Description:

15 acres; informal lawns with naturalised bulbs and wild flowers

Large tree collection, mixed shrubs, herbaceous borders

Landscaped gardens designed and built by students

Development of 13-acre parkland

Orchard meadow started

Landscaped glasshouses and wide range of seasonal bedding

NEW tropical ‘HOT’ bedding area added to quadrant garden

Herbaceous perennial borders under renovation autumn 2012 in readiness for summer colour 2013

Extended naturalised bulb areas on front campus lawns

Disability information:

Some gravel, however majority of areas accessible to all

Further details:

Writtle College is one of the leading university sector colleges in the UK, specialising in the land, countryside and amenity industries. Founded in 1893, the College has pioneered education and training in these industries for over a hundred years.

The College grounds and gardens have been opening for the National Gardens Scheme since 1997 allowing visitors to view the many gardens which have been designed and built by students over many years. The grounds and gardens cover an area of 15 acres and consist of informal lawns with naturalised bulbs in spring and wild flowers in summer, large mature tree collection, mixed shrub and herbaceous borders, heathers and alpines. Landscape theme gardens include a ‘Centenary’  garden and a Sub-tropical ‘Hot ‘n’ Spicy’ garden.

The main purpose of the grounds at Writtle is to serve the educational and research needs of their students from basic practical provision through to degree level studies. The gardens at Writtle function as an ‘outdoor classroom’ demonstrating many different features, styles and landscape materials.

An extensive, well managed and labelled plant collection of over 10,000 plants and 70,000 bulbs ensures stunning displays throughout the seasons. Other features include 130 landscaped borders, six ponds/water features, wild flower meadows and woodland planting.

A guided tour leaflet is produced for each NGS open day and various events, displays and competitions are organised each day.

Refreshments: Light refreshments in The Garden Room (main campus) and The Lordship tea room (Lordship campus)

With guided tour by Tom Cole,  FI Hort, Head of Faculty – Landbased

Interested? Please download a booking form here – or contact Carole Shorney, for more information.

A poster publicizing the trip, can be downloaded here.

For further information, please go to the National Gardens Scheme’s website at http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/gardenfinder/garden.aspx?search=type:advanced-c:Essex-dr:6-grp:True-st:1&id=13355