Take a Look at This Huge New Floral Display at Raby Castle
Raby Castle and the buildings throughout its grounds have been transformed for summer with breathtaking floral arrangements - and this display has its roots in historic photographs
Set in picturesque parkland near Staindrop, stunning Raby Castle, Park and Gardens is home to Lord and Lady Barnard, who are always looking at new ways to showcase its uniqueness. Historic buildings have been restored, the 18th-century Walled Garden has been remodelled by renowned garden designer Luciano Giubbilei, and the estate now boasts a stylish retail space, a dining destination and an epic adventure playground, all in keeping with its rich history.
Featuring a programme of floral experiences and garden-inspired events as well as the stunning floral installations inside the castle itself, Castle in Bloom is a botanical celebration taking place throughout the summer. Epic installations have transformed iconic rooms, and while the display feels contemporary, plants have been part of Raby’s life for centuries and home-grown flowers, plants and even tropical fruits have filled the castle in the past. ‘A series of photographs dating from the 1890s include interior shots of Raby Castle. One particular photograph shows the library at the castle absolutely full of flowers and plants,’ reveals Julie Biddlecombe-Brown, curator at Raby Castle.
Entering through the Neville Gateway, seeds and flowers create a pathway for visitors to follow and arches of tumbling flowers and meadows lead the way through the castle. Central to Castle in Bloom are the contemporary designs created by renowned florist Anna Potter from Sheffield-based Swallows & Damsons, which are found in some of the castle’s grandest rooms.
‘It was a little bit daunting walking into the castle for the first time because it was a really open brief, and I felt privileged and so honoured to be able to go and be imaginative and creative here,’ Anna admits. ‘The daunting part of it, I guess, was the scale – you're walking around and it's just huge and all the spaces are absolutely incredible, and all so different. To get your head around which rooms you might want to create in and how things are going to look was initially quite overwhelming, but then I suddenly had this idea.’
Anna noticed how the Entrance Hall and Baron’s Hall almost mirror each other, which sparked an idea to explore the contrast between dark and light within them. ‘Downstairs we've gone for a darker, more earthy side of nature where there are lots of almost yellowish tones,’ she says. ‘It's a slightly darker space with big ceilings with (and I don't know the technical word for them) what look like veins or branches on the ceiling – that’s what my botanical head saw. Then the upstairs space is really light and saturated in colour. The walls are a salmony pink and there's loads of gold frames so I wanted to do something completely different there – a very ethereal, colourful, otherworldly kind of experience.’
The Entrance Hall features a suspended orb representing the moon, consisting of dried deschampsia grasses which have been cut from Raby's Walled Gardens. On the floor above, the Baron’s Hall showcases an equally impressive suspended sun ‘portal’ against the backdrop of the three grand windows. ‘The logistics are such an exciting part of this kind of floristry because it is on such a massive scale and we're working with very tall ceilings,’ explains Anna. With a focus on sustainability, the core structure of many of the installations are made up of hay and chicken wire. ‘One of my favourite structures is the sun portal upstairs which is a bit like a giant spider's web,’ says Anna. ‘It took us ages to figure out how we were going to suspend that in mid air and without it being too intrusive in the room but being able to attach to certain places. The most exciting thing was that we drew out how we thought it could be done and sent it to the team at Raby and then when we walked in on the first day to construct, they'd already put our diagram into position, and it was as we imagined and it worked perfectly – that was quite an emotional moment, just seeing what felt like an impossible sketch come to life.
‘I hope it will spark something in people. Especially upstairs I've tried to create things that are not too obvious as to what they are, and it’s so exciting hearing visitors’ interpretations. I would love people to take that into nature and maybe see things in a slightly different way or notice things in nature that they might not have before.’
Complementing Swallows & Damsons’ designs, local suppliers and creators have contributed to the installation, including Opulence and the Beetle, based just outside Leeds, and Kelloe’s Periwinkle Barn who have created floral arches dressed with English hops and dried wildflowers.
‘The minute you walk into the castle, you are overcome by the sense of Castle in Bloom, it's beautiful,’ says Julie. ’In some of the smaller rooms, we have little nods to nature before you hit some of the bigger installations. Anice Neville, of Opulence and the Beetle, has created beautiful installations that relate to the castle's history. The small Drawing Room has been inspired by a book in the castle’s collections called The Flower Garden Display’d, an early 18th-century book that has beautiful illustrations.’
Other pieces from the castle’s collections intertwine with the display, including European porcelain with hand-painted flowers which isn’t usually on show. ‘In the library we've recreated the scene from the photograph from the 1890s,’ says Julie. ‘We've displayed a copy of the photograph in that room and I thought, as we were doing it, it would maybe look unusual but then when you step away and walk back into the room, it just looks like it's meant to be there. It's absolutely perfect. They knew what they were doing a century and a bit ago. It's not just us today that are looking to enhance the way the castle is presented with beautiful plants and flowers.’
In the Chapel, Raby’s history inspired Anice who has created displays including white roses. ‘One of Raby’s most famous residents, Cecily Neville, who was the mother of King Richard III and King Edward IV, became a matriarch in the Wars of the Roses, and her portrait is in the Chapel,’ explains Julie. Elsewhere, the Kitchen has been filled with edible botanicals. ‘We've got sheaves of corn, maize, and other grains and herbs hanging up,’ Julie adds. ‘They’re plants that link to the room, but are also in keeping with the theme.’
The theme continues right across the estate. Blooms by Samuel Baker have woven a decorative meadow installation into the ladder in The Vinery Café, and three large arrangements full of summer flowers are suspended in the Round House. A themed exhibition has been created for visitors featuring 18th-century botanist Lady Anne Monson who grew up at Raby when the Walled Garden was being developed. As well as Raby’s other retail spaces, you can browse Periwinkle Barn’s pop-up flower shop, and Blooms by Samuel Baker in Raby’s Coach House. The Spring Garden Fair takes place from 23rd–25th May, you can enjoy an afternoon tea with a floral twist in The Vinery Café, hands-on workshops and floristry experiences will be taking place and, of course, a visit isn’t complete without checking out the Walled Gardens’ displays of roses, peonies, dahlias and sweet peas.
Castle in Bloom has been a real team effort. ‘They had everyone involved at Raby – volunteers, staff in the castle, staff from the gardens – everyone, and it was such an amazing, creative atmosphere,’ says Anna. ‘Everybody got stuck in and that made it really special.’
Julie agrees. ‘Because we've worked with amazing contemporary artists, like Swallows & Damsons, people are seeing the castle in a different way. Even though it’s there in the castle's history, to see a contemporary floral display in the castle is something that is surprising, engaging and magical, and we hope visitors go away really inspired by their visit. The castle has so many stories to tell and so many different ways that we can tell the stories. I hope that this is just the first of many of these sorts of installations on different themes that keep the castle alive, that tell its story, and that keep it engaging for visitors.’
