As part of Heritage Open Weekend we are holding a small scale, open air exhibition and launch of the Highbury’s Garden project
13th September, 12-4pm.
We came to a decision on Friday that Sunday’s exhibition will go ahead almost as planned.
We weighed up lots of factors and took advice from partners and trustees as well as Highbury’s venue manager and officers at the CIty Council. Everyone was supportive of our plans and felt the measures in place were robust enough to ensure a safe environment.
We will welcome small numbers, (in small groups) to wander around Highbury’s grounds and view our exhibition. The Highbury’s Garden project is a big landmark in CHT’s and Highbury’s journey and the recruitment of Volunteers vital for it’s success.
We are making every effort to protect our staff, volunteers and visitors.
- We are decreasing the size of tour groups,
- emphasising the need to maintain social distancing
- limiting touch points to an absolute minimum.
- track and trace is set up for all visitors coming to Highbury for the exhibition.
- PPE is on hand and a mask stall for visitors will be on site
- staff from the City Council’s events team will clean the volunteer facilities
- Roaming staff/trustees ensuring volunteers are supported and safe
- Tour Guides are rehearsed and aware of areas of the tour that are difficult to maintain social distance in and will warn participants.
- We will sanitise touch points and pen collections regularly
- Donations and returned forms will be non touch
We want visitors and volunteers to feel confident and safe while with us a
If you feel at risk, unwell, or unsure about attending the day then stay home, we will welcome you back in better times.
Instillations around the estate will demonstrate the changes and improvements we are making. This will include historic maps, photo displays, research material from our Rhododendron Research and Pergola Project as well as space for visitors to find out more about becoming part of the volunteer team on the Highbury’s Garden Project.
You are welcome to follow our maps and navigate the estate, at your own pace, and discover for yourself our plans.
DETAILS
– There will be additional parking in Uffculme School’s front car park, next door to Highbury’s Yew Tree Road entrance. Highbury’s car park is for disabled parking only.
– Entry is free and you can access Highbury’s gardens from the Yew Tree Road entrance.
– As part of our commitment to our funders and the community we would like all visitors to come up to the main lawn so we can register you and add you to our Track and Trace.
– Strict social distancing will be required so we can limit the risk to visitors and volunteers.
– At this event there will only be access to outside spaces and no additional facilities (toilets or refreshments) will be provided.
– The accessible path has not yet been installed, the gardens cover 30 acres and tours will be walking for one hour. Tours are now fully booked
– Please meet your guide at the sign on the main lawn outside Highbury Hall, at least 5 minutes before the tour starts.
The Highbury’s Garden Project is underway and contractors and our Highbury team are working hard to reinstate aspects of the Highbury Estate.
This project marks the first phase of a historic landscape restoration programme, for the 30 acres of gardens around the house designed by Edward Milner in 1879.
The Chamberlain Highbury Trust has a programme of works and volunteering opportunities to create a more accessible and welcoming space that connects and restores the historic features.
This section of Highbury park and the garden connected to Highbury Hall were the much loved gardens of Joseph Chamberlain, he was passionate about horticulture and there are were many new techniques, hybrid plants and new species established in this area. Lots of these are still in situ at Highbury but many of the features of his garden are now over grown.
We hope you enjoy finding out more about Highbury’s past and future.
Also on the 13th September there will be a guest exhibit from
Windswept Workshops ‘Festival of Dreams’
https://facebook.com/events/s/festival-of-dreams/994134624372360/?ti=icl
A thought-provoking collaborative installation for visitors to experience
whilst moving through the estate. With space to contribute and contemplate.
Three secret stories will be spread out for you to find.CHT is all about sharing Highbury with the community, so please come and have a walk through the grounds, meet our team and see for yourself our plans to restore some of the gardens and reinstate a view of the hall from the lake.