Cornwall, 4th June 2018 – As the sunshine swept across the rolling green hills of the prestigious Scorrier House Estate, Cornwall’s most rambunctious garden fête revealed a medley of live music stages, hidden gardens, colourful tents, mouth-watering food stalls, hobbit huts and secret forest glades. Opening its gates to over 19,000 festival guests, The Great Estate showcased festival headliners The Charlatans, Craig Charles and Symphonica Orchestra featuring Mr. Switch. Celebrating its second anniversary, Cornwall’s newest festival also proudly hosted its first wedding, and what is hoped to be the world’s biggest cream tea party.
With a backdrop of ancient woodland and flowering meadows, The Great Estate spilled out into the gardens of Scorrier House for a three-day extravaganza. Attracting families, friends and a collection of bearded ladies, the weird and wonderful festival once again made its mark on Cornwall.
Indie rock band The Charlatans drew a huge, fun-loving crowd as they headlined festivities on Saturday evening. Performing tracks from their new album ‘Different Days’ alongside classic hits such as ‘The Only One I Know’, the Manchester four-piece were loaded with an arsenal of hits.
Armed with flavoursome funk, legendary actor, presenter and DJ Craig Charles closed the main stage on Sunday night with a set that had the crowd hyped up for an evening of non-stop dancing. Bringing his trunk of funk to The Great Estate, the one-man party machine had festival goers smiling and moving until the very end.
Kicking off Friday night’s festival proceedings and whipping the crowd into a frenzy was Symphonica Orchestra featuring Mr. Switch. Playing tracks as they’ve never been heard before, this exciting collaboration fused the raw power and soul of the orchestra, with the heavy bass and beats of four-time world champion DJ Mr Switch. Performing an assortment of dance classics, this unique outfit transformed covers from a variety of artists including Dr Dre and Fatboy Slim.
Graced by a variety of other artists across the three-day event, main stage performances included Haunt the Woods, Daytoner, Dutty Moonshine, Town of Cats and Slydigs.
As Sunday afternoon approached, it soon became time for a typically British get-together filled with freshly baked scones, clotted cream, jam and English Breakfast tea. In an attempt to set a new world record and garner more than 735 guests, The Great Estate’s giant cream tea party popped up on the lawn in front of the stately home and attracted a grand total of 751 diners.
Festival Director, Ben Hall commented: “We have had such an incredible weekend at Scorrier House. Not only have we had a beautiful weather, but the crowd has been unbelievably friendly, and the acts have been brilliant. Selling out in the second year has been a true testament to the team behind the most rambunctious garden fête. We'd like to thank everyone who joined us on this amazing adventure.”
Talulah Blue, The Great Estate’s very own feather dancing follie, entertained audiences across the weekend with her sensual fusion of burlesque and classic circus. Taking to the main stage on Saturday evening, the vaudevillian showgirl delivered a performance that more than impressed festival revellers.
Nestled in the far corner of the Scorrier House Estate, a winding pathway lined with blossoming urns and twinkling fairy lights led guests to the Secret Gin Garden hosted by local distillers Tarquin’s. Home to the Classical Corner and its selection of artists and DJ’s, festival guests could be found relaxing in deck chairs and soaking up the sun. The Great Estate’s Secret Gin Garden also became a wedding venue on Saturday morning as it hosted its very first ceremony for a local couple and their close friends and family. The laid-back service was awash with wedding wellies and festival flowers.
Stealing the limelight on Saturday afternoon was the Knights of Arkley with a fast and fun medieval jousting tournament that harvested a huge crowd. Descending on the grounds of Scorrier House, richly costumed nobleman, mounted upon fine horses showcased their horsemanship skills with a series of nail biting races and games.
Returning by popular demand, Cornwall’s very own Wild Wine Club transformed a derelict horse shed into a long table Galician banquet. Dotted with buoys, fishing nets, nautical flags and lobster pots, wood fired octopus and BBQ beef sizzled over a roaring fire in preparation for the weekend’s tasty feasts. Hosted by sommelier Debbie Warner and her handpicked team, the gastronomic experience paired complimentary wines with each delicious course.
By dark, festoon lighting lined festival walkways and digital projections showered the side of Scorrier House thanks to a magnificent light display by artist Rupert Newman. The Woodland Silent Disco came to life under glistening moonlight, with late night partygoers dancing amongst the trees as DJ’s battled it out spinning the best in pop, rock and dance.
BBC Introducing in Cornwall returned for the second year and saw performances from Sam Richardson & The Renegades, Suzie Mac and Alex Hedley. Other highlights included Hip Hop Karaoke, daily yoga classes, Octopus VIP Lounge, on-site tattoo parlour, vintage shopping area and foraging workshops. Weary festival guests could also unwind at The Sanctuary for some well-deserved pampering.
As well as the big kids, the little ones had plenty of entertainment throughout the weekend too. The team from Mount Hawke returned with the mini skate ramp and hosted a variety of workshops, talks and skills sessions. Other exciting features included foraging workshops, bouncy castles, fairground rides, craft workshops and face painting.
From hosting a wedding within the old walled gardens of the Scorrier House Estate, to serving 751 cream teas in the sunshine, The Great Estate has quickly established itself as one of Cornwall’s leading festivals.
The Great Estate 2018 is supported by Korev, Tarquin’s, Laurent-Perrier, Cornish Orchards, Pimm’s, Rodda’s, Abbotts Catering Supplies and Here Today, Scone Tomorrow. All proceeds from the giant cream tea party will be donated to Cornwall Air Ambulance.
Established in 2017 by Quick Panda Productions, The Great Estate is a three-day event set in the prestigious grounds of Scorrier House in Cornwall. Hailed by festival organisers as “the most rambunctious garden fête,” The Great Estate has quickly become known for its unexpected surprises. Welcoming more than 13,000 festivalgoers through its gates in 2017, The Great Estate fuses live music, comedy, theatre, art, fashion and food.
Published on 04 June 2018 by The Great Estate
