Popular farmhouse garden packed with fruit and veg near Shrewsbury to open for charity this weekend
The lush kitchen garden of a 16th-century farmhouse is opening to the public in aid of charity this weekend.
The owners of Moat Hall, a farmhouse near Shrewsbury dating back to 1580, will be throwing open their garden gate to the public for enthusiasts to take a peek at their vegetable patch, flower beds and shrubberies this weekend.
Helen and Martin Davies have welcomed thousands of visitors as part of the National Garden Scheme since first opening up their garden five years ago.
The programme gives visitors from across the country unique access to more than 500 private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.
Since its launch in the early 1900s, more than £70 million has been donated to nursing and mental health charities thanks to the scheme - with a record £3.5m donated in 2024.
Over the last five years, Helen and Martin have helped raise thousands of pounds for good causes - welcoming around 300 people to their garden last year alone.
The one-acre garden, which surrounds their 16th-century home, features a well-organised and extensive kitchen garden, fruit garden and orchard, along with herbaceous borders, raised cut flower borders and a pond nearby.
The garden boasts historic stone items including troughs, cheese weights and staddle stones that have been uncovered in the garden.
But avid gardener Helen's favourite part is where all the magic begins - the greenhouse.
She said: "I've always loved gardening, my dad was a great gardener.
"So I've been gardening since I was a small child and I still grow the things that I grew when I was a little girl.
"I love taking cuttings, feeling soil move through my fingers - I just find gardening is very therapeutic."
Preparing for their next open garden hasn't proven easy for the pair, who, like gardeners around the country, have been battling am especially dry spring and summer.
"The vegetables are poor this year, very poor. There just isn't any water," Helen said.
"It's been hard keeping everything else alive for the open day, it's involved lots and lots of watering."
The garden, at Annscroft near Shrewsbury (SY5 8AZ), will be open this Sunday, August 3, from 1pm to 5pm.
Entry is £6 per adult, with children visiting free and refreshments will also be available to purchase.
Pre-booking is available online at findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/42143/moat-hall.
