'Tulip mania' takes over National Trust park

A two week-long event celebrating a spring flower is taking place at a historic estate.

The National Trust's Dyrham Park near Bath, Somerset, has launched its annual "Tulip Mania", which sees more than 20,000 bulbs bloom at the site.

Susie Meader, the trust's operations and experience manager, said the event is related to Dyrham's 17th Century founder William Blathwayt, who grew up in the Netherlands where the plant is popular.

During the festival, running until 5 May, there will be guided walks, plant fairs, and artists will be creating tulip-related works.

The pear orchard is home to a wide selection of mixed tulips and wild flowers

Amongst this year's flowers is a special plant created especially for the estate, called Tulipa Dyrham Park.

In addition to the floral displays, the house is highlighting its historic links to the Netherlands with several ceramic items connected to the 17th Century tulip craze.

Piers Horry, the park's garden and outdoor manager, said people during that time paid huge sums for individual examples of the flower.

Tulipa 'Dyrham Park' has been especially created for the estate.

"People were putting bulbs in the ground with the hope that they might get a rare or unique pattern. People were investing ridiculous sums of money into individual bulbs just so they could have that unique, absolutely rare tulip.

"The situation was completely unsustainable. It only lasted about three years.

"In fact the whole tulip market collapsed in February 1637 which means people never even saw the tulips come out that they'd invested their entire life savings into," he added.