Benton End house and gardens to reopen

Benton End in Suffolk, the toast of 1940s high society under its owner, plantsman Cedric Morris, is re-opening as a centre for the study of art and horticulture. In its heyday, it attracted free-thinking creatives, from Lucian Freud to Vita Sackville-West. “This will once again be a house where things happen,” said Christopher Woodward, director of the Garden Museum, who will oversee the restoration. Morris’s garden at Benton End was said to rival Sissinghurst, and its restoration will see the return of the irises he bred. To find out more and sign up for project updates, go to bentonend.co.uk