The Sunshine Project
Our community outreach project providing vulnerable adults with meaningful volunteering opportunities.
The gardens at Quex were originally laid out in the fifteenth century when the first manor house was built but was extensively remodelled throughout the nineteenth century so that the present design contains strong Regency, Victorian and Edwardian influences.
The gardens were designed to be viewed from the main withdrawing room on the first floor of the house, from where lawns radiate around a central vista ending in the far distance with the Gun Tower, one of three follies in the grounds. The established parkland contains numerous ornamental specimen trees and a sunken fountain garden. This feature was once a formal Italianate garden but now the formal borders and paths, ponds and statues have been re-established.
On the upper terraces of the lawn, there are some fine specimen trees, including two venerable King James Mulberries and an ancient Sophora Japonica. A vibrant Edwardian herbaceous border can be found against the south wall of the kitchen garden. A more recent introduction is a rose border, established with the help of David Austin Roses, which contains a collection of old roses and some new introductions.
Hidden behind the high, old brick walls of the herbaceous border is an exceptional example of a Victorian walled garden, which had later commercial use as a market garden. Over time the glasshouses have undergone careful restoration. The main glasshouses are the next areas to undergo extensive repair once funding has been secured. Collections of tender exotics,
fruit trees, cacti, succulents & pelargoniums are found within. Work is ongoing to preserve the glasshouse structures and to raise heritage fruit and vegetable varieties.
Surrounding the gardens is a woodland walk, with a good show of spring bulbs and planted beds, contrasting with the more formal pleasure grounds of the mansion.
From 1883 James Cornford was Head Gardener at Quex and by 1902 about twenty gardeners were employed. Today we have a small team of employed gardeners who work with many volunteer groups. Recently we received a generous grant from the AIM (Association of Independent Museums) Connected Communities fund which will enable us to take significant strides in fostering high-quality volunteering opportunities, community engagement, and social connectivity, with a specific focus on individuals with learning disabilities and/or mental health challenges. If you know someone who might benefit from this opportunity, please find out more here: Sunshine Project
Our community outreach project providing vulnerable adults with meaningful volunteering opportunities.
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