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Event Details
In 1904, Harry and Alice Hough returned to Clappersgate in Cumbria to build a fine Arts and Crafts home. Together with their friend, botanist Will Purdom, they tackled the formidable task of carving a garden from the craggy slopes of Loughrigg Fell. When their way of life among the social circle of local Ambleside was shattered by family tragedy, and, as intrepid Will embarked on his first plant hunting expedition to China, the quest to create a garden of merit became all encompassing.
Over 100 years later, Penn Allen finds a collection of lost diaries that belonged to her great grandmother, with a fascinating bundle of letters from eminent plant hunters, William Purdom and Reginald Farrer and her own great grandfather, Charles Hough. Reading through these treasures, Penn discovers something unforgettable. Join Penn on stage as she tells a tale of adventure that has been long buried, and the untold history behind the creation of a unique house and garden.
Penn's book 'The Lost Garden of Loughrigg' will be available to purchase at the Festival book store over the Festival weekend.
There will be a book signing straight after the event.
Published by Bookcase.
About Penn Allen:
Penn Allen is married and lives in the sunny Lot region in SW France with an assortment of Labradors and a variable number of chickens. With a passion for her garden and the outdoors, she can generally be found either striding over a windswept hillside or the wrong way up amongst her flowerbeds.