National Garden Scheme: Event: The Pig in the South Downs

Get set for a day over in the South Downs, where you’ll get the chance to explore THE PIG-in the South Downs Kitchen Garden and see what’s growing first hand!

THE PIG-in the South Downs is set within the small hamlet of Madehurst, high up on the South Downs, 4 miles away from the beautiful, ancient market town of Arundel. The Restaurant with Rooms is made up of a Regency main house with a traditional greenhouse restaurant, and rooms spread out between a higgledy piggledy collection of traditional brick, flint and timber clad Sussex stable yard buildings. The mature walled Kitchen Garden is almost 2 acres, including an orchard of old English apple trees, fruit cages and espaliers that are over 50 years old, as well as two existing Victorian glasshouses that are the walkway to its Potting Shed Treatment Rooms. In a first for THE PIG, 4000 vines of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier have been planted to create it’s very own small but perfectly formed Sussex vineyard that is in full view of the restaurant – they are hoping for their first harvest this autumn.

For this special event, Head Kitchen Gardener, Ollie Hutson, will share his extensive knowledge on all things homegrown with you. Starting at 10:30am with tea, coffee, pastries and a tour of the Kitchen Garden, you’ll then head over to THE PIG-in the South Downs Garden Room which overlooks the very first PIG vineyard. Here you'll tuck into a light lunch and drinks inspired by what you have seen growing in THE PIG's Kitchen Garden.

THE PIG in the South Downs Madehurst Arundel, West Sussex BN18 0NL https://findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/45506/the-pig-in-the-south-downs is open for the National Garden Scheme on Tuesday 17th September 10.30am – 2pm. Admission £50.00. Pre-booking essential, please visit www.ngs.org.uk for information & booking.

The National Garden Scheme gives visitors unique access to over 3,500 exceptional private gardens in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, and raises impressive amounts of money for some of the UK's best-loved nursing and health charities through admissions, teas and cake.

Thanks to the generosity of garden owners, volunteers and visitors we have donated more than £70 million to our beneficiary charities, and in 2023 made donations of over £3.4 million. Founded in 1927 to support district nurses, we are now the most significant charitable funder of nursing in the UK and our beneficiaries include Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute.
The National Garden Scheme doesn’t just open beautiful gardens for charity – we are passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of gardens too. We fund projects which promote gardens and gardening as therapy, and in 2017, we launched our annual Gardens and Health Week to raise awareness of the topic. Our funding also supports the training of gardeners and offers respite to horticultural workers who have fallen on difficult times.

To learn more about the National Garden Scheme, discover your perfect garden or find out how to open your own garden visit ngs.org.uk, download the National Garden Scheme app or pick up the National Garden Scheme Sussex 2024 Booklet.

Direct link to West Sussex NGS gardens opening in September and October

https://ngs.org.uk/west-sussex-gardens-late-openers/