Celebrating ten years of Horatio’s Garden at Longford Castle

Longford Castle, the private ancestral seat of the Radnor family for over 300 years, built by Elizabeth I’s chief lady-in-waiting, will be opening its spectacular gardens to the public on Sunday 19 June from 2pm – 5pm in support of national charity, Horatio’s Garden.

The charity’s patron, the Countess of Radnor, generously offered to host the event at her home in order to help the charity celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the opening of their first garden for patients with spinal injuries, Horatio’s Garden South West at The Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury. The event will raise vital funds to support their beautiful, accessible garden project in Salisbury, which offers a calm and comforting haven to support the physical and psychological rehabilitation of patients with spinal injuries, their families and the NHS staff who care for them.

Visitors will be invited to tour Longford Castle’s private, stunning formal gardens whilst absorbing the remarkable architecture and atmosphere of this historic estate and may also explore the old garden alongside the River Avon.

Afternoon Tea (included in the ticket price) will be served throughout the afternoon, with the charity’s volunteers making a delicious homemade bake alongside sandwiches, tea and scones. Guests will also be able to enjoy music by Hummingbird.

The charity’s gorgeous, bespoke merchandise will be for sale too, alongside handcrafted goods created by volunteers, as well as plants grown in Horatio’s Garden South West.

The event will be a unique opportunity for people to explore the beautiful gardens which are usually closed to the public, while also supporting the charity to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

Horatio’s Garden South West was first opened in 2012, following a remarkable outpouring of love and goodwill in memory of Horatio Chapple. Horatio was a volunteer at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury District Hospital when he first had the idea of creating a garden for patients with spinal injuries, who often spent many months in hospital with little to no access to the outside world. Tragically, Horatio was killed at the age of 17. His parents, Olivia and David, continued his fundraising efforts and have since gone on to establish Horatio’s Garden as their son’s thriving legacy.

In the ten years since the first garden opened, the charity has opened five more gardens, with its most recent garden – Horatio’s Garden Wales – opening in April 2022. The charity’s mission is to build a beautiful, therapeutic garden in each of the 11 NHS spinal injury centres in the UK and is currently fundraising for its seventh garden; Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland.

To ensure everyone’s safety, pre-booking for the Horatio’s Garden 10 Year Anniversary Garden Party at Longford Castle is essential. Tickets are available online now at www.horatiosgarden.org.uk/longford10. Accessible car parking will be free and unlimited. The majority of the garden is accessible to wheelchairs.