Bake Off snowdrops destroyed by slugs in Berkshire
- Published
A carpet of snowdrops at an estate which plays host to The Great British Bake Off's famous white tent have been gobbled up by an horde of slugs.
Welford Park in Newbury, Berkshire, said its white blooms normally lasted about five weeks until March.
But the park's team said heavy rainfall and warm temperatures had caused an epidemic of snowdrop-hungry slugs.
In a message posted online, the estate warned visitors to expect to see a much-reduced number of blooms.
It said February had "been one of the wettest months on record, certainly since we opened in 1998".
The private estate added: "Unfortunately, the Galanthus Nivalis have turned early and started to go over.
"We are suffering epidemic levels of slug infestation and they have simply eaten their way through the carpet in our beech wood in the last few days."
It said other flowers and plants, including crocus, early daffodils and cyclamens, were "all still standing tall" so the grounds would remain open as planned until Sunday.
The park was first home to the Great British Bake Off's white tent from 2014 to 2019.
The show moved to Down Hall during the Covid pandemic, returning to Welford Park in 2022, where soggy bottoms and breath-taking bakes have been created ever since.
Takings from the three Sundays the snowdrops are on display each year are donated to charities - this year's are The National Garden Scheme, Newbury Cancer Care and Newbury Soup Kitchen.
