Outing to Gatton Park and Fanny's Farm Shop




The intrepid band of explorers .. until the rain came down!

Our early spring outing as a club was to Gatton Park in Reigate, to view the snowdrops and spring bulbs, followed by a cream tea at the nearby Fanny's Farm Shop at Gatton Bottom.  Some may also know Gatton Park as the Royal Albert and Alexandra School, which operates the house and parkland.  Gatton Park opens a couple of times a year, and although the main intention of this visit was to see the bulbs, there is a Japanese Garden and long walks around the parkland if visiting at other times.

Unfortunately, on the day the weather was extremely unkind to us (to say the least), as it was very cold and rained hard!  Garden visiting in Great Britain is always a bit risky, particularly in Winter, and also when visits have to be pre-arranged with a number of people so that you cannot just get-up-and-go when the sun is shining.  Brave gardening souls that we are, we still managed only about 20 minutes in the park before declaring the trip a bit too wet and cold to enjoy, and so we decamped to Fanny's for the cream tea.

Aconites at Gatton Park

Snowdrops at Gatton Park

Fanny's is always good fun, but once again it was rather cold even inside - but it is definitely worth a visit again later in the year!  Congratulations - and commiserations - must go to all the brave and hardy souls who made the trip.  For those who are unaware of Fanny's Farm Shop, it is owned and run by the indomitable Fanny (who else?) and her daughter, and must be one of the very few properties in the country that is still not connected to mains electricity - all the power on site comes from a generator!

(Editors note:   Far be it my job to rub salt into an open wound, but we were unable to go to Gatton Park for this trip.  Instead, we went to Gatton  with a visiting Australian friend on the previous Sunday.  The sun shone, the park was beautiful, and we were lovely and warm as we ate our breakfast in the treehouse at Fanny's ... sorry!   The photos in the article were taken - apart from the group shot - on the warmer of the Sundays.  Please note that, although the farm shop and the cafe are open for general visiting, the treehouse at Fanny's must be booked in advance - it does make a lovely venue for a special occasion.)

Gatton House at it stands today

Fanny's Farm Shop - the tea garden

The treehouse - which must be booked

The inside of the treehouse