Britain's Finest - Events

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.

Visit RHS Garden Wisley for a special Walkies at Wisley with your four-legged friend. The garden is open from 6pm–8:30pm so you can explore the outdoor areas with your canine companion. Members and dogs go free, non-members £9.25 and £5 (child).

In honour of UN World Ocean Day and in partnership with Relais & Châteaux, Buckland Manor invites you to experience a thoughtfully curated four-course tasting menu that showcases sustainability.

The initiative aims to shine a spotlight on the invaluable gifts our oceans provide and the critical need for sustainable practices in utilising marine resources. Join us for a memorable lunch experience and delight your palate while discovering the significance of responsible fishing techniques and their impact on ocean conservation.

60's, 70', & 80's event with 2 course meal

Our civil ceremony & wedding breakfast rooms will be dressed and will be available to view as well as the luxury Garden Pavilion, outdoor Woodland Pavilion and our beautiful bedrooms & suites!

Join garden owner, Vanessa Cook, in the tearoom and courtyard garden where you can enjoy a glass of wine and nibbles and learn about the development and ethos of the garden. This will be followed by an opportunity for you to have a leisurely wander around the garden, enjoying the many different areas of the garden.

This is the chance to have a relaxed summer evening in this beautiful, peaceful garden.

Savour the season and enjoy a culinary journey celebrating asparagus and wild garlic. Indulge in a delectable four-course spring lunch crafted to honour the flavours of the Vale of Evesham's prized asparagus and the aromatic wild garlic harvested from our very own garden.

Join us for an unforgettable gastronomic experience where each course is an ode to the season's finest produce, expertly curated to delight your palate and elevate your springtime dining.

We are delighted that renowned garden designer, Tracy Foster, is returning to Stillingfleet Lodge to lead this workshop where you will learn how to create a planting plan for your garden.

If you want to give your garden a makeover, this is the course for you. Learn how to make a planting plan that will turn an ordinary garden into something unique.

During the session you will find out how to:

• measure up your plot
• assess the site and soil
• draw to scale
• develop you plan.

A planting plan is a detailed document or drawing that specifies the arrangement and layout of plants in a particular area, such as a garden, landscape, or outdoor space.

Tracy will be sharing her expertise and tips on plant selection, such as choosing the right plants for your site, and the quantity of plants you will need and how densely they will need to be planted for the effect you want. There will also be consideration of where to place each plant, for instance to provide focal points, and also the seasonality of the plants to give interest throughout the year.

Once you have developed your planting plan, you will be thinking about planting it up and hope that you will be inspired by the many plants we have for sale in our plant nursery.

Tracy is a Chelsea Gold Medal Winning garden designer who has been creating beautiful gardens in the north of England and elsewhere since 2002. She is perhaps best known for ‘The Bronte Garden’ which one her an RHS Gold and the People’s Choice Award at Chelsea in 2012. She was also a awarded an RHS Silver for her ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ Garden in 2017.

All courses include entry to the garden plus welcome coffee and biscuits. Unless stated,  materials are provided and you will leave each workshop with plenty of reference information.

This popular summer show includes livestock, cattle and sheep, craft and trade stalls, horse and pony competitions, a dairy marquee with yoghurt/ice cream making, ‘milk a cow’, competitions, a fast and furious inter hunt relay, bustling trade stalls, a bouncy castle and a parade of vintage machinery to finish the day.

Join Vanessa for a garden walk when she will show you the highlights of the garden in July. 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 a wildlife-friendly garden.

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.

After an absence of several years we are delighted that Fiona Calder will be back in 2024 to exhibit her delightful floral pieces, at our Tearoom in Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens.

Fiona’s artwork celebrates her passion for flowers and foliage, she finds never ending inspiration in their delightful colours and beautiful shapes.

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, please ask at the entrance hut.

A fun-filled day packed with a programme of activities.  Classes include crafts, cattle and sheep, together with horse and pony competitions.  There will be a dairy marquee with yoghurt and ice cream making, and the chance for children to ‘milk a cow’ along with competitions.  You’ll find bustling trade stalls offering locally made crafts and food with fairground rides and a bouncy castle for the children.