There will always be jokes about British summer and how short it tends to be, with any sunny weekend soon being greeted by comments such as ‘that’s summer over for another year then’. The good news is that summer does actually last longer than many people are willing to accept, so it is a great chance to get outdoors and enjoy a picnic and the opportunity to have a look at some lovely flowers. At Guildford Castle, there is a free picnic, known as the Guildford in Bloom Blooming Picnic, that is designed to get people out and about and also presents the chance to take part in an unusual sport.
Free Coffee & Cake
There are numerous things to enjoy about a summer picnic held at Guildford Castle, but one of the key ones is undoubtedly the Guildford in Bloom Blooming Picnic. It is a free community event that allows visitors a free cup of tea or coffee, as well as free cakes in the wonderful surroundings of the castle grounds. Guests are also invited to bring along a picnic lunch to enjoy on the grounds. In previous years, guests were also able to purchase a refreshing glass of summer Pimm’s.
There will also be stands to browse that are run by friends of Guildford in Bloom. If you would like to be a little bit more comfortable than what you’re likely to experience by just standing around then you can take chairs and a rug or picnic blanket. What you are not allowed to do, unfortunately, is to take tables or gazebos along with you.
Fun for the Whole Family
The entire point of the free picnic at Guildford Castle is to welcome families to the area and introduce them to the history involved. That means that children will be more than welcome, with well-behaved dogs also allowed to come provided they are on a lead. One thing that should be noted is that it is likely to be noisy and crowded, so dogs of a more nervous disposition should probably be left at home for their own comfort. The picnic is being hosted by the organisation Guildford in Bloom, who are also looking to introduce people to a new sport.
In addition to the free picnic, visitors are encouraged to take part in garden bowls on the bowling green put on by the Bowls Club. If this isn’t something that you’ve done before, then it is an opportunity to get involved with a sport that is likely to be new to you, and playing it for the first time might well give you the bug. Although there is a strong likelihood that you will have at least heard of this form of bowling, which is a variant of the game boules, it is also more than likely that it isn’t something that you will have actually played before, so now’s your chance.
What Is Guildford in Bloom?
Guildford in Bloom is a annual gardening competition with the theme for 2025 being ‘Butterflies and Moths’. It is aiming to make gardens like much more welcoming to these beautiful creatures, rewarding any gardeners who have been able to create habitats that will welcome them more readily.
They have introduced a new prize category for the year, which is ‘Balconies’. Equally, special categories are also in place for a Themed Garden as well as a Young Gardener aged between 11 and 21. There is a Schools in Bloom competition too, which is open to schools in the Guildford area.
The hope of the group is to encourage businesses and schools to work together in order to make the town of Guildford both more pretty and more welcoming to insects, with the hope being that the free picnic gathering will draw attention to their work.