Eton College opened its gardens to members of the public as part of the National Gardens Scheme and raised £4,500 for its supported charities. The NSPCC raised £1,100 selling teas in the Luxmoore’s rooms and Jenny Little, the Head Master's wife, made £500 for Henry’s Garden from her strawberries and cream.
More than 850 visitors came to enjoy seven gardens within the school, including the Head Master’s garden and the Provost’s Garden. Most of the gardens are only open for this one day in the year. Visitors were also able to enjoy the Natural History Museum and view the Joseph Banks specimen garden. George Fussey, the curator, was on hand to answer questions.
“We are very fortunate to have a dedicated team of grounds staff under John Taylor and Michael Long who work tirelessly to create our beautiful gardens and maintain our games pitches and other areas,” said Shauna Gailey, who oversaw the event. “We are delighted to be able to share these with the public through the National Gardens Scheme and raise money for some excellent charities at the same time.”
The National Gardens Scheme began in 1927 and has since raised more than £45 million for charities through the opening of private gardens across the UK. This year the charities to benefit include Macmillan Cancer Support and the Carers Trust. Eton College has been involved with the programme for more than 50 years.
