Ely Cathedral Home and Garden Show!

A brand new summer event, filled with inspiration for your home and garden, opens this week in Ely’s magnificent Cathedral and grounds.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener, aspiring home maker, discerning foody or avid shopper, there’s something for everyone at the Ely Cathedral Home &
Garden Show.
This two day summer show will feature magnificent displays, talks and demonstrations and over 120 exhibitors showcasing garden-related goods and furniture, beautiful homeware, soft furnishings, kitchenware, natural body & skin products, clothing and accessories plus artisan food
& drink vendors.

Visitors to the event will have access to a free programme of talks and advice by leading experts including RHS award winner Tim Jennings and Clare Thorpe, who is the peat-free campaign project manager for the RHS. On a more intriguing note, Tom Radford, prolific instagrammer, vlogger and passionate advocate of wild food & foraging will be giving a fascinating talk, ‘Death or Dinner’, highlighting what you can and can’t eat from the wild, what’s tasty and what’s definitely
not !! The presentation marquee will also be hosting a number of demonstrations including advice on creating pesto sauce with wild garlic, how to make a drum lampshade and ideas for table displays and decorations using wildflowers. Sing Choirs and Ely College Brass Band will be providing the music.

The events team at Ely Cathedral have been thinking of creating a summer show for a while and hope to make it an annual event. Lesley Ann Thompson, Director of Communications said “The concept of a summer event has been on our agenda for a while and we are very excited that it is happening. The floral displays, show gardens, specialist talks and demonstrations will complement the stalls and exhibitors, and we hope will appeal to both the local community as well
as bring people into Ely”.

The 12 th century Bishop’s Garden, which is rarely open to the public, will be hosting a collection of miniature display gardens specifically designed by up-and-coming garden landscapers under the guidance of Tim Jennings, who’s concepts have been used by Netflix and won him prestigious awards including a silver medal at Hampton Court. “It’s been a real joy to design a garden especially for the Home and Garden Show and equally rewarding to mentor two brilliant new
designers, Amanda Roland-Convey and Silvana Marceca, each bringing fresh, thoughtful approaches to their first ever show gardens. These three gardens my own: A woven river, Amanda’s Little Pocket of Nature, and Silvana’s Sanctuary of Soil, Scent, and Sustainability each respond to the world in different ways, but they share a deep connection to nature, sustainability, and the idea that gardens can be places of sanctuary, creativity, and care. What makes this show
particularly special is that the gardens will be displayed in the Bishop’s Garden. A beautiful and rarely opened space that offers a truly inspirational setting. I’m proud that the Ely Cathedral Home and Garden show is creating space for new voices in garden design, and I hope visitors will come away inspired by what even a small plot can do for wildlife, wellbeing, and the wider environment”.

As flowers are such a significant part of an English summer, a number of themed, large-scale installations, created by local floral designers, will be on display around the Cathedral interior.

With a great selection of artisan foods and refreshments on site, the Home and Garden Show promises to be a fabulous day out to enjoy with friends & family, in a beautiful setting, where the emphasis is on individuality, style and entertainment.

The Home & Garden Show runs from Friday 11 th to Saturday 12 th July (9.30am – 4.30pm) .
The event is sponsored by King’s Ely and kindly supported by Barcham Trees, Jamie’s Little Allotment, Plant Grow, Tim Jennings Garden Design and Wild Oak Workshops.
For further information and tickets visit www.elycathedral/events/home-and-garden

About Ely Cathedral
Highly regarded by historians and architects from all over the world for its beauty and size, Ely Cathedral is widely acknowledged as ‘one of the wonders of the Medieval world’. Visible for miles around, the Cathedral is often referred to as ‘The Ship of the Fens’.
The present building dates from 1081 and is a remarkable example of both Romanesque and Norman architecture. In addition to its unique Octagon Tower and magnificent Lady Chapel, Ely has the third longest nave of any UK Cathedral. The Cathedral’s role today is not so far removed from its days as a Benedictine monastery and offers regular daily worship with a special emphasis on choral music.

As well as being a major visitor attraction, the Cathedral serves as a cultural focal point for East Anglia by providing a unique venue for the arts & music, for exhibitions, concerts and theatre. Most recently Ely has gained global recognition a prominent film location including Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Other Boleyn Girl, Macbeth, The King’s Speech, The Crown and, more recently, Maestro.