Chelsea Flower Show: Cumbria’s Brantwood set for spotlight with Larry Lamb
Brantwood House and Gardens is heading to the Chelsea Flower Show in London this spring, with a specially designed floral exhibit due to take centre stage in the Grand Pavilion. The chelsea flower show appearance will also include actor Larry Lamb, who is set to join the Brantwood team on the morning of Tuesday, May 19, during the event running from May 19 to 24 ET. The display is being used to highlight the Cumbrian site’s connection to John Ruskin and its year-round gardens in Cumbria.
Brantwood brings chelsea flower show focus to Cumbria
Brantwood House and Gardens, the former home of writer, artist and social reformer John Ruskin, will present a floral exhibit built around its national collection of wisteria, alongside ferns, acers and mosses. The garden display is planned for the Grand Pavilion, placing the Cumbrian estate in one of the show’s most prominent spaces. Organisers at Brantwood say the aim is to introduce the site and Ruskin’s work to a wider audience through the chelsea flower show platform.
The estate stretches from the historic harbour at Coniston to Crag Head, 310 metres above sea level, and covers 100 hectares. Brantwood sits within an area that forms part of the north-west temperate rainforest and includes ancient woodland areas that have existed for many centuries. Its gardens are made up of eight historical sections linked by woodlands and footpaths.
Larry Lamb to join the chelsea flower show stand
Kat Parker, general manager at Brantwood, said the team is “so excited” to have Larry Lamb joining them at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She said his modern take on poetry could help bring “a whole new audience” to the poems and, in turn, to the work of John Ruskin. Parker added that the combination of Lamb’s profile and the floral exhibit is “a really unique opportunity” to showcase Brantwood and Ruskin’s life and work.
Lamb, known for his roles in EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey, is scheduled to appear at the Brantwood stand on the morning of Tuesday, May 19. While there, he will sit on a bench once belonging to Ruskin and perform a reading that includes both his own poetry and selections from Ruskin’s works. Parker said the appearance is only the beginning of a wider relationship, with Lamb due to return to Brantwood in the autumn to host an evening of poetry reading.
What visitors will see at the display
The Brantwood exhibit will also spotlight its National Collection of wisteria, which is described as a rare feature at the show because of the plant’s delicate nature and the difficulties of transport. Visitors will also see an array of ferns, acers and mosses, along with a bench where they will be invited to sit and reflect. The presentation is designed to echo the landscape and heritage of the estate itself.
Brantwood is open throughout the year, with an annual ticket priced at £16. 50 for adults, free entry for under-16s and concessions available. Visitors can also tour the house and museum, take part in family activities and use the on-site café. The gardens are said to offer a changing display through the seasons, with early spring flowers, summer colour and autumn tones each bringing a different look.
Why the chelsea flower show matters now
For Brantwood, the chelsea flower show is both a showcase and a statement: a chance to place a historic Cumbrian garden in front of a national audience while linking horticulture, literature and performance. The exhibit arrives with clear emphasis on Ruskin’s legacy, the estate’s woodland setting and the living collection that makes the gardens distinct. As the show opens in May ET, attention will now turn to how the Brantwood stand is received and whether Lamb’s appearance helps widen interest further in the months that follow.
