History

The early days of the Ramsbury Horticultural Society are, unfortunately, somewhat clouded. All that we know for certain is that the society was founded in 1897 - an event which we celebrated in the centenary year of 1997 when Sue Mott and Harry Dobson, of TV’s ‘Victorian Kitchen Garden’ fame, opened the special ‘Centennial Summer Show & Fete’ proceedings at the Recreation Centre. But of one thing there is no doubt. The raison d’être for the society, in the beginning, was for the holding of an annual summer show and to ensure that it had the financial reserves to sustain the loss of at least one “wash out”. Nothing is recorded, that we can trace, other than due to the second world war, that the summer show was not held, so it would seem that a combination of good weather and sound management were successful in fulfilling the society’s principle role in these earlier days. One clue that did exist relating to the extent of its show programme, in the early years, was the discovery of an old poster for the society’s summer show, dating around the 1920’s, in an outbuilding at Littlecote. From this one could read that the show included several agricultural items like sheep shearing and ploughing competitions as well as a comprehensive range of classes in the horticultural, floral and “cooking” sections. Included in the horticultural sections were classes for allotment holders and gardens. The last mentioned only disappeared from the society’s schedules in the late 1970’s. There was also an element of sports and games for children.

The Present

In recent years, the committee have tried to maintain and extend the scope of the society’s activities whilst taking into account the radical changes which have taken place in modern life. Whilst sheep shearing and ploughing competitions have disappeared, more horticultural events have been included in the programme for each year. In addition to the mandatory ‘Summer Show’, we now have a ‘Spring Show & Fete’ (an event where we have joined with the Bowls Club), a ‘Rose Evening’ and an ‘Autumn Fruits Day’. We also have a ‘Spring Plant Sale’ and arrange a ‘Gardens Open’ event from which, in recent years, we have raised over £14,000 for local charities, the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, Great Western Hospital’s ‘Evolution Appeal’ and the Recreations Centre’s ‘Project 2005’. For this we are much indebted to the owners of the gardens in the village for allowing their gardens to be opened to the public and also for the extra effort they undoubtedly make in preparation for this event. Our programme also includes various talks, principally on horticultural or allied topics, to aid and to interest as wide a cross section of the local population as is possible - whether such interest is new or long standing. Outings are also featured, with trips to Wisley, Savill Gardens, Exbury Gardens and Batsford Arboretum having recently been undertaken and Kew Gardens selected for our principal outing in 2006. The society is affiliated, of course, to the Royal Horticultural Society. The RHS ‘Banksian Medal’ has been awarded each year to the most successful entrant in our Spring and Summer shows. Last year we made a £200 donation to the RHS ‘Glass House Project’. In 2003 we were asked by the RHS to host their South West Regional Lecture which was given by Roy Lancaster, in the Memorial Hall, in September of that year.

The Future

We have been successful in ensuring that the original motives for the establishment of the Society have endured into the 21st century. However, there are so many other possible interests now available to people that the continuing success of the Society would seem to depend on how successful we might be in competing with these other attractions. In particular, for the willingness of people to join and to help the Society to run its various events throughout the year. Unless we are successful in this objective, one of the oldest horticultural societies in the country may have an uncertain fate.

Join Now!

Anyone that would like to join us is requested to contact our secretary, Sue Arnold on 01672 520322 or by email to: hortsoc@ramsbury.org.