Revival of Historic Palm House as Butterfly Sanctuary
Located behind the historic Stanmer House, a Victorian-style palm house that had fallen into disrepair has been transformed into a vibrant habitat housing thousands of butterflies. This new attraction, known as the Sussex Butterfly Gardens, recently welcomed BBC Radio Sussex ahead of its official opening, as staff completed the final preparations.
Upon entering through the plastic strip curtains, visitors are immediately met with the warmth and humidity characteristic of the environment, accompanied by a vivid display of colorful flowers and plants. At the time of the visit, the butterflies had not yet been released, but once freed from their storage nets, the area is intended to serve as "a living classroom," according to Matt Simmonds, founder of Sussex Butterfly House.
Immersive Tropical Experience
"With Plumpton College, we've created this incredible space where we'll house up to 3,000 butterflies,"Matt explained.
"As a visitor, you can immerse yourself in a jungle, 30 degrees and 80% humidity, and wander round the park here, seeing butterflies from all over the world."
Matt highlighted the blue morpho butterfly from Central America as a key attraction, describing it as having "iridescent blue wings, darting and flitting" throughout the space.
Educational Focus and Conservation Efforts
The butterfly house is designed to be more than a tourist destination. It serves as an educational facility developed in partnership with Plumpton College, providing students with hands-on experience studying tropical invertebrates.
"We have created here, working with Plumpton College, a living classroom for students studying invertebrates of the tropical world,"Matt stated.
"They will get a hands-on experience of how to work in the environment."
One of the project directors, Beth Brockwell, who is a former Plumpton student, emphasized the importance of education and conservation within the initiative.
"We work with tropical butterflies and do a lot of conservation work, making people aware of what's going on behind the scenes,"she said.
"Without butterflies, and pollinators in general, there's no flowers, no food, no plants."
Opening Details and Contact Information
The Sussex Butterfly Gardens are scheduled to open to the public on 23 May. For updates and further information, follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be sent to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp at 08081 002250.
