Two local gardens to be open as part of the National Garden Scheme

Ogbourne Manor gardens will be open to visitors on Saturday 24 August – over the Bank Holiday weekend. Ogbourne Manor is situated in Ogbourne St George. On the following Saturday – 31 August – the gardens of Falkners Cottage in North Newnton will also be open for people to come and view.

Both openings are part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS), an organisation with a heritage of more than a century dedicated to raising funds for numerous charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute. Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland NGS gives visitors access to well over three thousand exceptional private gardens with the funds being raised from admissions, teas and cakes. Even last year the Scheme raised over £3.4m for their supported charities.

This will be the first time that Ogbourne Manor gardens have been included in the NGS open day programme, whereas a second opening for Falkners Cottage after a hugely successful day last year.

Apart from the beautiful gardens and a rich architectural history, Ogbourne Manor has another claim to fame as it was the address from which the love letters were supposedly sent to the dead officer in the successful WWII deception bought to everyone’s attention in Ben Macintyre’s best selling book and subsequent film ‘Operation Mincemeat’. But no such subterfuge on Saturday 24, just gardens and surroundings to admire.

Ogbourne Manor will be open between 10:00am and 5:30pm on 24 August, Falkners Cottage open between 1:30pm and 5:30pm on 31 August.

For more information or to book advance tickets, click here for Ogbourne Manor and here for Falkners Cottage.