Postbag Edition: Seaton Delaval Hall

Gardeners' Question Time

BBC

Leisure, Home & Garden

4.5 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2026

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kathy Clugston and the GQT team visit the Seaton Delaval Hall in Newcastle, to answer questions from the GQT postbag.

Today, the panel helps choose roses for a shaded memorial bed, investigates the sudden collapse of a once‑glorious wisteria, and unpicks the mystery of a white flag iris that decided to flower again in autumn, but this time in blue.

Kathy is joined by Matthew Wilson, Bethan Collerton and Dr Chris Thorogood.

Alongside these questions, Sarah Peilow, Head Gardener at Seaton Delaval Hall takes us on a tour of the Parterre and the South East Garden.

Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio Podcasts.
0:05.6	Oh, hello. You have chosen a BBC podcast, but before you listen to it, we thought you might like our podcast too.
0:12.1	You might. You might. It is called Sightraught with me, Nick Grimshaw.
0:15.2	And me, Annie Mack. And we talk about the week in music.
0:18.2	All the news, all the cultural happenings in the UK and beyond.
0:22.2	And great guests.
0:23.3	And it's on BBC Sounds.
0:24.7	Yes, where you can also enjoy lots of playlists, music mixes and live radio.
0:29.9	Everything from my six music breakfast show to Radio 3 Unwind.
0:34.5	But obviously start with our podcast, sidetrack.
0:36.3	Obviously.
0:36.7	Obviously.
0:38.2	So if you like music, listen on BBC Sounds.
0:41.6	BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.
0:45.8	Hello and welcome to Gardner's Question Time with me, Kathy Clugston.
0:49.3	You join us today for a post-bag edition of the programme from Seton Delavall Hall in Northumberland,
0:55.2	between Blythe and Whitley Bay, just a couple of miles from the coast. The house was designed
0:59.8	by Sir John Vanbrough, who also designed Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. It was completed just shy of
1:05.5	300 years ago and has a chequered history. Neither Vanbrough nor the owner, Vice-Admiral George Delavale,
1:12.3	lived to see its completion.
1:13.9	It was only ever lived in sporadically,
1:16.0	and in 1822 the central block was gutted by fire,
	...

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