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Gothic south London castle to host fairytale-themed flower festival
A 276-year-old gothic castle in south London is set to play host to a fairytale-themed floral festival next month.
Strawberry Hill House & Gardens in Twickenham will see the return of its popular annual floral festival this September, known as the UK's 'most sustainable' flower festival.
The popular annual floral festival is known as the UK's 'most sustainable' flower festival. (Image: Layla Robinson Design / Janne Ford)
Ruining from Friday, September 12 to Sunday, September 14, this flower festival will transform the spaces inside this 18th-century Gothic-style villa. designed by Horace Walpole, into a full-on floral display.
Now in its seventh year, this year's theme - The Faery Tale Castle - will feature displays from 50 UK artists, showcasing their work using British flowers, with florists encouraged to think both creatively and sustainably to minimise waste.
This year's theme - The Faery Tale Castle - will feature displays from 50 UK artists. (Image: Emma Spowage)
Visitors can expect to see floral displays ranging from spinning wheels and a witch's perfumery to flying carpets and a goblin market, as well as a giant spider in the gardens of the house.
The Flower Festival has become a defining moment in our cultural calendar,' said Dr David Gaimster, Director of Strawberry Hill House, 'uniting artistic excellence with an ethos of sustainability that feels both timely and deeply rooted in the spirit of the house.'
The festival will transform the spaces inside this 18th-century Gothic-style villa into a full-on floral display. (Image: Hortus Poeticus / Janne Ford)
But it's not just the flowers that will give off the fairytale aesthetic, designed in the 18th century by Walpole this Georgian villa is often described as Britain's' first fairytale castle, distinctive by its white turrets.
Florists are encouraged to think both creatively and sustainably to minimise waste. (Image: Leigh Chappell / Janne Ford)
Meanwhile, inside visitors wander through theatrical interiors of gilded fan vaults and mirrored alcoves, which will be decorated for the festival with floral installations to add to the whimsical charm of the location.
'It's the moment in the floral year where florists come together non-competitively to create magic,' said guest curator Gaia Elkington, 'elevating each other and showing guests the extraordinary possibilities of botanical art.'
The festival runs between September 12 and September 14, with tickets priced at £22 for adults and £10 for children.
