Gardens


The house and moat form a perfect setting for the gardens. A particular feature of the gardens is the multitude of old English roses that adorn the walls of the house, the walled garden and many borders giving off an almost overpowering scent when in full bloom. Roses in the collection include the famous R. Mme. Alfred Carrier, Vita Sackville West's favourite R. Souvenir du Dr. Jamain, R. Fantin Latour, R. Cardinal de Richelieu, R. Rambling Rector, R. Ragosa Rosa de l'Hay as well as literally hundreds more.

The gardens and the arboretum together amount to about 20 acres.

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The gardens were established over 30 years ago and have constantly developed since. We have been hard at work to develop the gardens both by restoring what is already here as well as by innovation. The gardens, as with all gardens, are very much a constantly evolving work in progress and we hope that they will continue to evolve and improve season by season as well as year by year. Plans are also afoot to renovate the old hydraulic ram pump driven fountain in the moat. The hydraulic ram pump was installed almost 200 years ago and is still housed in its original underground brick pump house accessed by a spiral stairway. Indeed there are many other interesting features such as the probably unique ginkgo avenue, the rapidly maturing pinetum, the formal Osprey Garden, the flowing planting around the moat as well as the viewing mound densely planted with Lonicera Nitida with a spiral path taking one slowly to the summit. There are particular areas of interest throughout the year from the roses in full bloom in June to the herbaceous borders in July and August as well as the snowdrops and aconites in January and February closely followed by drifts of daffodils in March and April and the formality of the “Osprey Garden” throughout the year.

The gardens are open to members of the public as well as groups in each case by prior arrangement from May to September each year. Please email on patrick.lines@gmail.com or call us on 01362 637866 for further information or to make an appointment.