A summer's day in Suffolk, 9th August 2023

The summer visit to view the Suffolk Art for Cure Breast Cancer Charity’s exhibition of sculptures in the gardens of Helmingham Hall was wonderful. As the sun shone down, we viewed some 300 free-standing sculptures ranging from large abstract shapes sited along the Apple Walk to small bronze birds perching in the herbaceous borders and multi-storied clay buildings in the woods. I loved the surprise of finding one of Rachel Ducker’s human figures with her streaming copper hair sitting quietly in a garden alcove, enjoying the view across the garden.

Helmingham Hall has been owned by the Tollemache family for more than five hundred years and its gardeners maintain and enhance gardens begun in 1510. The sense of the soil and plants being nurtured over such a long time is palpable and the sculptures amplified these feelings of love and empathy, as the artists worked with their preferred materials to create these beautiful works.

In Wright’s Café in the old Coach House at Helmingham Hall, some of us shared our excellent light lunch with foraging wasps who act as front-line predators in the gardeners’ biodiversity strategy. The wasps feed their young on a diet of garden grubs and caterpillars which reduces the need for chemical pesticides. But ‘posh cheese toasties’ seemed to be on their menu, too!

With thoughts of food still in mind, we then travelled the short distance to visit The Food Museum in Stowmarket where we were hosted by Darren Dordoy, Visitor Services Officer. In the tradition of open-air museums around the country, the large site (75 acres) has an important historic building at its heart: in this case the Abbot’s House built on the site of St. Osyth Monastery. Seventeen historic buildings linked to the agricultural economy of East Anglia include a fully equipped Blacksmith’s forge, a medieval tithe barn and a working C19th watermill.

Previously known as the Museum of East Anglian Life, the impact of Covid combined with cuts in funding from local councils has led the Trust to rebrand itself with a new focus on how societies ‘grow, make and eat’ their food. The Museum launched its new strategy last year and is making great efforts to raise funds to support its work.

There is so much to be done, as our walk around the walled garden next to the Abbot’s Hall showed us. With memories of the beauty of the herb and knot garden at Helmingham Hall in mind, here was a challenge for keen gardeners to take forward. As one of our members said, “I wish I lived closer because I would happily volunteer to work here.” I think that feeling was quite widely shared.

Our grateful thanks to Michael Steward for planning the trip and co-ordinating the day. It was a great success.