Norfolk: 7 places taking part in St John Open Gardens

The season starts on Sunday March 5, 11am-4pm at Chestnut Farm at West Beckham, near Holt.

It's a delightful three-acre garden which has been nurtured for over 50 years by the owners who have collected about 90 different types of snowdrops from as far afield as Turkey and Ukraine.

Admission is adults £5, children free, dogs on leads welcome.

Other gardens open during the year are:
*Gayton Hall (Sunday April 2, 12-5pm);

*Beck Farm, The Green, Brisley (Sunday May 7, 12 – 5pm);

*Besthorpe Hall (Sunday June 11, 12-5pm);

*Severals Grange, Wood Norton (Sunday June 25, 12–5pm);

*Salle Park Gardens (Sunday July 2, 12–5pm);

*Chestnut Farm, West Beckham (Sunday October 1, 11–4pm).

All the money raised in Norfolk stays in the county unless it is specifically raised for the Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. 

St John support one of the nurses there, Marlene Katanacho, who has visited Norfolk often and is currently running a drop-in clinic at the Muristan centre in the Old City very near where the St. John Knights started off.   

St John is still supporting emergency ambulance crews and paramedics and have recruited more volunteers particularly young people , who through the Badger and Cadet programmes have learnt life giving skills which will enable some of them to become medical professionals in time.

Georgina Holloway, chairman of Norfolk St John Priory Group, said: "So many of you have supported our Open Garden programme in the past, for which we are extremely grateful as we are now in a position to purchase a new electric vehicle for use by our volunteers and our next project is to buy defibrillators which can be used for training."

For more information ring Mrs Holloway on 07767 327257 or email georginaholloway@hotmail.co.uk.

The latest information will be on the website stjohnopengardensgmail.weebly.com