Blickling opens community garden project

Weekend visitors to the National Trust's property at Blickling Hall were able to find out more about a project aimed at recreating the function and layout of the estate's walled kitchen garden.

WEEKEND visitors to the National Trust's property at Blickling Hall were able to find out more about a project to recreate the function and layout of the estate's walled kitchen garden.

The plan is to wind the clock back to the 1930s and 40s, when the garden was fully operational and providing food for Lord Lothian's household before he bequeathed the property to the trust.

The project will be community based, explained head gardener Paul Underwood, who was giving tours of the kitchen garden to the public on Saturday.

"It's a fantastic opportunity and one which we have been talking about for some time, but the opportunity is now on the horizon of accessing some funding so at this stage we want to find as many people as possible keen on taking part," said Mr Underwood.

"We have about two acres of land which we want to bring back to life for the benefit of people in the community.

"Whether it is local schools and colleges, groups with learning or physical disability, we want people to come along and take part.

"The food would be used in the restaurant on an infrequent basis, but the people taking part would be able to take away their own fruit and vegetables on a regular basis."

A bid will be made in June for Big Lottery Fund cash, under a new programme called Local Food. The trust hopes to hear by January whether that bid has been successful.

The money would help pay for a project manager, who will be supported by volunteers.