Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Athelhampton garden
When Alfred Cart de Lafontaine bought the manor house in 1891 he commisioned the 26 year old Fancis Inigo Thomas to design the gardens. The property is surrounded on three sides by the River Piddle and using the water supply Thomas created a series of linked gardens with ponds and small fountains. The sound of water is ever present. A stone terrace overlooks the Great Court. It has a pavillion at each end, one for summer, the other winter, as depicted in stone above each doorway.
From the steps of the terrace you can look down and across the Great Court through the gateway into further garden rooms.
The walled rooms and raised terrace required considerable stone. Forty thousand tons of it, quarried in Somerset, was used in their construction. It is a wonderful place to wander as each room leads on to another. There is a kitchen garden of about an acre with a 60 metre long greenhouse. Nothing much is happening there - what I would do with a space like that!
Family waited patiently while I took my photographs!
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I love the concept of garden "rooms". Ah to have enough money to have, and be able to care for, such a garden!
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree, how marvellous it would be to have such deep pockets that you could employ a garden designer and a whole load of folk to carry out the work!
DeleteGarden rooms are a lovely concept. On a very small scale we have tried that in our garden.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried it. I did once aim for a white border. The 'white' iris had a bright yellow throat and the other flowers that I'd planted showed an equal disregard for their 'white' labelling. I no longer make claims to be doing anything specific!
DeleteWhat a lovely garden to wander in. I love the idea of different "rooms".
ReplyDeletePerfect for wandering, and good that it never seems to be busy so there is the feeling of having the place to yourself.
Deleteinteresting shapes and contours. Thanks for the garden photos
ReplyDeleteGood bones, as they say. I especially like the Corona garden, a circular coronet surrounded by a scalloped wall and obelisks, fourth photo from the top.
DeleteLovely gardens although I find the Yew topiary a bit severe. The kitchen garden sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI love the severity and drama of the yews, they contrast so well with the soft planting. The kitchen garden SHOULD be wonderful but is woefully under used. I suppose that it really needs an army of gardeners and those days are gone.
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