National Meadows Day Guided Walks

Saturday 1^st July

Timings: 11am, 2pm (repeated). (walks last around 45 minutes)

Tickets: £5

Join us in celebrating National Meadows Day 2023 with a guided walk around our beautiful meadow at Gilbert White’s House and Gardens. Discover more about the abundance of species of wildflowers and meadow plants growing on our site, including species of orchid and Yellow Rattle and how our ongoing efforts help maintain it as a vital habitat for butterflies, moths (including day-flying) and other insects. Small mammals, birds and reptiles and amphibians, also benefit from a traditional hay meadow and its margins. In the UK we have lost over 97% of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s so active conservation is vital in protecting species. National Meadows Day is organised by Plantlife and is an annual event which aims at raising awareness of this vanishing habitat.

Please note you must also purchase tickets to the garden to join this walk. Please meet in the Stable Yard promptly at your chosen walk time.

BOOK TICKETS

Details
Venue

1st July 2023 11:00 am - 2:45 pm
11:00 am
Gilbert Whites House

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