ORGANISERS of a charity Snowdrop Open Day at Great Chalfield Manor near Bradford on Avon say the event was their “most successful ever”.

Community fundraiser Verity Clark, of the Dorothy House Hospice, confirmed around 300 people attended the event on Sunday which raised £2,650.

It gives visitors the opportunity to take a stroll in the manor’s art and craft gardens and admire the display of snowdrops and crocuses carpeting the orchards and river banks.

Mrs Clark said: “It was our most successful snowdrop open day event ever. It was just lovely to see people out and about enjoying themselves without having to wear masks.

“There was a real sense of community. We were very pleased that we did so well, having raised £2,650 throughout the day.”

The annual snowdrop open day is a popular event with plant-lovers and National Trust members, as it traditionally heralds the start of spring.

It was postponed from Sunday, February 20 to Sunday, February 27 February because of Storm Eunice.

Robert Floyd, the owner of Great Chalfield Manor, said they were delighted to reopen the 15th century house and seven acres of art and craft gardens to the public.

“The snowdrops were late this year and still in evidence and the hellebores were full out.

“There was also a decent display of crocuses in the orchard and the Cornus mas, a large yellow flowering shrub, was in full glory.”

The charity event for Dorothy House Hospice is traditionally the first of the year at Great Chalfield Manor.

This year’s event was the first since 2020, as last year’s snowdrop open day was cancelled because of the third Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

It will be followed by a medieval event on Friday, April 22 and a plant fair for the Jamie’s Farm charity on Sunday, May 1.

There is likely to be no block-buster Hollywood filming taking place at the manor this year but production companies are starting to book for 2023, Mr Floyd said.