Makepeace home opens for charity

International designer and furniture maker, John Makepeace is opening his inspirational historic house and garden to visitors on Sunday, 4 September from 11am to 5pm.
 
Set in the Dorset market town of Beaminster, this is the first time that John and Jennie Makepeace have opened their home to the public alongside their inspirational garden, and all proceeds will go to charity via the National Garden Scheme. Last year’s garden opening alone raised £5000, more than any other garden in Dorset, and they are both hoping to boost funds even further this year with the added attraction of visiting the house.
 
Inside Farrs, visitors will find a unique collection of furniture by John Makepeace, whose work is currently the subject of a touring Arts Council exhibition, alongside the Makepeace’s personal collection of contemporary art, paintings, sculpture and applied arts. Outside, the surprisingly extensive gardens are also gaining national recognition with features shortly to appear in Gardens Illustrated magazine and The Telegraph.
 
Sculpted lawns and yew topiary lead the eye around the house whilst John’s architectural grass garden takes you to a bridge over the lily-pond into a castle-like retreat. Jennie’s potager, with its riven-oak fruit cage and straw-bale studio provide an astonishing blaze of colour, where flowers and vegetables jostle in profusion, encouraging biodiversity.
 
Complementing the open days, Neil Lucas, owner of Wimborne’s Knoll Gardens will also be in the gardens with a range of his Chelsea Gold Medal winning grasses and signed copies of his colourful and authoritative new book Designing with Grasses.
 
Admission to the house and garden is just £5 and teas will be available on the lawn. You’ll find Farrs on Whitcombe Road, Beaminster. For more information call 01308 862204.