The annual Open Garden at Hatch House, which this year takes place on Sunday 30th August from 11 am until 4:30 pm.
The open garden has become a highlight of the Salisbury Hospice Charity fundraising calendar.
What began as a simple idea between friends – a walk through the walled garden to raise money for charity – has blossomed into a much-loved tradition. From tea and cakes to stalls of second-hand treasures, the Hatch House Open Garden is a delightful gathering that supports the local community in a meaningful way.
Lady Holly Rumbold, for whom Hatch House is home, created the Open Garden alongside her friend Elspeth Vernon. She recollects, “When our children were little, my friend and business partner Elspeth and I spent our summers at Hatch House. Those days were filled with pony rides, visits to Longleat, endless walks, and the bustle of cooking and laundry for six lively children. It was busy, it was joyful, and it became the backdrop to an idea that has since grown into something very special.
“One summer, we decided to open the gates of Hatch’s beautiful 17th-century Dutch-style walled garden to raise a little money for charity. At first, all we offered was a gentle walk among the flowers. The takings were modest, but the seed had been planted. The following year, we added tea, cakes, and clothes: a mix of surplus from our own wardrobes, our London shop, and glamorous castoffs from my mother-in-law, strung up on a ladder by our gardener, Cyril Eldridge. This simple gesture became a treasured tradition that raised far more than we ever imagined.”
Since those early days, the event has flourished. Now supported by Virginia Fairhurst, Joanna Jacobs, and the Tisbury Fundraising Committee, the event welcomes visitors to browse second-hand treasures that tell stories of their own. Furniture, books, bric-a-brac, jewellery, and of course, the
fabulous fashion which has become synonymous with the event. Most importantly, as guests step into this enchanting garden, they gain the opportunity to give something back.
Every ticket sold on the gate, every purchase made, supports compassionate end-of-life and palliative care for local people – upholding the ethos at the heart of the enterprise. To date, the Hatch House Open Garden has raised in excess of £250,000 for Salisbury Hospice – an incredible total, testament to its popularity and its legacy.
New Creative Support Group for Salisbury Residents
Police colleagues promote workplace support for domestic abuse survivors
'Summer of Flight' at Army Flying Museum
Retired Salisbury teacher publishes poetry collection inspired by wife's dementia journey
Local Wrestler to Bring Curtain Down at Salisbury Slamdown
New trench systems boost realistic military training on Salisbury Plain
Army personnel receive hard hitting drink drive presentation
Salisbury Score Five as Pre-Season concludes with thumping win
