St. Giles House , Wimborne St Giles, Dorset BH21 5ND
By kind permission of Lord and Lady Shaftesbury

Date: July 16th 2024 Time: 10.30am for 11.00am Cost: £25 (NO refreshments)
Facilities: Ample parking. NO WC. For lunch see below

Guided Tour of the Gardens: The Head Gardener Alison will give us a guided tour of the grounds

The Shell Grotto and Arch: Then for those willing to make the 20 minute walk, Roger White will take us to the wonderful Shell Grotto and the Arch, both of which feature in Roger’s lovely book, ‘Georgian Arcadia: Architecture for the Park and Garden’

The brilliantly restored St Giles House, in the idyllic Dorset countryside, offers high-point Georgian architecture and stunning interiors that typify and bridge many historical styles. Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, now lives in the house that his family has called home since the fifteenth century. Having inherited St Giles House in tragic circumstances, the Earl of Shaftesbury set about its restoration and Conservation enlisting conservation consultant and surveyor Philip Hughes for the work on the house and  Jane Hurst to revive its neglected gardens. In recent years his award-winning restoration has brought the house and grounds back to life, transforming exquisite spaces that honour the past while being suited to 21c living.

There are a total of c 865 species of flora and fauna at St Giles, 20% of which are protected.

Picnics cannot be eaten at the venue, and many of us will be taking lunch at the excellent Queens Head, 1 North Street , Broadchalke SP5 5EN. email: queensheadbroadchalke.co.uk/book-a-table/ 01722 780 344. Do join us but please make your own bookings for 1.30pm onwards