SPAB Essex Group Visit to Warley Place
Essex Group Visit to Warley Place
Essex Group
Including lunch:
£24 Members and up to three non-member guests
£28 Non-members
Event details
Saturday 9 March, 10.30am - 4pm. £24 Members and up to three guests, £28 Non-Members
Join the Essex Group on a visit to Warley Place and the nearby Church of St Mary the Virgin.
Warley Place was formerly the home of one of the most famous women gardeners, Miss Ellen Willmott. It is now leased to Essex Wildlife Trust as a nature reserve.
Evidence of the house remains, including the cellars and conservatory. The walled garden retains much of Willmott's planting, including a ginkgo tree, some magnolias and palms.
The garden is known for its show of blooming spring flowers, some of which we should be able to see, depending on the weather.
We’ll also have a guided tour of the nearby St Mary the Virgin church, which was built in 1902. It is one of only three churches in the country in the Art Nouveau style and has been said to be the best preserved.
Locally, it is popularly known as the ‘Pearl Church’, because of the mother-of-pearl decoration found inside. The interior also shows evidence of the Art and Craft movement and the influence of the pre-Raphaelites.
Programme
| 10.30am | Park at nearby cricket club and short walk to Warley Place |
| 11am | Tour of Warley Place |
| 1pm | Cold buffet lunch in the Thatcher's Arms |
| 2.30pm | Travel approximately one mile by car to St Mary the Virgin |
| 2.45pm | Tour of St Mary the Virgin |
| 4pm | Visit ends |
A more detailed programme along with maps and directions will be sent to registered participants the week before the event.
Guests
Members are welcome to book additional places for their guests.
Accessibility
Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email membership@spab.org.uk.
Image credit: Warley Place © Kate Waterfield with thanks to the Essex Wildlife Trust
