House, Gardens & Cafe Open Tuesday - Sunday 10.30 - 17.00

Gilbert’s Garden: Rose Pruning Day

Wednesday 24th January- Please not the date change!

10.30-4.00pm

Meet the team responsible for the maintenance of the collection of heritage roses in the six quarters beds in Gilbert White’s garden. The roses will be undergoing their annual pruning and staff will be on hand to give demonstrations of pruning techniques and answer questions on the rose collection.

This event is free with admission. It is a drop in event.

The date of this event was changed from the 17th to the 24th of January due to the weather forecast.

    Gilbert Whites House

    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.

    Learn more