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Wonders of Winterbourne
From the Japanese Bridge to the little Noah’s Ark figures in the nursery, there are dozens of treasures to discover in our house and garden.
During University of Birmingham’s anniversary year, we’re celebrating 125 ‘Wonders of Winterbourne’ – all the very best of what you can see and do in our house and garden.
Every month we’ll update this list – so you’ll find reasons to return time and time again to discover new delights.
How many ‘wonders’ will you tick off in 2025?
1
Underplanted with bold drifts of winter colour, the Winter Garden will soon come to life as we enter the darkest months of the year.
2
The Alpine House contains a fascinating collection of Cyclamen, Lewisia and Saxifraga. Although at its best when these plants burst into bloom during the spring, it allows visitors to see Alpine plants which typically grow at very high altitudes in mountainous regions where they are frozen for many months of the year.Find out more about the impact of volunteers at Winterbourne and our current vacancies.
3
Would you prefer an electric blanket or one of our warming pans this winter? Filled with hot coals from the fire which heat the metal, these pans would have been carefully swiped across the bedsheets before the Nettlefold family got into bed during the coldest months of the year.
4
Make sure you visit Winterbourne in December, when the hallway will be decorated with a beautiful twinkling Christmas tree, recreating the modest charm of an Edwardian Christmas.
5
From our very first owners, through to the team of staff and volunteers who care for the garden today, Winterbourne represents the work of dozens of remarkable horticulturists. Next time you visit, make sure you take a moment to admire the work of all of those who have contributed to our beautiful gardens over the years.
6
The Harborne Tenants Junior Guild Banner, embroidered by Julie Jephson in 1909,can be found hanging behind the desk in John’s study. As part of the Moor Pool Estate founded by John Nettlefold in 1907, young people had their own junior guild.
7
Winterbourne has been inspiring artists for decades. Winterbourne in the Frame is an exhibition located in the second-floor lift room, exploring the wide variety of media that artists have used to celebrate the beauty of Winterbourne, from hand-dyed textiles to polystyrene!
8
The darker months do have their benefits here at Winterbourne, often bringing beautiful sunrises and sunsets over the garden. If you’re one of the last few people in the garden on a winter evening, you may just get to see a gorgeous sunset from the Walled Garden.
9
Deciduous grasses turn shades of yellow, brown and auburn in the autumn, creating a rich autumn-scape when planted together in a mixed border. Find them bringing texture and interest throughout our beds and borders.
10
Enjoy the beautiful colours of our Salvias which flower from late summer until late October, easing the transition of the seasons around the garden.
