Historic estate opens its gardens for hospice care

Enjoy the gardens of Flete Estate

There’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the glorious gardens and grounds of historic Flete House on Sunday, when the estate, near Modbury, welcomes visitors to raise funds for St Luke’s.

The stunning 12 acres of elegantly landscaped parkland grounds, include charming Italianate gardens, a well-stocked shrubbery, water gardens, and a host of impressive specimen trees that take pride of place on the garden map, and there are panoramic views of the picturesque South Hams countryside.

St Luke’s Open Gardens

Part of St Luke’s spring and summer Open Garden series, sponsored by NFU Mutual Plymouth, it is a golden opportunity for anyone who loves beautiful historic landscapes, and a nostalgia trip for those born at Flete House when it was Plymouth’s maternity hospital for a period during and after the Second World War.

The gardens and grounds will be open from 12 noon to 5pm on Sunday 28 July, with plenty of parking available close by, toilets on site and guide dogs only allowed.  Admission is £6 per person and under 16s go free. Teas, coffees and fresh homemade cakes will be on sale.

Thank you

For a separate charge, a strictly limited number of guests will also be able to enjoy a guided tour of the grand reception rooms of the gothic-style Grade I listed manor house – once owned by the aristocratic Mildmay family and now divided into 29 private leasehold apartments.

Wayne Marshall, St Luke’s Open Gardens coordinator and new partnerships lead said: “Huge thanks to everyone at Flete House for allowing our visitors to experience the unique gardens and raise funds to support St Luke’s important work in the local community.”

The next date on the Open Gardens calendar is Sunday, August 4, when the owners of usually hidden private gardens in the Dartmoor village of Horrabridge will give St Luke’s supporters an exclusive peek of their plots between 11am and 4pm, with maps available at St Luke’s stall in the Weir Park Village Centre.

Related articles

, ,

BLOG: Affordable, stylish and sustainable: our new Plympton charity shop has opened its doors!

With spring heralding new beginnings, what better time to open our newest charity shop? Featuring rails and shelves filled with carefully curated stock, our new Plympton shop welcomed its first customers this week, eager to see beyond the beautiful window display singing with the colours of the season. Located just a step away from Iceland on the Ridgeway, the new store is full of affordable, sustainable, pre-loved treasures to profit hospice care for the local community. In this case, good-quality second-hand clothes and accessories artfully arranged by colour, plus items of homeware and bric-a-brac.
, ,

BLOG: Remember together at St Luke’s Midnight Walk 2025

Let’s remember together, as St Luke’s iconic Midnight Walk returns on Friday 11 July. Midnight Walk is our family-friendly event, with a heart full of hope, kindly sponsored once again by Michael Spiers. It’s a chance to shine a light on all those very special people who are no longer with us, while striding forward to secure the future of our hospice services at home and in our specialist unit. From young children to teenagers, and from strollers to seasoned, long-distance striders, everyone is welcome to be part of the action. And this year, for the first time, there’s a choice of four routes rather than the traditional three.
, ,

BLOG: How Taimur aced his final Men’s Day Out in spirit

Taimur Huq was a man who lived life to the full and inspired countless people to do the same. Not even a terminal diagnosis and being reliant on an oxygen tank 24 hours a day stopped him setting and achieving new goals. An enthusiastic and loyal champion of St Luke’s Men’s Day Out for the past ten years, the former Maths teacher and outdoor education mentor was determined to take part in last weekend’s charity walk through the city, even though he would need to ride on his mobility scooter. Sadly, Tay died just six days before the flagship annual event, but the success of his mission to raise funds so that others can experience the compassionate care St Luke’s offered him and his family during the last months of his life has now gone way beyond his wildest dreams.
, ,

BLOG: Frankie reflects on 35 years at St Luke’s as she says a fond farewell

t’s hard to imagine St Luke’s without the inimitable Frankie Dee, a dedicated and inspirational nurse whose wealth of hands-on experience and management knowledge led her to become our Head of Quality and Compliance, monitoring, safeguarding and promoting the high standards of end of life care we offer patients and their families. But, after 35 years, Frankie says the time has come to say a fond farewell to the organisation she has proudly helped to be the best it can be, and to the career that has taught her so much about what’s really important in life.
, ,

BLOG: Record-breaking 2,500 put their best foot forward for hospice care

An incredible 2,500 men took to the streets of Plymouth on Saturday, striding out to honour their much-missed loved ones and show their support for the independent charity that provides specialist end of life care for local families. Sunny skies made an unexpected appearance as the biggest gathering yet of big-hearted chaps of all ages turned out for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Men’s Day Out, setting off from Plymouth Albion rugby ground at Devonport to walk 12km along the waterfront and through the city – a reversal of the route to ring the changes for regular participants.
, ,

BLOG: Like father, like son: London to Paris for St Luke’s

A father and son duo will be pushing the pedals in aid of St Luke’s this summer as they take on a 250 mile cycling challenge from London to Paris. Luke Clement and his 10-year-old son James, from Horrabridge are no strangers to two-wheeled escapades, so their chosen mode of transport for their upcoming challenge comes as no surprise. This summer the pair will be cycling from London to Paris while raising money for St Luke’s. The challenge will be over the course of 5 days and will see them cycling 250 miles, starting at The Tower of London and finishing at The Eiffel Tower.
, ,

BLOG: Danielle’s six halves in six weeks in Toby’s memory

A half marathon is a major challenge for the majority of us, however one of our supporters has decided to take on six in six weeks all in memory of her cousin Toby. Danielle Parkes (or Danni as she is known to many) will be running six different half marathons over six weeks all in memory of her 23-year-old cousin Toby Brann, who died almost a year ago. In his final weeks Toby was cared for by our St Luke’s at home team, giving him the opportunity to make lasting memories with his loved ones, including granting his wish of watching his home team Plymouth Argyle play at home against Ipswich.
, ,

BLOG: Argyle match day with a difference to spotlight local hospice care

Classic Builders will combine football with fundraising as they gift their front of shirt sponsorship to St Luke’s for Argyle’s Sky Bet Championship match against Derby County on Saturday 15 March. This generous gesture from one of the city’s premier construction companies means that St Luke’s logo will emblazon the front of Argyle’s famous Green for this very special home match day as all parties aim to raise awareness and funds to make a vital difference to local families when they need it most.
, ,

BLOG: Company kindness helps keep the wheels of local hospice care turning

A premier southwest car dealership is continuing to go the extra mile in support of St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth. With the hospice facing the challenge of delivering its specialist end-of-life care in an increasingly tough financial climate, big-hearted business Roger Young – which opened its Suzuki dealership in Saltash in 2024 - has stepped up to lease five smart new Suzuki vehicles to the charity at a specially discounted rate.