As we look forward to opening our doors as part of the national Heritage Open Days in September, Erin Munro reflects on our inaugural Secret Gardens of St John’s event.
We held our first Secret Gardens of St John’s event on 5 May 2022, opening our beautiful and secluded gardens to the public. Over 80 guests from Durham City and beyond enjoyed expertly guided tours of the gardens and were provided with historical maps of the area; a talk on the rich history of the Georgian buildings (and their residents) that now make up the College; as well as cream tea by our Chef Manager.
Dr Adrian Green is a well-known lecturer of history at Durham University. He gave a great number of guests an insightful talk surrounding the history of the Bailey and its buildings, not just St John’s. It covered how all other areas in the historic street effected the development of our college and the surrounding areas of Durham over the years. People were intrigued and left knowing much more about the history of St John’s and those who resided here over the years to allow it to grow into what it is today. Dr Green’s talks proved so popular with our guests that next time we will need a far bigger room! We are so thankful for Dr Green for giving up his time to share our great history with the public.
Martin Roberts, a trustee of Durham Gardens, gave our visitors tours of the gardens of St John’s College. His dedication to the history of gardens allowed him to give us a tour which meant many of us got to visualise and discuss the often-unknown history of our beautiful gardens. The response he received from the public was overwhelmingly positive with some taking the tour twice. Staff and students who have been here for a long time were surprised to find out new information about a place they’ve called home. Martin’s tours allowed us to let the public see first-hand something we are so proud of, and we are grateful for his fantastic contribution to the event.
“It was wonderful to see the college open its doors, lawns, and flowerbeds to an intrigued public. Many are unaware of rich tapestry of gardens that extend down to the River Wear. Expert guides Martin Roberts and Adrian Green opened the eyes of visitors to what lies hidden beneath the bluebells…”
Alex Hibberts, volunteer and student
We encourage everyone – whether you’ve seen behind the doors of St John’s before or not – to come along and experience an open day with us.
St John’s College will be taking part in the national Heritage Open Days in September 2023.
On 12 September, our College Chapel – the Chapel of St Mary the Less – will be open 10:00-16:00. On 13 September we will be opening our gardens 14:00-16:00. More details about each open day can be found on the Heritage Open Day website.
John's Chronicle 