Bishop’s garden raises more than £25,000 for Norfolk charities

Visitors to the Bishop of Norwich’s garden helped local charities raise more than £25,000 this summer – and there is still time for good causes to apply to host an event next year.

Every year the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham Usher, and his wife Rachel, invite local charities to hold fund-raising open afternoons in their historic city centre garden.

On eight summer Sundays between May and July more than 3,200 people enjoyed the charity open afternoons at Bishop’s House Garden.

The four-acre city centre garden is packed with flower-filled borders, towering exotic plants, a wonderfully productive kitchen garden, lawns, a herb garden, woodland, rose and jungle walks, an orchard and wildflower labyrinth where the bishop’s bee forage, and a 700-year-old ruin. Open garden afternoons also offer refreshments, stalls, games and entertainment.

The charities hosting events this year were Big C, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, the Magdalene Group, Community Chaplaincy Norfolk, the National Garden Scheme, St John Ambulance, Norwich Door to Door and Vision Norfolk.

Bishop Graham opens his garden as part of his ministry as well as using it to offer hospitality, grow food and highlight the beauty of the natural world all year round.

Cared for organically, it is the oldest private garden in Norwich with the land first worked by monks to grow food and medicine more than 900 years ago.

The garden will be open to help more local charities raise funds on selected Sunday afternoons from May to July 2027. Applications close on September 30. For details of how to apply please email louise.cumberland@dioceseofnorwich.org