Arlington Court Celebrates Wildflowers: Explore Arlington's Wildflower Trail and Rosalie Chichester's Historic Illustrations
Arlington Court National Trust will be hosting a wildflower trail and display of Rosalie Chichester's historic botanical illustrations from 4 May to 30 June.
Visitors will be able to learn more about the work carried out by the National Trust’s North Devon Grassland project whilst exploring the trail through the gardens and grounds, full of activities which highlight the importance of Arlington's wildflowers and pollinators.
Against the backdrop of alarming statistics, with 97% of wildflower-rich grasslands disappearing across the UK, the National Trust project is creating wildflower-abundant meadows, known as donor sites, to provide seed to create further wildflower rich habitats across Arlington and North Devon.
90 hectares of donor sites have already been established, from which the seed is being collected and re-introduced to grasslands. In 2023, 8ha of seed was spread at Arlington with another 8ha planned for 2024.
Ellie McCarthy, Programming & Partnerships Officer at Arlington has commented:
‘We're really excited for visitors to enjoy the trail and explore Rosalie's watercolours. It's a great opportunity for everyone to appreciate wildflowers and the work being carried out by the team here at Arlington and across North Devon as they learn more about their importance while having fun’.
Central to the celebration of wildflowers are the meticulously painted botanical watercolours by Rosalie Chichester (1865 – 1949), which will be on display in the house. Painted between 1914-18, Rosalie, whose family owned the estate for over 500 years, was passionate about the natural world and her paintings illustrate the abundant wildflowers that once grew around her home.
These illustrations, which note the name and location of each flower, have been essential in helping the team map where each species flourished in Rosalie’s lifetime. Species being sown at Arlington include Yellow Rattle, Oxe eye daisy, Knapweed, Birds foot trefoil, Meadow buttercup, Yarrow and Common sorrel, which can be seen in the illustrations.
The illustrations will be on display in the house along with handcrafted pop-up flower books, made from copies of Rosalie’s illustrations to represent the species that used to be at Arlington, what can now be seen and the future vision for the estate which the Grassland project is working towards.
Jess McKenzie, the Collections & House Manager at Arlington Court commented:
"We're thrilled to showcase Rosalie's illustrations, offering visitors a chance to see Rosalie’s work up close. Seeing these once abundant flowers depicted, alongside the ongoing restoration efforts, is inspiring. It's a reminder of the estate's rich natural history and our dedication to its revival."
For more information on Arlington's Wildflower Trail and Rosalies Illustrations, visit Wildflower trail at Arlington Court | National Trust.
To find out more about the North Devon Grasslands project visit: North Devon grassland project | National Trust
