Nice Weather for a Picnic!

We’ve been enjoying glorious weather here at Betley Court Gardens, although the formal lawn has turned straw-coloured in the heat. It’ll turn green as soon as we get a decent period of rain, but for the time being we’re enjoying the sun. A red kite has taken to hovering and gliding over the gardens. This is a welcome and unexpected site, as kites were last seen around here the best part of 50-years ago. However, successful breeding programmes down south, and in the east of the country are resulting in red kites spreading into the Midlands and Northwest of England.  Our resident rabbit population would probably disagree at our glee at this particular bird of prey’s return!

Work around the gardens is focused on this weekend’s events, as we have two activities open to the public. On Saturday (16/07/22), we’re inviting people to bring a blanket and hamper and enjoy a picnic in the grounds LINK TO TICKETS. On Sunday (17/07/22), we’re conducting another history walk around the gardens, focusing on some of the stories of the trees in the grounds LINK TO TICKETS. The weather forecast is for good weather, and there are plenty of shady, as well as sunny spots to enjoy the afternoon.

Lush shady area down by the visitors hub

There’s been a long tradition of Squires of Betley village inviting people into the gardens of Betley Court. Tom Brassington, a greatly missed village character, and former wagoner at Betley Court spoke of a picnic day, where villagers could enjoy the grounds, at the invitation of the squire. It might have been a Mayday picnic? A search of the BRITISH NEWSPAPER ARCHIVE throws up reports of fetes, garden parties and walks going back over a hundred years!

The gardens also witnessed competitive cricket matches during Betley Court’s years as a hospital, with teams of recuperating patients taking on teams from local churches and pubs. The idea was to put the fun into therapeutic sporting activity, and also provide a social outlet. I’m told there were also fundraising fetes in the hospital years (perhaps local readers can tell us more?)

Volley ball on the lawn. Family collection

Prof and Dr Brown continued this tradition by holding Bluebell Walks in the spring. They also hosted Mayday celebrations, and a garden party for the WI. It is lovely now, for our generation to be upholding a tradition that goes back over generations by putting on events in the gardens. No doubt we will meet many people over the weekend who can tell us their own stories about the gardens’ past. Our old gardener, Andy, told me about learning to play golf on the lawn as a lad – although that was somewhat unofficial! It was during the years that Betley Court laid empty, yet the Squire, Captain Charles Fletcher Twemlow continued to pay for the maintenance of the grass lawn. Locals would take advantage to play whilst no one was in the house to mind.

Children being entertained on the lawns (would be good to get a credit for this photo, if anyone knows anything about it)

Of course, today there are changes to Betley Court and its gardens, the obvious one being the scaffolding wrap around the building as we repair it after the fire. We also have the visitors’ hub, providing our guests with modern facilities. How we manage the gardens has evolved too. In its heyday, Betley Court Gardens boasted 18 full time gardeners. Now we have Shane on mower duties, helped from time to time by Melvyn, and I work part time in the gardens. We garden more sympathetically towards wildlife than our Victorian predecessors, and we are managing areas to make better habitats. For instance, our mown pathways that Shane creates, allows area of grass and wildflowers to thrive, providing habitat for butterflies for example.

Grass going to seed, providing habitat for a range of species. Also bluebell seed heads.

You will see nettles too – SHOCK HORROR! We allow them to grow in some areas of the garden, providing habitat for the five native butterfly species that rely on nettles for their breeding cycle.

But other than that, Betley Court remains, as it says on our website, “a garden ever changed, and ever changing”. Hope to see you over the weekend!

All best wishes

Ladybird Su