Newstead Abbey gardens

Newstead Abbey, near Mansfield (Nottinghamshire), was founded by King Henry II as an Augustinian priory in the 12^th century and became a domestic property after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16^th century. It is probably best known today as the former home of the poet Lord Byron. It is now owned by Nottingham City Council and is open to the public at restricted times throughout the year.

The gardens are worth visiting in their own right, and are actually more accessible than the house, being open on more days and for longer times. 

The formal gardens occupy 25 acres of the 300 acre estate, and are approached by way of a long drive that sweeps through rhododendrons (planted in the 19^th century) and an area of open heathland.

There are sixteen distinct areas within the gardens. Notable among these is the Japanese Garden that was commissioned by Ethel Webb, whose family owned Newstead Abbey during the early 20^th century. This garden features stepping stones and hump-backed bridges that cross streams bordered by rhododendrons, azaleas and bamboo.

The former kitchen garden is now home to vast numbers of roses, the varieties being both modern and traditional, with climbers and ramblers adorning the brick walls.

There is a fine rock garden beyond the great Yew Walk, and a dark tunnel leads to the Eagle Pond, which is one of the original “stew ponds” in which the monks stored fish before they became part of the menu. 

Nearby is the famous memorial to Lord Byron’s dog Boatswain, who was commended for possessing: “Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the virtues of Man without his Vices”. The monument is larger than that to Byron himself.

Newstead Abbey Gardens should not be missed if you are in the area!

© John Welford

The gardens of Powis Castle, Wales

A visit to Powis Castle near Welshpool, east Wales, would not be complete without spending some time in the castle gardens. Apart from the gardens themselves, there are splendid views to be had of the surrounding countryside.

Powis Castle is set on a rocky prominence above the valley in which Welshpool sits, which means that the slope below the castle would be far too steep to plant a garden unless the land was terraced, and that is precisely what has been done. Four broad terraces lead down from the castle to the valley floor, where the gardens continue.

The terracing was started in the early 17^th century, but the real work was done in the 1680s by the architect William Winde, who was also a military engineer who knew how to blast the solid rock away to create level surfaces.

The Herbert family, who owned Powis Castle, were supporters of the Catholic King James II, so when the latter was deposed and exiled in 1688, the Herberts went too. They were greatly impressed by what they saw of the gardens of French aristocrats and royalty, so, on their return in 1703, they set about creating a garden that incorporated features that they had seen in France and on their travels around continental Europe.

The gardens seen today owe much to the efforts of a more recent family member, namely Violet Lane-Fox (1865-1929), the wife of the 4^th Earl of Powis who left the castle and its grounds to the nation on his death in 1952. The countess sought to restore the gardens to their former splendour after many years of neglect, just as her husband did for the castle.

The four terraces contain a profusion of flowering and foliage plants backed by stone and brick walls and framed by low box hedges. Classical statues of nymphs and swains add a continental touch.

The massive yew hedges on the upper terraces and particularly at the northern end are notable features of the Powis Castle gardens. These hedges were originally trimmed into intricate shapes but are now “cloud pruned” into bulky shapes that are no less impressive. A photo on display in the garden shows how the hedges were pruned in former times, with gardeners climbing up 40-foot ladders and standing on top on the hedges armed with shears, but in these more health-and-safety-conscious times the job is done from a mechanical cherry-picker!

Below the terraces is a mixture of garden types, including a formal garden in the 18^th century style, a croquet lawn, and the Grand Lawn that was originally a water garden. One area has been allowed to run wild (although it is full of daffodils in the spring) in order to encourage wildlife. There is a large area of woodland with paths running through it, and a small lake that is also designed as a wildlife haven.

It would be very easy to spend a long time in the garden, but the visitor needs to remember that the gate is locked at 5.30pm (earlier out of the summer months) and it takes longer to walk up four terraces to the exit than down!

© John Welford

Inverewe Garden, Scotland

Inverewe Garden is a remarkable place that owes its existence to the perception and sheer hard work of two remarkable people, Osgood Mackenzie and his daughter Mairi Sawyer. Their creation, next to the delightful and peaceful Loch Ewe in the northwest Scottish Highlands, can today be enjoyed by the general public as it is in the care of the National Trust for Scotland.

History

Osgood Mackenzie (1842-1922) was a son of the laird of Gairloch but, not being the eldest son, he inherited no land of his own when his father died. Instead, his mother acquired an estate for him a few miles away, being 12,000 acres of crofts and farms that included a considerable amount of completely barren and useless land.

At the age of 21, Osgood decided to build a house for himself on a rocky and treeless promontory jutting into Loch Ewe, which is a sea loch at a latitude that is the same as that of Siberia and southern Alaska. Only one tree grew there when he started, but he was determined to build a walled garden and then to plant more than 100 acres of trees, on land that was either bare rock or a deep layer of acidic peat.

Osgood acquired plants from all over the temperate world, both the northern and southern hemispheres, taking advantage of the surprisingly mild climate of this particular spot, which is due to the North Atlantic Drift that brings warm Gulf Stream waters into the area. Many of the trees and other plants that can be seen at Inverewe today were planted by Osgood Mackenzie around 100 years ago and have now reached full maturity, whereas others, such as several Californian redwoods, still have some way to go.

Osgood’s work was continued by his daughter Mairi, who contributed her own ideas and was determined to make the garden available to the general public. Mairi died in 1953, but by then she had already transferred ownership to the National Trust for Scotland. It was the Trust’s first acquisition of a property that was purely a garden, and it has been maintained and developed ever since with a view to making the garden visually attractive throughout the year.

Visiting the site

The garden is entered at its eastern end, which is on the road from nearby Poolewe to Gruinard. You first encounter the one-acre walled garden on a terrace overlooking the loch; this was originally laid out by Osgood Mackenzie in the 1860s. The garden curves around an inlet of the loch, having a southern aspect backed by a high stone wall, making it suitable for growing cordon and espalier fruit trees. The garden today grows a variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowering plants (see photo).

Inverewe House is not open to the public, although its lawn and herbaceous border are. Below the lawn is a rock garden that was laid out by Mairi Sawyer, using plants from New Zealand and the Mediterranean that are resistant to salt air.

The bulk of Inverewe Garden consists of interconnected woodland walks and paths, from which can be seen a variety of trees and other plants, with some of the walks and spaces being based on specific themes. The moist air and poor light (caused by the high trees and northern latitude) provide ideal conditions for plants such as ferns and hostas, many varieties of which can be seen here. These include some impressive tree ferns and giant rhubarbs that grow to above head height.

Most of the paths are suitable for disabled access, but by no means all, as there are a number of steeper slopes and stone steps in some areas.

The garden looks particularly impressive in spring and early summer when the extensive collection of rhododendrons is in flower. These are mountain plants from China and the Himalayas that thrive in acidic soil, and so are ideal subjects for the conditions at Inverewe.

Clearings have been made at various times in the garden’s history to enable plants to be grown that need more light. These include hydrangeas, eucalypts, heathers and bamboos, as well as new plantings of alpine rhododendrons.

In the “America” section of the garden is a particularly fine example of a variegated Turkey oak that was planted by Mairi Sawyer in 1937.

Throughout the garden many species of moss, lichen and fungi can be seen on the rocks and larger plants, all contributing to the atmosphere of “managed wildness” that is the dominant feature of Inverewe Garden.

Inverewe is definitely a garden for all seasons, and it is indeed open throughout the year. As well as the plants and trees there is wildlife to be seen, including birds in the trees and seals and otters in the loch. As one walks around, the vista is always changing with views being afforded of the surrounding sea and mountains.

One word of warning, though: the highland midge is also resident here, and it can be particularly troublesome in the more sheltered areas on mild, muggy days. Wearing a head net may bring you stares at first, but other visitors will soon be asking you where you got yours from!

Facilities at the site include a well-stocked shop (including midge nets!) and a restaurant serving hot and cold food.

Members of the National Trust (both Scotland and England and Wales) are admitted free of charge, otherwise there is a modest charge (with concessions).

Inverewe Garden has long been recognised as having both national and international importance, with experts coming from all over the world to study its special collections. Despite its status and continued development, it retains the original concept of its founder, who would certainly recognise it were he able to visit it today.

© John Welford

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

The story of Heligan

The Heligan estate, five miles south of St Austell in Cornwall, England, was acquired by the Tremayne family in the 17^th century. A succession of Tremaynes, in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, developed the grounds and introduced a number of exotic plants that could thrive in the mild climate of Cornwall, and especially the micro-climate created by the steep-sided valley that leads away from Heligan House.

Early in the 20^th century the gardens provided full-time employment for 22 people, but then came major changes that threatened their very existence. Sixteen of the gardeners were killed in the First World War, and in the 1920s the owner decided to move to Italy and lease the house to tenants. Eventually the house was sold and the gardens were allowed to grow wild and thus be “lost”.

It was not until the early 1990s that work started to restore the gardens, this work being done largely by volunteers. The gardens are now a major attraction and a valuable resource in terms of their botanical contents and as a reconstruction of a Victorian estate garden.

What you can see

The gardens are divided into two main sections, Productive and Pleasure, which are themselves split into distinct areas.

The Productive gardens include a walled flower garden, a melon yard and a vegetable garden. More than two hundred varieties of fruit and vegetables are grown here.

However, most visitors come to see the Pleasure gardens which comprise a series of individual garden scenes. There is a New Zealand garden, an Italian garden, a crystal grotto and a sundial garden.

Perhaps the most remarkable section is the “jungle”, in which plants from tropical parts of the world are able to grow and thrive, including giant ferns and banana plants. The path takes visitors past four linked ponds that provide some wonderful vistas of the largest collection of palms and tree ferns in the United Kingdom. All that is missing is snakes and birds of paradise!

The gardens offer many surprises, including sculptured forms of maidens and giants that seem to grow out of the ground covered in plants.

It is not surprising that, since their discovery and restoration, the Lost Gardens of Heligan have become the most popular private gardens in Britain, with more than 200,000 visitors every year.

© John Welford