Update; Monday December 9th: Our gardens are now reopened. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Due to forecast severe weather this weekend, please note that the entire property and grounds will be shut all day Saturday 7th December and Sunday 8th December, opening on Monday once we have made sure that it is safe to do so.

A storm warning with high wind speeds is in place early Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. The forecasted speeds are well above our closure thresholds, set using the Met Office forecast.

While we’re sorry to have to close, especially on a weekend when many people were looking forward to a Christmas market and Storytelling with Santa sessions, our priority is your safety, and the safety of our team and volunteers.

This closure is frustrating and disappointing, for ourselves and our visitors, but we must responsibly manage risk

Rosie Fyles, Head of Gardens, explains:

“‘It is frustrating to be closing the gardens again when a busy, festive weekend is planned and I am sorry for the inconvenience and disappointment this will cause, not least to those expecting to meet Father Christmas. It is just three weeks since we had to close in November.

“The predicted wind speeds over the whole weekend are well over the ‘safe to open’ range and for this reason – the responsible management of risk to anybody visiting the site – we are left with the only option to close.

“Autumn and early winter storms are not unusual. What is unprecedented is their current frequency, the severity of the wind speeds and how long storm conditions are lasting. I cannot remember a time when wind gust speeds of over 50mph are expected to be sustained for over 24 hours. This storm will be a significant test of the health of our trees and the stability of our historic buildings and statues.

“We are doing all we can to ensure that we follow best practice and apply the latest learning as conditions change quickly and our seasons become more unpredictable. We undertake a formal review of our extreme weather policy annually, liaising with compatible sites and sharing knowledge.

“The last weekend storm did not cause major damage. It offered up many new sticks to our dog library. We will assess the situation on Monday morning when the garden team undertakes its ‘safe to open’ review. Hopefully, we will be able to open the gates wide again very quickly for Christmas to begin properly.”

Further updates and reopening

We will confirm our reopening time on Monday morning, once we have made sure that it is safe to do so. Please keep an eye on our website and on our social media for further updates.