Little Bentley Hall open gardens event

Afternoon tea and cake served in the stunning grounds of a 19th century mansion on a glorious May day.

The Little Bentley waterways and garden show attracted thousands of visitors from across the country, but started from humble beginnings.

The event is staged in the garden of Little Bentley Hall, home to Christopher and Virginia Palmer-Tomkinson.

But this is no ordinary back garden, it is a celebration of nature stretching across ten acres.

Over the past 40 years, the PalmerTomkinsons have planted more than 1,000 trees and shrubs and the glorious garden now has more than 600 species of plants.

A lake, which is an acre big, is surrounded by beautiful, mature trees which create a perfect English landscape.

Ancient waterways dance through the gardens interspersed with azaleas, camellias, rhododendrons, fuchsias, hypericum, acers and carpenteria.

Wisteria winds its way around one of the many wooden bridges which cross the waterways.

The garden is considered to be one of the finest private gardens in the eastern region.

Such is its beauty, thousands of people from across the country flock to enjoy it on the rare occasions it is opened to the public.

Mr and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson’s first volley into charity work was when they hosted St Mary’s Church fete in their front garden.

They took it in turns with Nigel Dyson from neighbouring Little Bentley Manor, until they came up with the idea of opening up the back garden as well.

Mr Dyson, who has helped to organise the waterways and garden show from its inception in 2001, said: “We went from raising about £500 as a church fete to £25,000 and had 5,000 visitors.”

Word spread quickly.

In 2004, when the gardens were opened to the public again, there were 10,000 people, including coach trips from across East Anglia.

The event had grown beyond all recognition and caught Mr Dyson and Mr and Mrs Palmer-Tomkinson completely by surprise.

Mr Dyson said: “We were overrun.

We had 30 coach loads arrive at 10am and all the old ladies on board wanted to use the loo and have a cup of tea.

“The weekend before had been the Bank Holiday and it had absolutely poured with rain. Everything had been cancelled.

“At the start of the week the sun came out and it was glorious, so as well as the traffic coming to Little Bentley Hall, there was traffic heading for the coast, for Clacton, Frinton and Walton.

“It was queued back to the A133.”

Lessons were learnt.

For the next shows, volunteers from the recipient charities were asked to help at the event to ensure its smooth running.

In total, more than £300,000 has been raised for a vast array of charities ,including Seven Rivers Cheshire Homes, the Rotary club, Acorn Village, Canine Partners, ABF the Soldiers’ Charity, Market Field School, Macmillan Cancer, British Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Colchester and Tendring Youth Enquiry Service.

But the events are hard work.

Mr Dyson said: “They take about two years to prepare for. After the last one, both the Palmer-Tomkinsons and I said never again. It is such a lot of work.”

However, they relented and the event is being held again on Saturday, May 30, although it has been scaled back.

Previously, the open gardens weekend has included a gala evening on the Friday before the open waterways and garden event on the Saturday and Sunday.

This year, it will all be on the one day with the gardens being opened to the public during the day, before the gala event in the evening.

Mr Dyson is probably one of the only event organisers in the country hoping for a relatively small turn out.

He said: “Between 4,000 and 5,000 will be brilliant. We don’t want to have 10,000 again. We know we are getting some visitors from Holt in Norfolk again, but it isaminibus this time, rather than coaches.

“We will have about 20 stalls, rather than up to 100 as we have had before.”

There will also be a silent auction and money raised from the event will be donated to Little Bentley Church along with a few other charities.

Those who go will not be disappointed.

Mr Dyson said: “The gardens are magnificent. The waterways are beautiful and it is such a pleasant day.”

THE Little Bentley Hall waterways and garden show is this year sponsored by Fisher Jones Greenwood solicitors and the East of England Co-op and is being supported by the Gazette.

The gardens will be open from 10am to 5pm and will be followed by the gala evening.

The gala, which is sponsored by Looks Landrover Colchester and Fisher Jones Greenwood solicitors, will feature music and canapes and will be from 6pm to 9pm.

Little Bentley Hall is off the A133, postcode CO7 8SD.

Entry is £5 for adults with children under 15 admitted free.

For more information, go to littlebentley.net or call 07802 282193.