- This event has passed.
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
13th Sep
10:00 - 14:30
Where:
The Meadow Room, behind Blackthorpe Barn
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Price
Per Person £70
Each person attending requires a ticket
Book using the link under "Book Your Place"
Sales end on 10th September
Learn to make a beautiful botanical casting to take home
Come to Rougham Estate later this summer and spend a relaxing few hours with Becky who will guide you through the fascinating process of making a cast of plants or flowers.
The fascinating art of bas-relief enables a plant’s very fine details to be celebrated and its structures and forms explored. A clay base is laid and the plants are pressed into the clay and then removed. A frame is then pressed into the clay around the design and plaster is poured over to set into all the tiny details. This process captures the plant frozen in time like a fossil and lasts long after the flower has faded.
Becky Rix-Meo trained as a water-colourist , completing a four year HND in scientific illustration and later a level 4 botanical illustration qualification. After life and children taking up her time, she finally got herself a studio and dedicates her time to her art now.
You can find out more about Becky and see her beautiful artworks here: hopecottagebotanicalarts.co.uk
What Will I do?
- Learn how to select the best plants and flowers for casting
- Carefully make the impressions in clay
- Cast the impressions in plaster and paint these to create a ‘time capsule’ of nature
- Enjoy a relaxing and creative day exploring textures and forms of plants
Who is this workshop suitable for?
- People aged 16 and over
- People who don’t see themselves as particularly “arty”
- Beginners; no experience necessary
Book Your Place
This workshop is run by Becky Rix-Meo.
➡️ Bookings need to be made directly with Becky, through this Eventbrite page.
Spaces are limited to a total of 8 particpants.
Important information
Gallery
How it Works
01
Come to Blackthorpe Barn and park in one of the free car parks
02
Make your way to the Meadow Room, behind Roots Café
03
Enjoy learning about what plants and flowers work best for making a cast and how to make a pleasing composition.
04
During the workshop there is a break for lunch
Either bring your own packed lunch with you or pre-book a lunch at Roots Café in the morning, before the workshop begins, to eat at lunchtime.
05
Enjoy finishing making the cast of your plant and go home feeling proud at what you have achieved
06
Browse around the Garden Room Shop or have a coffee at Roots Café

What to Bring
- Wear comfortable clothing and comfortable shoes; you will be on your feet a lot of the time
- If you have a special flower/plant you’d like to try to cast, please bring this with you
- Your reading glasses, if you need them
- A packed lunch, if you wish
What is provided
- All materials including plants, clay and plaster
- Aprons are provided
- Tea, coffee and biscuits
Please Note
This workshop is run by Rebecca Rix-Meo; bookings are made through her Eventbrite booking page. Your contract is with Becky and not with Rougham Estate.
Cancellations for refunds can be made up to 10 days in advance of the event – please contact Becky through Eventbrite in this case.
Rougham Estate is not responsible for the booking process nor for the running of this workshop.
Where to find us
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham,
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
There is plenty of free parking available.
Accessible parking is available near the entrance to the Café/Shop area.
Please Note: The car park closes when the Roots Café closes and the entrance gates are locked after this time.
Blackthorpe Barn is situated just south of Junction 45 of the A14, three miles east of Bury St Edmunds, in the village of Rougham.
Look out for the entrance gates to a long tree-lined avenue at the White House junction, with the Barn on the right of the avenue.
Blackthorpe Barn’s black and white signs direct visitors from local roads.
The Meadow Room can be found behind the old thatched Barn and behind Roots Café.
What3Words for the Meadow Room: hands.dunk.drums
Related Events
Never miss a thing
Follow us on instagram
It’s a bank holiday weekend and the weather looks good! So for many, that can mean time in the garden.
If you are in need of gardening essentials but also gardening accessories we have plenty in store.
We also have @watsons_plants with their pop-up stand ready with some established plants or to get some green finger advice.
Happy Bank holiday!
#watsonplants #roughamestate #blackthorpebarn #bankholidayweekend☀️
Goodbye April!
It was a month that we enjoyed seeing the energy return to the Estate.
The days got longer, the bluebells made a show, wildlife started to come to life and farming was in full flow.
There was even the occasional al fresco dining on the decking at Roots Café and BBQ items started to make an appearance in the shop.
Such a treat it was. But now we get to say hello May!
#roughamestate #blackthorpebarn #goodbyeapril
Today we say farewell to Danny our head chef.
For the last couple of years, Danny has been the culinary creative behind the delightful dishes on our menu, and has shaped how Roots is today.
We would like to thank him and wish him well in his next chapter.
And…
Don’t miss out on his final special with us this week of Hash Brown, Suffolk Black Pudding Purée, Avocado, Poached Egg, Sumac.
More news will follow on our new head chef and in the meantime our menu will remain the same.
#thankyou #bestwishes #foodgenius
Watson Plants pop-up returns to Rougham Estate this bank holiday weekend.
Whether you need expert gardening advice or want to pick up new plants for a vibrant summer garden, it’s the perfect chance to give your outdoor space some TLC while you have a bit more time off.
Don’t forget to nip into the Rougham Estate shop while you’re here to grab your gardening essentials - from tools to treats!
#gardening #gardeningideas #popupplants #roughamestate
The votes are in, the butchers have delivered, and your custom sausage creation is officially hitting the menu.
We’ve been working with @thurstonbutchers to bring this taste sensation to life, and starting today, the Brie & Chipotle Jam Sausage is ready for you. 🙌
Here is exactly what’s on the board this week:
The Signature Ciabatta…
Our bespoke sausages served in a crusty ciabatta, loaded with fresh rocket, sweet onion jam and a drizzle of chipotle mayo for that extra kick.
The Benedict Swap…
For those who can’t start the day without a Benedict, you can upgrade your Pork Belly Benny to the new Brie and chipotle jam sausages.
Our new sausage flavour profile was chosen by our followers, so pop down and get a taste of what we’ve created especially for you. We’ll be serving these until the batch runs out.
Available at Roots Cafe all week. Open daily from 9am-4pm!
#rootscafe #suffolksausage #roughamestate #rootssausage #thurstonbutchers
So that’s it…
After weeks of hard graft, the final touches on the new thatch have been completed on our much loved Blackthorpe Barn.
As @dodsonbrosthatchers packed up their tools and the scaffolding came down, the rethatch is finally finished and the car park is now back to normal and life here is returning to its gentle rhythm of normality.
We hope everyone who visited to see the rethatch found it as enlightening as we did. Watching traditional craft brought to life reminded us why moments like these, which only come around every 35 years for the Estate, make the history of the estate so precious to preserve.
Here’s a small recap of the final works on the beautiful Blackthorpe Barn.
#roughamestate #blackthorpebarn #burystedmunds
Our baristas Charlie and Katie are staying one step ahead of the grind with some hands-on training from @butterworths coffee.
From dialling in the perfect shot to steaming milk just right, they’ve been fine-tuning their skills with a local supplier that really knows its beans!
It’s all about raising the bar(ista) and making sure every cup we serve is brewed to perfection.
Come and put them to the test…☕️
#BaristaLife #CoffeeCraft #StayGrounded #BrewedToPerfection #SupportLocal
The weather’s looking a little more inviting… which can only mean one thing – it’s time to get out and explore.
There is no better place to do that than in the Suffolk countryside amongst the daffies and other spring flowers.
Our walks around Rougham Estate are the perfect excuse to enjoy a breath of fresh air, stretch your legs, and take in the beauty of the estate as the seasons begin to shift.
Whether it’s a gentle wander or something a little more purposeful, there’s a range of different walks to suit most abilities and all listed on our website.
Then, perhaps a well-earned stop at Roots Café afterwards - and a detour to the Rougham Estate Shop?
What a perfect day out!
#walks #whattodoinburystedmunds #rootscafe #outdoors
Tag us @RoughamEstate

































