The heritage fruit trees in the orchards at Gilbert White’s House will be being picked as they were in the 18th century when Gilbert White wrote his ‘Garden Kalendar’ recording his daily gardening activities. Meet the fruit picking team and see the heritage apple and pear trees planted according to his notes from the 1750s and 1760s.
This is a drop in event that is free with admission.
Gilbert White was aged 7 or 8 when the White family moved from the Vicarage on Selborne’s Plestor, to this house, called ‘The Wakes’ (named after the Wake family who had lived here previously). At that time the property would have been no more than a ‘two up, two down’ but over the subsequent years lots of extensions and additions have been made, creating the long sizeable house you see today.
The rooms have been restored following descriptions in White’s own correspondence and include a chair he used at Oriel College, Oxford (loaned from the College), items of contemporary furniture, family portraits and bed hangings embroidered for him by his aunts.
On display is the original manuscript of his book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, which was purchased with generous help from English Heritage and others.
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