The biennial Ushaw Flower Festival, held at Ushaw Historic House, Chapels and Gardens in County Durham, is running until Sunday, September 13, and offers visitors a chance to explore the 218-year-old venue through a trail of floral arrangements inspired by North East music and local artists.
Attending a preview evening on Wednesday, I was amazed by what I saw. The former seminary, now an arts and heritage venue, is about four miles from Durham city centre. While I didn't get to see its grounds as it was getting dark, the festival provided every opportunity to explore inside.
A Trail of Floral Displays
The flower festival brochure includes a map, along with details of all the floral arrangements, which are the work of skilled community volunteers as well as professionals, including current Chelsea Flower Show award winners. The trail takes visitors through Ushaw's spaces, corridors, rooms, the chapel, and theatre, with arrangements tucked on window ledges and bigger installations spilling across floors.
First came a welcome talk in Ushaw's refectory, a beautiful room with oak tables, high ceilings and stained glass, which during the festival run will house a flower market and craft stalls. There we heard from Ushaw's co-chief executive officers Jonathan Ward and Lucy Jenklins how visitor numbers at Ushaw, an independent charity, have grown from 7,500 a year to 120,000. "It looks like people like what we're doing so we'll keep on doing it," said Jonathan, adding that the current festival offers something "beautiful and bonkers" while Lucy said it reflects the building's spirit with its colour, shapes and scents.
Music and Local Artists Inspire the Displays
Each display has been inspired by North East music and local artists, including Geordie anthem The Blaydon Races, folk musicians Jez Lowe and Kathryn Tickell, plus pop and rock stars Sting and Sam Fender. There is humour among them too: the 'bonkers' bits being the likes of a whirling lighthouse light and a giant dinosaur with flowers stuffed into its mouth. I even spot a 'security guard' made with a disco ball for his head and a tuft of greenery for hair, standing outside a little room housing a work called Night on the Toon. A figure of a lass inside wears a dress of sunflowers, cocktail glass and cigarettes in hand, and alongside is a 'bar' with blooms stuck in Newcastle Brown Ale bottles.
Tones and colours change throughout and each piece tells a different story. There are far too many to mention, to properly take in on one visit. Because this was my first time at Ushaw, the property itself absorbs my attention. The trail takes us into Ushaw's chapel, where a horse stands outside chomping flowers, a Blaydon Races-inspired installation nearby.
A Stunning Chapel and Personal Tributes
I'd seen images of St Cuthbert's Chapel before, but this is far more stunning than I expected, with its magnificent ceiling catching the eye as soon as we enter through the arch of flowers made for the festival. With the floral displays inside adding to its reds and golds, it's a blast of colour. Part of St Cuthbert's Chapel at Ushaw Historic House is made even more special by the information contained in the panel alongside, explaining that this is a tribute to its creator Chris Darke's mother who died just weeks ago and also to other dementia sufferers. There is information alongside each flower arrangement explaining about their makers and the meanings.
Among the displays are nods to The Blaydon Races, including a little windowsill scene complete with tiny horses and riders made by floristry students from East Durham College, who have created a second, bigger one on the theme too. Other songs and artists reflected include When The Boat Comes In, The Animals, PJ & Duncan and Prefab Sprout, and there are many more.
A Celebration of Music and Venue
Anyone paying a visit to the festival will find a wealth of imagination on show and a vast array of flowers to admire, including lovely dried grasses, along with some atmospheric lighting and QR code options to add extra music to enjoy along the route. It feels like a real celebration not just of music but of the venue itself, and anyone who, like me, will be making a first-time visit, is in for even more of a treat.
Entry to the flower festival costs £12 for adults and £7 for five-18 year olds when booked online, or £14 and £8 at the door.
