Open Garden Visit 2024 - Hall's Croft
Tuesday 23 July 2024
On the morning of Tuesday 23 July 2024, members of the Society gathered outside the gates of Hall’s Croft eager to enter one of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s most loved gardens. The weather was perfect for this open air outing.
Rachael North, SBT’s Director of Museum and Public Programmes, started the event with an update on the conservation work being carried out on the house and answered questions regarding the current state of the timbers and other quirks of Tudor house-building. Rachael then handed us over to Head Gardener Sian Cooper.
Sian explained the work of the gardening team and told us about the intention of the Trust to make the herb garden a place of contemplation, meditation and healing for the use of the Shakespeare Hospice and other charities, so that their users can have quiet time. An idea which would no doubt have been applauded by Susannah and Dr John Hall.
For many of us memories abounded as we then roamed the grounds reminiscing about past occasions pre-pandemic, with Sian ably fielding many questions.
When at last we were shepherded back through the gates, there were compliments galore about the occasion.
Thank you to Rachael, Sian and the SBT for allowing us this glimpse of a property much loved by locals.
Find out more about the conservation of Hall’s Croft here.
Images by John Freeland and Ellie Stevenson
