Issue 36 2023 - Journal - Page 53
Thanks to local fundraisers like Mia, donors and raffle
proceeds, one of the National Trust’s Heritage Craft Skills
teams was able to begin handcrafting a replica bridge.
Congratulating the now 12-year-old Mia, Paul said:
“Running two marathons, in all weathers, at the age of 10, is
an absolutely fabulous achievement. Mia should be super
proud of herself and we’re delighted that she chose to support
our fundraising efforts, so that future generations can keep
coming to the garden, and cherishing it, just as she and her
family do.”
Led by joiner Sam Tinsdeall, the team, based at Clumber
Park in Nottinghamshire, hand-cut, shaped, joined and
painted hundreds of pieces of timber using complex original designs. The painstaking work took three conservation joiners about 14 weeks to complete.
For further information visit:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/biddulphgrange
The new bridge and its zig-zag fence was then transported
in 50 sections and carried into the garden by hand, with
staff and volunteers carefully negotiating the narrow winding paths and many steps within the valley-side garden.
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Visitors can now cross the bridge for the first time in four
years and enjoy the scene just as the garden’s creator,
Victorian plant hunter James Bateman, had intended.
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Head Gardener Paul Walton said: “Biddulph Grange
Garden is one of the most exciting gardens from the Victorian
age. Features like the Chinese Bridge help make it a really
unforgettable place to visit and explore. The specialist crafts team
at Clumber Park have done an amazing job and we can’t wait
for visitors to be able to venture over this special bridge once
more.”
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Conservation & Heritage Journal
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