Wolverton Manor Garden Fair

Wolverton Manor is a beautiful Jacobean House in a secluded area 5 miles South of Newport in the Isle of Wight. It is the family home of Jane and Mark Patterson who have lived there since 1972.
14 years ago Peter Wright suggested that we should hold a Garden Fair in our grounds to collect money for RSVP (a local charity).
This seemed to be a good idea and we have been organising it ever since.
The first year was quite small but it has grown and now we can expect up to 7,000 visitors over the two days.
Many of the nurseries have been coming each year since the beginning and we are always looking for new plantsmen and unusual plants.
The Elizabethan re-enactors are old family friends and come every year to perform Elizabethan Dancing, still room activities and an Apothecary's Pavilion.
18 or 20 re-enactors stay in the house or grounds and so we are especially busy over the weekend.
The original idea of a Garden Fair has now been expanded to include an emphasis on wildlife with a conservation tent showing bats and red squirrels, poultry from the Poultry Club and a variety of animals from alpacas, falcons and dogs.
Mark and I continue to enjoy the event every year and hope to keep it as originally intended, as a good day out for all ages with interesting things for everyone to do.
It is satisfactory that we have been able to raise significant sums of money for Age UK on the Isle of Wight and we hope this year will be even better, good weather would help!
Hope to see you all at this years fair.
Jane Patterson