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

Proms in Gilbert’s Garden

Friday 28th July 

19.30 start, two performances of 45 minutes with a 15 minute interval. Doors open 18.45  

The Lawn, Gilbert White’s Garden  

£12 per adult, £8 per child aged 5-16 (under 5s free)  

Celebrate the beginning of the Proms in our beautiful grounds with rousing, uplifting music from the Otterbourne Brass Band. The concert will include orchestral classics such as Fanfare for the Common Man by American composer Aaron Copland, Nimrod by Elgar and Jerusalem by Hubert Parry, along with many more, making it a truly memorable evening of fantastic music.  

Regularly taking part in regional and national brass competitions and championships, and runners up at the South West Regionals and an invitation to the National Finals 2023, Otterbourne Brass have been performing across the south of England and delighting crowds since 1923.  

Relax and enjoy the summer evening, you are welcome to bring picnics and drinks into the grounds, and we will also have a bar open on the night. The event will go ahead in all weathers so please dress appropriately and bring along your own picnic blankets/seating.  

BOOK TICKETS

    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