About

The current Burton Manor main house dates back to 1904, when it was created by the youngest son of Prime Minister William Gladstone, as an enlargement of the original Burton Hall, dating from 1805. In 1948 it became an adult education college running day and residential courses. The college closed in 2011.

The Friends of Burton Manor Gardens, a volunteer group, are dedicated to restoring and maintaining the gardens around the Manor. Much impressive restoration work has already been achieved, including the Walled Garden and, with the help of the Heritage Lottery Funding, a large Edwardian glasshouse, big enough for use as both a greenhouse and a daytime education facility has been fully restored to its original design. Further extensive restoration work is in hand.

We welcome visitors to the gardens, located in the centre of Burton Village, which are open daily between 10am - 4pm between April and mid-October, with free admission. The Atelier Coffee Shop will be open Tuesday - Sunday for hot snacks, tea, coffee and soft drinks.

Spring/Summer 2014 Courses

All these Courses are organised by Burton Manor Gardens Ltd, with all profits being used towards the upkeep & improvements in the Gardens.

Lost Halls of Wirral
Illustrated talk by Gavin Hunter
Wednesday 26th February 2014 at 7.30pm
At the outset of the 19th Century there were halls and manor houses, occupied largely by hereditary landowners, scattered across our unique peninsula. During the following hundred years, wealthy business men and merchants from Liverpool and Chester erected many more. This richly illustrated talk looks at these wonderful manors, old halls and large houses of the Wirral, many of which are no longer there.
Fee: Ł10 full fee, (Ł7.50 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens) Includes tea, coffee, soft drink & cold buffet supper.

Painting in Collage - Inspired by Turner
Tutor: Isobel Messer
Saturday 15th March 2014 10am - 4pm
On this occasion we will be referring to some of the paintings of JMW Turner. In the vanguard of the Romantic Movement Turner experimented with techniques to create swirling waters mist and sky - the magical effect of light or in his expression " tinted stream". This will be a follow on to the earlier course - although beginners as well as improvers are very welcome.
Material List: All items are optional as the tutor will bring along a few spares.
Medium to small scissors - (school type not dressmaking!) Paper on which to work i.e. plain wall paper, cartridge, even "plain" newspaper (approx.: 30cm square) Pages from newspapers - with coloured photography etc.; Spare newspaper, tissue paper - especially white; cheap bristle brushes for applying glue - not to large; Roll of masking tape - any width. A selection of patterned papers, newsprint, wall paper etc. Tutor can supply glue at a minimal cost.
Fee: Ł30 full fee, (Ł25 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café on site or you can bring a packed lunch)

An Introduction to eBay
Tutor: Gavin Hunter
Saturday 5th April 2014 10am - 4pm
Whether you are looking for a collectable, that special item for the garden, presents for the family, or the latest electronic gadget, eBay is one of the most commonly used on-line resources. It can also be used for making extra money by selling your unwanted items or even as a home-based business. We will cover a basic introduction to on-line auctions; how to get started on eBay; and buying and selling items.
Fee: Ł32 full fee (Ł27 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café on site or you can bring a packed lunch)

The Calico Walled Garden
Tutor: Sue Sercombe
Sunday 13th April 2014 10am - 4pm
The calico walled garden is all hand stitched using mainly neutral yarns and threads. The stitches we cover are French knots, picot leaves, bullion knots, velvet stitch, Algerian eyelets, button hole stitch eyelets, cup stitch and a few other texture details. The panel will fit into a 10" embroidery hoop or you could make it slightly smaller. You will construct the basic outline and learn the different stitches to achieve an almost 3D panel. All the elements and final composition will be discussed in the session.
Material List: 8" or 10" embroidery hoop; medium weight cotton calico to fit your hoop; 3" wide crepe bandage (this is used for the wall & creates texture); A range of hand sewing needles to fit the thickness of thread and yarn used; A piece of muslin to fit your hoop; sharp pair of scissors. The tutor will bring some materials and threads for you to purchase if required or can provide a pack for the whole panel (excluding the equipment) at a cost of Ł10. This project is suitable for beginners and more advanced as at each level you will be challenged to create a textured piece that will look stunning, regardless of using simple or complicated stitches. This project could be in colour if you prefer, just substitute the neutral thread for the colours you would like to see.
Fee: Ł30 full fee, (Ł25 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café on site or you can bring a packed lunch)

The Making of the Wirral Landscape
Illustrated talk by local author Antony Annakin-Smith
Thursday 15th May 2014 at 7.30pm
What has made the Wirral Landscape look like it does today? An entertaining and informative guide to the story of rocks, fieldscapes, roads and much more that make up our local scenery.
Fee: Ł10 full fee, (Ł7.50 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Includes tea, coffee, soft drink & cold buffet supper.

Discovering Pen & Ink
Tutor: Jane Beech
Saturday 17th May 2014 10am - 4.00pm
We will use basic pen and ink techniques to create textures, tonal areas and decorative patterns and will then combine the different marks to create a finished drawing. The techniques learnt today can cross over into other mediums and will be useful for pencil drawings, coloured pencil drawings and paintings using various mediums and will help to build your knowledge of tonal values and how to portray them. There will be demonstrations throughout and you should be able to handle your materials with confidence by the end of the day. Material List: Technical ink pens (fibre tipped a good option) fine, medium & thick; or traditional ink pens if preferred in a variety of sizes; putty rubber; HB or B pencil; cartridge paper, tracing paper.
Fee: Ł30 full fee (Ł25 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café on site or you can bring a packed lunch)

Painting with a Palette Knife in the Garden
Tutor: Sue Farrington
Saturday 7th June 2014 10.00am - 4.00pm (Please arrive at 9.30am)
Painting with knives using oil paints is an exciting and expressive technique that creates different effects from ant that can be achieved using a brush. Create a fresh, lively and energetic impressionistic Garden painting using this delicate but tough instrument. Emphasise highlights, work 'wet-in-wet' with a limited palette. Add a three-dimensional textured effect and produce a wide variety of shapes.
Material List: supplied after bookings have been made.
Fee: Ł30 full fee, (Ł25 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café on site or you can bring a packed lunch)

Plant Hunters Fair
Sunday 15th June 2014 10am - 3pm
Sale of interesting and unusual plants from Specialist Nurseries - with lots of free information and advice. Booking not necessary. Admission to Fair Ł1 per person. Free Parking as available. Refreshment throughout the day.

Wildlife on your Doorstep
Illustrated talk by Colin Wells & Lynne Greenstreet
Wednesday 25th June 2014 7.30pm
Colin & Lynne will talk about the wildlife that can be seen through the seasons at RSPB's Burton Mere Wetlands Reserve.
Fee: Ł10 full fee, (Ł7.50 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Includes tea, coffee, soft drink & cold buffet supper.

Plants in the Wrong Place - A practical course on weed identification
Tutor : Peter Cunnington
Thursday 3rd July 2014 10am - 4pm
Why is it that the plants that grow best in our gardens are often the ones we would rather did not grow at all? Someone once said that 'A weed is a plant in the wrong place'. Not true. A weed is the wrong plant in the wrong place. Knowing which plant is right and which is wrong can sometimes tax even the most experienced gardeners' brain so this course may help to unscramble the problem.
Giving practical advice for the recognition of 'the wrong plant' and methods to prevent its presence in the garden or remove it once it's got there, we shall examine in the open garden some of nature's most troublesome 'wrong plants'. Bring suitable clothing for outside classroom work, and any plant you wish identified in a Sealed bag to prevent its escape.
Fee: Ł30 full fee, (Ł25 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café or you can bring a packed lunch)

Archery for Beginners
Tutors: Viv Guthrie & Lindsey Lawrence
Saturday 12th July 2014 10am - 4pm
Join Burton Manor Bowmen for a day of archery. Find out about the different types of archery - Learn how to shoot a bow, score and care for equipment. See different types of bow. Learn about the longbow's history and about famous archers. Find your local club - you may want to take archery to a higher level.
NB Not wheelchair friendly. Clothing should be close fitting but comfortable. Bring Waterproofs in case of inclement weather. All equipment is provided.
Fee: Ł30 full fee, (Ł25 members of Friends of Burton Manor Gardens.) Tea, coffee and soft drinks provided. (There is a Café on site or you can bring a packed lunch)

Enquiries & Bookings:

Please make Cheques payable to 'Burton Manor Gardens'.

Post: - Burton Manor Gardens, c/o Burton Manor, The Village, Burton, Neston CH64 5SJ
Telephone:- 0151 345 1107 - Answerphone service - please leave a message & your call will be returned
E-mail: - burtonmanorgardens@gmail.com
www.burtonmanorgardens.org.uk

As there are a limited number of places on most of our courses and talks, please submit payment as soon as possible after booking to secure your place. Some teaching rooms are upstairs. Please indicate if this might cause you difficulty. On Arrival please report to Reception at the top of the stairs in Squirrel Lodge, which will be signposted.