Park hosts festival of fine tulips (From Gazette Series)

Park hosts festival of fine tulips

THE annual tulip festival is being held at Dyrham Park this weekend.

Tulipomania runs from today until Tuesday and both the house and church will be lavishly decorated with these flowers and throughout the festival.

Visitors to Dyrham can also enjoy special events and activities.

Love of the tulip began in Holland in 1554, after a Dutch ambassador visited the Ottoman Empire and came across fields where they flowered in abundance.

The 'mania' for tulips grew between 1634 and 1637 when records show a house and estate were mortgaged for a handful of bulbs fetching 6,000 florins - the equivalent of £100,000 today.

Wendy Stott, National Trust property manager at Dyrham Park, said: "We have been enjoying Tulipomania at Dyrham now for almost ten years. "The event goes from strength to strength. People absolutely love the wonderful displays throughout the house, it's quite a spectacle.

"Over the five days there will be garden and park walks as well as trails for children. At the weekend, craft stalls, children's theatre and entertainment and flower arranging make it an event not to be missed."

There is no extra charge for the festival, normal admission to Dyrham Park applies, with a system of timed tickets between 11am and 4pm which can be booked on the day to help everyone get the most from the experience.

During the festival Dyrham Park remains open until 5.45pm and the National Trust shop and tearoom are open until 5pm.