Britain's Finest - Events

Stillingfleet Lodge's annual wildlife day will be on the 30th June 2024, part of National Insect Week. Local wildlife charities join us to make this a day packed  with activities and information about the wildlife across Yorkshire. Activities include pond-dipping, bird-ringing and owl- pellet dissection plus a chance to meet bats and reptiles - there is always something for the whole family.

The Gidleigh Park Estate Team takes immense pride in their Kitchen Garden, while Executive Chef, Chris Eden, champions the use of all its produce.

Your day commences at 10.00am with a welcome coffee before embarking on a guided tour of the Kitchen Garden. Following this, savour a glass of wine and indulge in a delightful vegetarian three-course lunch crafted from the garden's fresh vegetables and herbs. Finally, conclude with coffee and petits fours to round off the experience.

 Visitors will be able to view and purchase contemporary craft and art whilst enjoying the beautiful spring garden with its huge plant collection. Once again, alongside the marquees displaying and selling the work of some of the UK’s finest designer makers, the event will incorporate demonstrating artists, a food village and live music! Pre-book your tickets on line at no extra cost to normal garden entry.

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.

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.

We are delighted that Leeds based artist Rachel McNaughton will be kicking off our 2024 series of art exhibitions with her watercolours which are always well received by our visitors.

Her central focus is flowers and over the years she has moved away from botanical accuracy to a more expressive style.

The exhibition space is open during the regular garden opening times. It is free to visit the exhibition and tearoom, but there is a charge if you wish to explore the garden.

We are delighted to welcome artist Jerry Scott to our exhibition space in our tearoom, here at Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens in May 2024. His paintings, collages and prints  aspire to be a feast for the eye: a distillation of all the fulsome sensations and emotions which I experience in response to the colours and textures of the world about me.

Admission to the tearoom and exhibition is free during regular opening hours 1pm to 5pm on selected dates. The art displayed will be available to purchase.

Discover our Father's Day Menu and download for a delicious celebration!

Plan your feast with our mouthwatering offerings.

Dust off your dabber and get ready for ‘eyes down’ during our Comedy Bingo evening on Friday 3rd May, hosted by master comedian Brendan Riley.

Join us in the Grosvenor Suite for a night out including the classic favourite game, but not as you know it! The comedy stylings of Brendan Riley will bring the event to life for a night out with a difference including games and prizes to be won!

Your Comedy Bingo Night ticket includes a delicious 2-course buffet meal (served at 7:30pm), a night of hilarious bingo fun and a disco to follow for dancing the evening away.

Tickets | £36.00 per person

Full pre-payment required upon booking.

Please notify our team of any allergies or dietary requirements prior to your visit.

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 Colchester Zoo as they celebrate their charity, Colchester Zoological Society and the vital conservation work that they undertake in the UK and worldwide.

From meeting members of the Animal Care Team, to learning how to be a ranger on UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve, there will be lots of chances to find out about their work.

They will also be hosting their very own Conservation Festival on 29th May where you'll be able to find out more about conservation efforts around the world and in the UK.

Enjoy a afternoon tea with a quintessentially English theme including a selection of sweet treats crafted by our pastry chefs in celebration of the all England lawn tennis tournament.