Talk

Listening to the Land: Stories, Stewardship and the Making of Gardens

Thursday 30 April 2026

Join Devon-based, award-winning landscape designer Hugo Bugg for an inspiring evening exploring how gardens can emerge from story, place and long-term stewardship.

Book Now

Bar opens 6:30 P.M.
Starts 7:30 P.M.
Advance £14.00
Advance (Woodroffe School Students) £7.00
On the door £18.00

10% off for members

Unreserved Seating

Book online at any time, at the Lyme Regis Bookshop and Bridport Tourist Information Centre during normal opening hours, the Marine on Monday mornings 10 – 1, and over the phone on 01308 424901. The displayed price includes a £1 restoration levy.

Our booking fees cover the cost of providing ticketing services and software. We don't charge this to make a profit, but it contributes to our overheads as a charity.

Join Devon-based, award-winning landscape designer Hugo Bugg for an inspiring evening exploring how gardens can emerge from story, place and long-term stewardship.

Working from Devon, Hugo creates private gardens and landscapes across the South West and beyond, guided by a deep understanding of place, ecology and sustainable design. In this talk, he will share how he and Charlotte Harris, co founder of the Harris Bugg Studio (an award-winning, values-led landscape design practice) uncover the underlying “story” of a site, and translate it into landscapes that feel deeply rooted, emotionally resonant and built to endure.

Image credits (left to right): Marianne Majerus, Rachel Warne, Marianne Majerus

Drawing on projects across Devon and Dorset, as well as work further afield including Berlin and the RHS’s acclaimed New Kitchen Garden at Bridgewater, Hugo will share how ideas, stories and careful observation shape the gardens he designs. From the character of a site to the way a garden is used and experienced, he will talk about the small decisions and thoughtful craftsmanship that give landscapes their depth, beauty and sense of belonging.

Generous, engaging and rooted in real projects, this talk will appeal to anyone who loves gardens, is curious about how they are made, and is interested in the relationship between people, place and nature.

This Event is Co-hosted by the Woodroffe School PTA

This event is co-hosted by The Woodroffe School PTFA (where Hugo was a former pupil) in support of their fundraiser to enhance the school grounds and create a series of botanical garden areas to improve biodiversity, the natural environment, educational opportunities and well-being. More information about the project is here and a link to the JustGiving page here.