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Regional Groups

Below our current list of regional and specialist groups.  If any details need to be changed, please email cgs.sec@cottage-garden.org.uk with a copy to Rob Baston .

To join any of these groups, you MUST be a member of The Cottage Garden Society. Please contact the appropriate person listed below if you are interested in joining one of these groups.

If you cannot see a group for your area then please contact either:

Groups Liaison - Rob Baston - Email: cgs.groups@cottage-garden.org.uk
CGS Administrator - Clive Lane - Tel: 01270 820940, Email:cgs.admin@cottage-garden.org.uk

  • BERKSHIRE (Thames Valley) - Contact Mary Savage at Rydal, 12 Kinghorn Park, Maidenhead, SL6 7TX. Group members meet 2-3 times a year at each others houses and organise garden visits in summer.
  • BUCKINGHAMSHIRE - Contact Marcelle Maloney on 01753 651 868, email: maloneys77@hotmail.com. This group has about 50 members. They generally meet for Sunday lunch and a garden visit every month.
  • CARMARTHEN - see WALES (WEST)
  • CHESHIRE - visit the CHESHIRE CGS group website
  • DERBYSHIRE (NORTH) - Contact Brenda Walker on 01773 602086. This group has around 120 members. It meets in the Matlock area to hear speakers and has garden visits in summer. The group also organises a weekend trips to gardens and has a plant sale.
  • DEVON - Contact Annette Revell on 01548 821 315; email: colin.revell1@virgin.net. This group has about 50 members and meets monthly from March to September for garden visits. In winter, it has plants sales, the AGM and talks. The group meets in the village of Christow.
  • DORSET - visit the DORSET CGS group website
  • EAST MIDLANDS (Leicestershire) - Contact Margaret Pickering on 01455 843 007. This group has around 30 members and meets each month from September to April at Hinkley. The group has organised talks and arranges garden visits in summer.
  • EDINBURGH - see LOTHIAN & BORDERS
  • EIRE - Contact Kaye McLaughlin, Black Fort, Castle Bar, Co. Mayo, Eire.
  • ESSEX - Contact Ann Jolly on 01268 747 053, email: jollydutch@tinyworld.co.uk. This group has about 65 members. The group meets at Boreham Hall, near Chelmsford, during the winter months for talks. In summer, the group arranges garden visits.
  • GLOUCESTERSHIRE - see SEVERNSIDE
  • HEREFORDSHIRE (NORTH) & SHROPSHIRE (SOUTH) - Contact Anne Wright on 01568 709 123. This group has approximately 21 members and meets for garden visits in summer. In winter, members take turns to host meetings at their homes.
  • HEREFORDSHIRE (SOUTH) - Contact Sally Northcott on 01989 565 687, email: sally@hugg.fslife.co.uk. This group has around 70 members. In winter, the group meets monthly on Saturday afternoons at Walford Village Hall, near Ross-on-Wye for talks. It has garden visits and a plant sale in summer.
  • HERTFORDSHIRE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE & BEDFORDSHIRE. - Contact Miriam Pender on 01799 540 465, email: mpender@dsl.pipex.com.  The group has about 30 members. They meet about 6 times in a year for garden visits. The AGM is held in autumn at Ashwell (Herts) and includes a pub lunch and talk.
  • IRELAND - see EIRE, N. IRELAND
  • LANCASHIRE & NORTHWEST - Contact Peter Curl on 01704 893713; email peter.curl@btinternet.com. Also, visit the LANCS. & NORTHWEST CGS group website
  • LEICESTERSHIRE - see EAST MIDLANDS
  • LINCOLNSHIRE - Contact Andrew Sankey on 01522 790521, email: andrewsankey747@btinternet.com. This group has around 45 members. It meets monthly visiting gardens in the local area. Sometimes talks are also organised.
  • LOTHIAN & BORDERS - Contact Cilla Davidson, email: cillarosemary@btinternet.com. This is a small group which would welcome new members. It meets for garden visits.
  • MIDLANDS - see EAST MIDLANDS, also see WEST MIDLANDS & WARWICKSHIRE.
  • NORFOLK - Contact Shirley Gilbert on 01692 403 519, email: shirley@flandershome.demon.co.uk. This group has 245 members. In winter meetings are held at East Tuddenham. In summer visits to gardens are organised.
  • NORTH EAST - Contact Audrey Manuel on 01914 870 003, email: manuel.a@blueyonder.co.uk. This group has around 60 members. They meet in Low Fell, Gateshead in winter for talks and have visits to gardens in summer.
  • NORTHERN IRELAND - Contact Margaret Gibson, 14 Kilmakee Park, Belfast BT5 7QY
  • NORTH WALES - see WALES (NORTH), also see WIRRAL
  • NORTH WEST - see LANCASHIRE & NORTHWEST, also see WIRRAL
  • NOTTINGHAMSHIRE - Contact Shelia Over on 01158 548 516, email: s.over@ntlworld.com. This group has started up quite recently but already has about 25 members. This group organises visits to gardens.
  • OXFORDSHIRE (NORTH) - Contact Ann Munro on 01865 558 090, email: munro.ann@btinternet.com. This group, with around 30 members, meets for winter talks in Coombe Reading Room and has garden visits in summer.
  • RUTLAND - Contact Jill Lessey on 01780 410 533, email: djlessey@havmail.co.uk. This is an informal group which started in April 2009.  Monthly events are held in around Rutland.
  • SEVERNSIDE (Gloucestershire) - Contact Judith McCollam on 01454 414 827, email: donkscott@btinternet.com. This group has over 190 members. From September to April/May, talks are held on the last Wednesday of each month in Whitminster Village Hall at 7.30. In summer, garden visits are arranged, including two coach trips each year.
  • SHROPSHIRE - Contact Jacqui Davies (membership secretary) on 01686 668024. The group has about 160 members and meets in the Memorial Hall, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury for talks in the winter months. Garden visits run throughout the summer months. We have a stand at the Shrewsbury Flower Show and the Acton Scott Spring Plant Sale.
  • SOMERSET - Contact Ann Cottell on 01460 281 530, email: peter.cottell@btinternet.com. The group has around 70 members, meets monthly from April to September for garden visits. In October, the group has its AGM in Enmoren village, near Bridgewater.
  • SOUTH WALES - see WALES (SOUTH)
  • STAFFORDSHIRE & WORCESTER - Contact Sue Potter (secretary) on 01889 882 770, email: hands.potter@virgin.net. Colin White (01886 822 228, email: colin@hopeway.co.uk) is visits organiser and David West (01562 752 051, email: davidwest352@supanet.com) is talks organiser. This group has 60 members who meet monthly on Saturdays for garden visits in summer (April - September inclusive) and talks in winter. Talks are usually held in Wall, near Lichfield or in Swindon, near Wombourne.
  • SUFFOLK - Contact Ann Savill on 01986 892 234, email: cc.savill@btinternet.com. This group has about 90 members and they meet monthly, with talks at Broome Village Hall in winter and garden visits in summer.
  • SURREY (MID) - Contact Sue Humphreys on 01372 454 383; email: sp_humphreys@hotmail.com. The group started only recently and now has 13 members. They meet on a monthly basis, with a spring and autumn plant sale. There is normally a December get together and garden visits in the remaining nine months.
  • SURREY (WEST) - Contact Barbara Bathurst on 01932 560 704, email: ron.bathurst@featherquill.co.uk. The group has 25 members and organises monthly visits to gardens.
  • THAMES VALLEY - see BERKSHIRE
  • WALES (NORTH) - Contact Sue Griffith on 01745 550 330. This group has about 30 members, meets monthly at Eirianfa Community Centre in Denbigh for talks and has garden visits in summer.
  • WALES (SOUTH) - Contact Catherine Ramsey on 01446 772 545 outside work hours. This group, with about 25 members, meets monthly from February to October for garden visits. In November, the group has an AGM, with a lunch and a talk.
  • WALES (WEST) - visit the WALES (WEST) CGS group website
  • WEST MIDLANDS AND WARWICKSHIRE - Contact David Lloyd on 0121 744 2418. The group has approximately 100 members and meets September - March at Bentley Heath Community Centre nr Solihull. These meetings take place once a month, on Saturday afternoons. A guest speaker gives a talk and refreshments are provided. In the summer garden visits are arranged and the group often has a plant sale.
  • WILTSHIRE - Contact John Thompson on 01380 812991 or Maureen Long on 01380 725850. This is a group of around 25 who meet monthly in summer for garden visits
  • WIRRAL - Contact Tina Fox on 07802 615 533, email: tinari@sky.com. This group started in September 2008 and has around 15 members. It is presently very informal, meeting monthly at Burton Village Hall for talks, seed and plant swaps and general garden discussions. Garden visits occur in summer.
  • WORCESTERSHIRE - visit the WORCESTERSHIRE CGS group website
  • YORKSHIRE - Contact Pat Johnson on 01302 771 136. This group has around 60 members and meets in winter for talks in Badsworth Village Hall. It has garden visits in summer.

Specialist Groups

The following specialist groups are affiliated to the Cottage Garden Society:

New Groups

Any CGS member can start a new group. Please contact Rob Baston for further information and support on starting up new groups. The following groups have been recently established and new members would be especially welcome:

  • NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
  • RUTLAND
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