reviews of British gardens and nurseries, large and small.
What a glorious late August weekend we chose to visit the garden of England. Kent is so often overlooked as merely a channel tunnel and ferry terminal, and yet this beautiful Eden is resplendent in the finest farmland, hop fields and orchards with quintessential villages abound. Purposely ditching the SatNav, we relied on the good... Continue Reading →
West Dean, near Chichester in West Sussex is nestled in the lea of the South Downs and host to West Dean College, a world renowned place of study for conservation, making and visual arts. WALLED KITCHEN GARDEN The walled garden within the grounds is the former kitchen garden and home to 13 splendid Victorian glasshouses which were completely... Continue Reading →
My ‘local’ and most loved National Trust property has to be the glorious Polesden Lacey, a Regency Villa set on the edge of the North Downs and host to many Edwardian house parties and even a Royal honeymoon, latterly hosting the more mundane masses of the general public but still wearing it’s enchanting beauty... Continue Reading →
Since 1978, the village of Shere in Surrey has opened it's gardens to raise funds for local charities. On Sunday 28th June, Shere once again threw open it's garden gates to enable the general public to nose around some of the most beautiful backyards in Surrey. GLORIOUS SITUATION Nestled at the foot of the North Downs,... Continue Reading →
Little Mynthurst Farm is situated in the village of Norwood Hill, near Horley in Surrey and is only open once or twice a year under the National Gardens Scheme. The former home of Lord Baden Powell, this Grade ll listed house, with parts dating back to the 16th century is mainly timber framed with a... Continue Reading →
The Blickling estate near Aylsham, Norfolk is dominated by the magnificent and commanding Blickling Hall, a Jacobean treasure that quite literally stops you in your tracks; in fact as we drove along the road outside Blickling we nearly caused an accident as we rubber-necked to admire the sight of the house. The birthplace of Anne... Continue Reading →
East Ruston Old Vicarage Gardens, near North Walsham on the Norfolk coast is snugly protected from the prevailing North Sea winds by extensively planted trees and walled areas, creating a sheltered wonderland for the visitor to explore. It is hard to imagine such delights given that the surrounding land is windswept fields overlooking the sea,... Continue Reading →
Hatchlands Park, near Guildford in Surrey is a National Trust Georgian gem of a country residence and still a family home today. The entire ground floor of the house is open to the public and features paintings, antiques and musical instruments. The property is set amid 400 acres of rolling parkland and it is hard... Continue Reading →
Dunham Massey, near Altringham in Cheshire is only 20 minutes from Manchester city centre and yet feels a whole world away, being set amongst the leafy Cheshire countryside. A country estate with a Georgian mansion built in the 1730's by George Booth, Earl of Warrington, the park has been home to the Grey family... Continue Reading →
At the edge of the beautiful town of Petworth, Sussex lies the 17th-century mansion of Petworth House. Set in beautiful grounds landscaped by Capability Brown, this 700-acre deer park has been immortalised in Turner's paintings which are on display inside the house itself, along with works of art by Van Dyck, Reynolds, Titian and Blake.... Continue Reading →
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