Bishop’s House Garden to welcome Heritage Open Days visitors

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The historic city centre garden which has belonged to Bishops of Norwich for more than 900 years will welcome visitors as part of this year’s Heritage Open Days series of events.

The private four-acre garden, nestled in the heart of Norwich, is home to a range of horticultural treasures including a hosta walk, meadow labyrinth, jungle walk and extensive herbaceous borders.

Alongside the impressive array of plant life lovingly tended to by a team including new Head Gardener Tom Halliburton, the secluded space offers glimpses of historic architecture not visible from anywhere else.

Examples of this include the Norman stonework on the North Transept of the Cathedral, which can only be seen from the Bishop’s House Garden.

Heritage Open Days offers the public a rare opportunity to explore these historic grounds for free on Wednesday 11th and Thursday 12th September, with no need to pre-book tickets.

The current Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, is looking forward to welcoming visitors as part of the nationwide event. Bishop Graham said:

“This incredible garden, of which I am fortunate to be the current custodian, is a place where people find God’s peace and blessing in the shadow of Norwich Cathedral. I hope the various environmental priorities that we have put in place also mean that those who visit enjoy the garden’s rich biodiversity.”

2024 sees the nationwide festival of heritage and culture mark its 30th anniversary, with dozens of venues across Norfolk taking part – including a range of historic church buildings in the Diocese of Norwich.

Elsewhere in the area there are many more church buildings open to the public as part of Heritage Open Days, including:

  • Great Yarmouth Minster, which is hosting an historically significant exhibition of silverware seldom seen by the public, will be inviting visitors to explore the bell tower and ringing chamber
  • St Giles Church in Norwich, which boasts the tallest church tower in the city, is opening every day between Friday 6th and Sunday 15th September to showcase its medieval architecture and features such as its 15th century brass lectern
  • St Nicholas Church in Dereham is holding a series of talks, tours and exhibitions every day between the 6th and 15th September, featuring an in-depth exploration of the journey taken by St Withburga from Holkham to Dereham in 654AD
  • Between Friday 6th and Wednesday 11th September the unique 164ft long watercolour Wymondham Scroll will be on public display in Wymondham Abbey, with a range of free guided tours being carried out each hour on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th

Ahead of the 30th anniversary event series, Liam Montgomery, Marketing & Projects Manager for Heritage Open Days, said:

“The scale and diversity of Heritage Open Days is just incredible – every year thousands of passionate people help visitors to make doorstep discoveries and connect with history and heritage in every part of England.”

The Bishop’s House Garden will be open between 10am and 4pm on both Wednesday 11 September and Thursday 12 September, with no need to pre-book and admission free of charge courtesy of support provided to Heritage Open Days from the National Trust and People’s Postcode Lottery.