Visitors to the Bishop of Norwich’s garden helped local charities raise more than £20,000 this summer – and there is still time to apply to host an event next year.
Every year the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Revd Graham Usher, and his wife Rachel, invite local charities to hold fund-raising open afternoons among the flowers, orchards, walks and lawns of their historic walled garden.
This summer almost 3,000 people enjoyed visiting the garden for charity open afternoons with refreshments, stalls, games and entertainment.
This year’s charities were the Stepping Stones Project, Attleborough Music Project, Age UK Norwich, Norfolk Community Law Service, NANSA, Norfolk Churches Trust, the National Garden Scheme, Leeway, Vision Norfolk and the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre.
Bishop Graham opens the garden as part of his ministry and said: “Seeing this beautiful and ancient garden give such pleasure to visitors, and being able to share it with so many people to help the work of local charities, is both and joy and a great privilege.”
As well as inviting local charities to host fund-raising afternoons, he also uses the garden to offer hospitality, grow fruit and vegetables and highlight the beauty of the natural world during quiet days and retreats.
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.
Cared for organically, the four-acre garden is packed with flower-filled borders, towering exotic plants, a wonderfully productive kitchen garden, lawns, a herb garden, woodland, rose and jungle walks, and an orchard and wildflower labyrinth where the bishop’s bee forage. There’s even a fernery, a bambooserie and a 700-year-old ruin.
The garden will open for more local charities on selected Sundays from May to July 2026. Charities interested in running a fundraising afternoon must apply before September 30, but please be aware that there are always more applicants than available dates.
Email louise.cumberland@dioceseofnorwich.org for details of how to apply.
The Bishop’s Garden is open 10am-4pm this Wednesday September 17 and Thursday September 18 as part of Heritage Open Days.
Comments are closed.