SECRET GARDENS OF WINSTER 19th-20th July 2025 1.30pm to 5.30pm
- peakadvertiser
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
July 2025 will see the 27th annual Secret Gardens of Winster event, having run every year since 1997 (apart from a 2 year Covid break). This year will see a bumper crop of gardens open to the public. Coming just 2 weeks after the village festivities of Wakes Week, the festival atmosphere is still very much in the air as Wakes Week is put to bed for another year and Secret Gardens steps forward into the limelight.
Winster is a gem of a village nestled in the hills between Matlock and Bakewell; its elevated position affords breathtaking views of the surrounding White Peak landscape whilst also providing a challenge to some of our hillside gardeners. Many gardens truly are magnificent and are evidently the product of a great number of hours of labour, however the Secret Gardens of Winster prides itself on having so much more to offer.
There are refreshment venues within some of the gardens, some licensed, or with live jazz, to chill out to, there are dog friendly gardens, there are accessible gardens, gardens with craft stalls, there is a free gnome trail for youngsters with a prize at the end. The village church will become home to an Art exhibition curated by a local artist from the village.
The Millenium Tapestry is on show in the local village hall (Burton Institute); the tapestry was completed to celebrate the millennium and the refurbishment of the building. It was designed and made by village residents to represent a snapshot in time. A great variety of stitches and techniques were used to create the large 3-D tapestry.
Proceeds from Secret Gardens are distributed to local village community groups and projects including the Burton Institute, the village shop, Winster School, Playing Fields Association, Darby and Joan to name just a few.
2024 saw the population of Winster doubled by visitors to Secret Gardens with more than 1000 tickets sold over the weekend.
This very successful event does not take place without a great deal of behind the scenes work with getting on for 100 volunteers involved. Whilst the visitors keep visiting, the gardeners will keep gardening and Winster’s community groups will hopefully continue to flourish.
Secret Gardens of Winster is on 19th-20th July, 1.30pm to 5.30pm
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