Wine and Roses at Mottisfont

Wine and Roses: An Evening at Mottisfont

A unique opportunity to visit Mottisfont without the crowds.

Mottisfont is celebrated for its internationally significant rose gardens. It is home to the National Collection of Historic Roses, and recently there has been a renewal of these roses and improvements to the companion planting.

We will have Mottisfont to ourselves for the evening, with wine or sparking soft drinks and refreshments included. The paths at Mottisfont are narrow, and so Michael Harvey, the Senior Gardener, has offered us two tours for 15 people each. While one group are having their tour the other group will be able to look around the other gardens at Mottisfont.

Mottisfont Abbey has a long and fascinating history, dating back to the thirteenth century. Initially an Augustinian priory, it was converted into a home for the first Baron Sandys in 1536, and remained with his descendants for nearly four centuries. In 1934, Maud and Gilbert Russell purchased Mottisfont, and in the former entrance hall commissioned the artist Rex Whistler to paint a ‘Gothic’ mural celebrating the house’s medieval origins. Mottisfont is now noted not only for its roses but also for its important collection of 20th-century art.

Booking: £20 per person (HRG members, non-members £25) including a glass of wine or non-alcoholic drink and nibbles. As everyone will get exclusive access to the gardens without any members of public there will not be any reduction for membership of the National Trust. Please book by 18 May.

Directions to the gardens: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/hampshire/mottisfont