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 Garden, Horley, Surrey – open under the NGS scheme.
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 →
Blickling Hall, Norfolk
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, Norfolk
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 →
Heavenly Hatchlands Park, Surrey
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 →
Delightful Dunham Massey
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 →
Petworth house and garden, West Sussex
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 →
Wonderful Wisley!
RHS Wisley is surely one of the most popular and enduring gardens in England. Easily accessible from the M25 and A3, this garden is less than an hour from central London. Each visit to Wisley brings fresh excitement with superb year round planting and the splendour of the famous rockery is a real draw, with it's... Continue Reading →
“galanthophile”- an enthusiastic collector of snowdrops. Great Comp Garden in Sevenoaks, Kent hosts their first ‘Snowdrop Sensation’ event.
Great Comp Garden, near Sevenoaks is a wonderfully varied garden spanning some 7 acres with something for everyone including woodland walks, a glorious Italianate garden and even romantic ruins! Great Comp was created by Roderick and Joy Cameron who moved to Great Comp in 1957, opening the gardens to the public for charity in the... Continue Reading →
Chippenham Park, Ely in early Spring – a weekend on the Suffolk borders
A two day trip to the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk borders resulted in a visit to the delightful Chippenham Park, near Ely, Cambridgshire. This privately owned property is open on selected days throughout the year and offers spectacular grounds with beautiful walkways through woodland and formal gardens. Dotted around the grounds are a great many sculptures and there... Continue Reading →