experts and see our Beautiful Function suites fully dressed”

Round 1 of the FIA/FIM European Championships is one of Santa Pod's most prestigious Drag Race meetings. This hugely popular extravaganza features over 200 teams and 17 classes of cars and bikes including the sports F1 class – 11,000bhp Top Fuel Dragsters accelerating 0-100mph in less than 1 second, making this event unrivalled for both the quality and quantity of racing.

As well as the Drag Racing there's fun for all the family with a full line up of entertainment suitable for kids and adults alike, this is the ultimate family day out! Camping available onsite so come for the weekend.

New for 2024 - The Main Event will host a Live Music Stage with Bands playing after racing on Friday, Saturday & Sunday evenings! Day Tickets will be valid until midnight!

For our July art exhibition we are delighted that Linda Taylor’s is returning to exhibit her beautiful paintings of birds on feathers, here in the tearoom at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens. Her exquisite work is always popular with our visitors.

Linda’s inspiration comes from nature and walking in landscapes world wide. She has been experimenting with painting on real feathers, having seen the indigenous South American people painting on dream catchers. Her feather paintings capture the imagination, linking the art to the spirit of the birds.

The art exhibitions are located in the tea room and are open to the public during regular garden opening times. Admission to the tea room and art exhibitions are free. The works of art will be available to purchase.

2024 Afternoon Tea

Back by POPULAR demand.

Bigger & Better

We proudly invite you to sample our professionally catered Afternoon Tea service - every Friday & Sunday. 2 sittings. 12:00 (without alcohol until further notice) & 15:00 (with option of prosecco or order from our extensive wine list)

PRE-BOOKING via ResDiary essential 

Phone THE VIEWMOUNT if you have questions.

Seaweed Festival is held to promote seaweed for its immense health and nutritional benefits.  In a multitude of colours, textures, shapes and sizes, it is tasty, full of minerals, fibre without calories and is the best salt substitute. Along the Quay, there is a surprising amount of dishes and the stalls will be selling a range of seaweed products. It is a very informative event, with suitable activities for all to enjoy, including live music and street entertainments throughout the day.  Bring your own seaweed for advice from experts on its uses.