Flower Festival 2025

Wimborne Minster Flower Festival raises over £10,000

The first Flower Festival to be held in the Minster Church of St. Cuthburga for three years took place over the weekend of Friday 26th to Monday 29th September. It attracted over 2000 visitors and raised in excess of £10,000 (final figures not yet available) towards the cost of a proposed ramp and improved steps to make the historic Minster Church readily accessible to everyone. The Festival was opened during the Preview Evening on the Thursday by the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset Mr Michael Dooley with a special 'cry' for the occasion given by Iain Mitchell Town Crier of West Moors, standing in for Wimborne Minster's Town Crier Chris Brown.

The Festival entitled “The Delights of Dorset” was designed and organised by Christine Oliver who said, “she was so grateful for all the help and support she had received. Twelve Dorset Flower Clubs took part each having been given a title depicting somewhere in Dorset, such as Durdle Door, Gold Hill, the Cheese Festival and of course the Jurassic Coast. The latter featured a 16’ dinosaur Demelza and her baby Dino, made out of papier mache. The Clubs were joined by the Minster's own team of Flower Arrangers and some individuals. There were over sixty tableaux and smaller arrangements filling every corner of the Minster with colour, taste and smells of the countryside. Visitors were greeted at the West Door entrance by a lovely display depictingthe Dorset Flag which was created by Carnival Flowers, the local florist who supplied many of the flowers for the various Arrangements”. Christine also thanked the Wimborne BID, some local firms and some anonymous individuals for their sponsorship towards the Festival. Light refreshments were available throughout the Festival.

The whole Festival was a great success and this was evidenced by the numerous comments from visitors left in a book at the exit and which included, “A mini-Chelsea Flower Show, Beautiful” and “Absolutely stunning displays - very talented people”.

The Festival was the culmination of a month of events which commemorated the 1300th anniversary of the death of the Minsters Patron Saint Cuthburga. It had started with the Patronal Festival on Sunday 31st August and a visit from the Bishop of Salisbury, The Right Revd Stephen Lake, and included three Cuthburga Lectures, some Concerts and finally a visit by the Bishop of Sherborne The Right Revd Karen Gorham on the Sunday of the Flower Festival.

Photos details as follows:

1.Blooms and Brews an Arrangement by Blandford and District Floral Group (photo by Anthony Oliver)
2.Demelza and baby Dino an Arrangement by Carol head and Rae Cotton (photo by Anthony
Oliver)
3.The Official Opening (from the left) Anthony Oliver, The Rector of Wimborne Minster The Revd Canon Andrew Rowland, The Town Crier of West Moors Iain Mitchell standing in for Wimborne Minster's Town Crier Chris Brown, Christine Oliver and the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset Mr Michael Dooley (photo by Chris Slocock)
4. The Urban Fox an Arrangement by the Minster Team (photo by AnthonyOliver)
5. Knowlton Rings an Arrangement by the Minster Team (photo by Anthony Oliver)
6.Wimborne Minster Folk Festival an Arrangement by Colehill Floral Arrangement Club (photo by Anthony Oliver)