A UNIQUE Stourbridge site dubbed “the Black Country's Lost Gardens of Heligan" is throwing open its doors to visitors for the first time as part of the International Festival of Glass.
Visitors will have the chance to see how the team at Riverside House have been breathing new life into the forgotten former industrial site which sits which sits between the River Stour and Stourbridge Canal.
Over the last five years the overgrown land, which includes a grade II listed house and workshops, woodland and walled gardens, dry dock and narrowboat basins, has slowly been transformed with the creation of a market garden, outdoor performance area, craft workshop space and café and shop.
Former carpenter and SEN tutor Lloyd Stacey has led the project which has been helping people with mental health problems and disabilities to develop new skills and a sense of purpose.
Now that most of the first phase of the work has been completed, the site is set to welcome visitors for the very first time as part of Stourbridge’s International Festival of Glass which takes place this weekend.
Craft workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations will be taking place at the site, which is accessed from Canal Street, throughout the Bank Holiday festival.
Managing director and founder of Riverside House, Lloyd Stacey, said: “I’m just delighted that we can open our doors to the local community after many years of hard work and effort by a fabulous team of people."
He said the attraction has been described as "the Black Country's Lost Gardens of Heligan" - reminiscent of Cornwall's famous neglected gardens that were rediscovered and restored in the 1990s and he added: “The feedback to date has been that it’s a really special place that’s going to transform the heart of Stourbridge.”
He said all activities taking place at the site over the weekend (Saturday August 27 to Monday August 29) will be free of charge and he added: “People are welcome to come down – there’s a lovely jazz quartet playing on Sunday night and a brass band on Monday, there’ll also be crafts, food and beer.”
Some of the workshops are suitable to drop-in to and for others attendance needs to be booked. For full details click here.
People can drop into the free glass leaf chandelier workshop, with no booking required.
Ceramic and glass mosaic panel workshops will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday for young people aged 10 to 18. Funded by Creative Black Country, the free workshops need to be booked in advance as spaces are limited.
There’ll be exhibitions throughout the festival with work by local artist Paul Henry Gittens featured onsite.
There will also be a performance by jazz band The Dutch Lewis Quartet on the Sunday night, from 5pm to 10pm, and The Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band on Monday, from midday to 5pm.
Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust will be offering guided workshops to enable visitors to learn about the flora and fauna that inhabit the site and Soul Bikes will be running a bicycle repair shop on Sunday.
There’ll also be plenty of refreshments available – with vegetarian and vegan offerings from Aimee’s table, sweet and savoury pastries from award-winning Peter Cooks Bread plus Berry’s Ice Cream and vendors serving coffee, street food, ciders and soft drinks.
For more details see the full list of events and activities taking place on the Riverside House Stourbridge Facebook page and for more details about the Riverside House project and how it began visit website riverside-house.org.uk
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