Walking through the gates of the Italian garden at Great Ambrook I am surrounded by a familiar sense of mystery, of ancient secrets linking this place to the people who inhabited it more than 100 years ago.
It’s almost a year since I was last here and new trailing rosemary creeps across repaired pathways, part of the ongoing process of sensitive renovation and replanting. At the Summerhouse the historian Jeremy Treglown brings the garden’s creator and his companions back to life in the space they enjoyed all those years ago. These are the people who populated my final MA Illustration project “Graham’s Garden” shown in an exhibition at Artizan Gallery, Torquay in March 2024.
The garden’s story still remains largely unwritten, but its different settings provide stages for the imagination. A creative opportunity it’s hard to resist!
The current custodians of the garden, with the help of a team of incredible volunteers, are creating an inclusive space in which to socialise, learn and spend time with nature and they are generously inviting local people in to develop some of these opportunities.
As a result, Zo Copeland, a local writer and poet who is currently running creative writing courses in Paignton is collaborating with me, an illustrator, to deliver a creative writing and drawing workshop in the garden on 21st September 2024 between 11am to 2pm. The garden is not open to the public, so this is an opportunity to visit this inspiring place as we wander through the gardens making words and pictures. Everyone is welcome and no previous experience is required. To book tickets click on the link below:
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