So, back to the lovely garden at Woolbeding!
If you get 'The Telegraph' you may have seen an article about it in last Saturday's ''Gardening section. My Mum saw this and phoned to let me know - it sent me into a panic to get tickets booked, as we'd already set yesterday as the date, but I hadn't got round to actually getting the tickets (limited availability, they say).
It's probably just as well I got straight on the phone to finalise our arrangements, as the staff said it was by far the busiest day they'd had, probably down to the article in the paper. Here's a little of what was written:
"It is a real gem. Not only does it contain a large plant collection in settings shaped, and continuing to be shaped, by some of the best contemporary designers and craftsmen, but it also offers a glimpse into country life of the most luscious and rarefied kind."
Stephen Lacey Woolbeding Gardens, West Sussex
Oh yes!
Glorious stonework...
Beautifully framed views...
Quirky touches...
Hidden statuary...
A kitchen garden to die for...
Walled gardens, each with a character of its own...
A beautiful Italian fountain...
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| (Rear view to protect his modesty!) |
Yet more plants that look familiar, yet in shades I'd not seen before...
Topiary and wisteria...
A temple to commemorate a tree...
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| The largest tulip tree in Europe stood here till the Great Storm of 1987. |
A giant wine-glass sculpture where a cedar of Lebanon once stood...
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| Not sure about this one, but only a home of the most rarefied sort could boast such a work of art! |
Wide lawns and somewhere to mess around with a croquet stick...
More beautiful places to perch...
Leaving the walled gardens behind, you pass the church, All Hallows, and cross a wide lawn, then through a gate to take you beyond the ha-ha.
Across a field, sheep and cows grazing nearby...
And down to the ruined abbey...
This less-formal part of the garden felt to me like a mini-Stourhead Gardens. Once again I felt I was walking a path worn by my 18th century counterparts.
The Chinese Bridge...
Shady paths and steps to tempt you down...
A hut for a hermit...
The prettiest gothic pavillion overlooking a waterfall...
Ferns aplenty dipping their fronds in the cooling water...
An elephant in a jungly-nook...
(Oh, yes! All country homes should have one!)
A bubbling oasis, surrounded by statues representing the four seasons...
Neptune, in his cave, draped in a cloak of shimmering shells...
Leaves big enough to shelter beneath...
In fact, all of this is quite new, begun in the late 1990s and partly designed by Julian and Isabel Bannerman of Highgove Gardens fame!
I think I'd like to live in the hermit's hut a few days and savour it all a little longer!
What do you think of the new look?
(I feel like I've had a makeover myself - someone said they almost didn't recognise me!)
Wow! There's so much to see at this place. I'm not too sure about the elephant though.
ReplyDeleteThe new look blog is great, it's all looking fresh x
Lovely...thank you for the tour. I like the new wallpaper it's one of my favourite colours. It's soothing and friendly:)
ReplyDeleteDearest Alix
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful journey through this spectacular garden. As you have dibs on the hermit's hut, I shall take the gothic pavillion. This garden definitely needs to be lived in.
A delightful post, thank you
Helen xx
Just stunning. Thank you for sharing. Lesley x
ReplyDeleteThe dates in the diary for next weekend, does it have a tearoom?
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the lovely comments - glad you liked the photos and the new look. The only downside to Woolbeding is that it is only open on Thursdays and Fridays, and you have to phone to book. There is no proper shop or tearoom, like most National Trust properties have, but you can buy a DIY tea or coffee, or a cold drink (the Victorian Lemonade was very good), and there are yummies such as flapjacks to be had too. Hope this helps - if you want further info, just email me!
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