Why would you want to visit a garden or park? Well, I would say that you don’t have to be an artist in order to enjoy an exhibition in a Gallery so you don’t necessarily have to be a gardener to enjoy a garden or park. The HPSSA would like to let you know, once again, about our ticket subsidiary offer to support you getting out there and enjoy our public gardens and parks. Our Members Offer is £10 subsidy for an annual entrance ticket to a garden local to you.

In the UK we are blessed with over 500 open beautiful gardens to visit. Oxfordshire itself has a good selection of historic houses open to the public and gardens that you can visit with one of the best know centred in Oxford itself. The Oxford University Botanic Garden houses a vast plant collection.

Close by in Woodstock Blenheim Palace gives you a chance to see the splendours of Baroque architecture as well as explore the Park and Gardens. Have you visited Sulgrave Manor and Garden close to Banbury? This is formal arts and craft style gardens laid out in the 1920’s by Reginald Blomfield, including fine lawns, attractive herbaceous and mixed borders with informal cottage style planting, a romantic wildflower orchard with historic fruit trees, herb garden, topiary, a Tudor vegetable garden, and family area all set amongst a beautiful and tranquil rural landscape. Another must visit is the 8 acre ornamental gardens at Waterperry (Wheatley, Oxford) established in the 1930’s. All these gardens offer the option to purchase an annual ticket.

If you are a member of the Howbery Park Sports and Social Association (HPSSA) we can provide a £15 subsidy towards an entrance ticket of a garden of your choice. You may have different gardens local to you that offer you the chance to purchase ticket that offer the opportunity to explore the gardens as a one off or regularly and benefit from the rest and respite it will provide you.

As an example Oxford Botanic Gardens (which is currently celebrating its 400th year!) offers an annual pass for £30. All you need to do is purchase your ticket and send your receipt to Helen Aitkins or Jessica Wattle who will reimburse you the money. Here are some useful links:

• Blenheim palace: https://www.blenheimpalace.com/tickets-booking/tickets/
• Oxford Botanical Gardens: https://tickets.ox.ac.uk/webstore/shop/viewItems.aspx?cg=bga&c=BOT

Please note that a member can only receive this benefit once per calendar year.