Eagerly anticipated this year was our first September Open Day since 2019. As ever, we coincided with the national programme of Heritage Open Days, and held ours on Saturday 18th September. The Bath House is too confined to offer guided tours in the current situation, but was open for visitors to see; and volunteers were ready to explain and answer any questions. The historic connection of the whole site to health and well-being has been particularly poignant during the past 18 months, when many sought the benefits of fresh air in this green space, and often found it a source of quiet and peaceful refreshment for the spirit.
The plants themselves play a big part in this event, and the eye is drawn in this image to the archway to the lower garden, with the Officinalis bed on the left, and Plants in Industry on the right. The volunteers work hard throughout the year to ensure the plants, both native and introduced, remain healthy; and that the garden is attractive not only to human visitors but to a wide range of wild life.
A popular feature of our Open Days is the tours by visiting medical herbalist, Barbara Wilkinson of the Herb Society. She and a colleague also provided a stall selling herbal products and information, alongside our own stall with local produce, second-hand gardening books, and of course plants. We also offered some fabric gifts, beautifully designed and made by one of our newest volunteers, Paulette. The lovely sunny day encouraged a large number of visitors to enjoy Barbara’s talks: she is here explaining the sometimes surprising medicinal properties of our plants.
Barbara’s tours ended at the top of the garden where her stall and ours could be found, along with raffle tickets for a basket of Bath House & Physic Garden ‘goodies’. Donations are vital to our charity: we have no other income than donations and grants, and we are grateful to all who contribute in this way or through the Donate button on the website. The raffle was particularly successful this year and, together with the generosity of our visitors, will make a considerable difference to our financial stability.
We had an exceptional turn-out with more visitors than ever, both ‘regulars’ and newcomers. Congleton Town Council has always been a generous supporter of the Bath House & Physic Garden, both financially and in other practical ways so it was a pleasure to welcome Councillor Denis Murphy, Mayor of Congleton, to the Open Day.
This successful event was a most enjoyable end to the summer at the Bath House & Physic Garden, and the pleasure people have in visiting is always rewarding for our hard working volunteers.
