Reconstructing a historic garden

Photographs this week are from the notable garden of Hestercombe in Somerset.  

I know my readers don’t want a history lesson but the evidence for Hestercombe goes back as far as the Anglo Saxon Chronicle and a garden seems to have been in existence as early as 1249.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not the same garden – there have been lots of alterations – times of total neglect and reconstructions in the past.

Perhaps the most famous garden on this site in recent times was the formal garden created by Sir Edwin Lutyens along with Gertrude Jekyll in 1908.

Sadly even this one fell into disuse and became totally overgrown – but a project was initiated just before the turn into the present century to restore the gardens to their former glory.

Please don’t write to me and tell me that my condensing of facts is somewhat inadequate, I got a bit lost when the guide started going on about the Somerset Fire Brigade. (I thought we were in for a bit of action.) But the work of reconstructing the garden is continuing even to the present day.

We went there during the hottest days of the summer when the water shortage was just beginning to bite. Attractions such as the “Great Cascade” was a mere trickle.

It is certainly worth a visit if you are in the area. Also a good idea (if you can) to obtain a guide book before going. The book explains the origin of many features and explains the care which is being taken to reproduce exact copies of Lutyens’ design.

This one needs time – and a strong pair of boots because all in all the garden covers quite an area.

The café is good, but gets a bit crowded with the weak and feeble.

I suggest you take your butties and munch them up at the far end somewhere – like Sibyl’s Temple. (Not that Sibyl!!)

Be good and have a great weekend.

Next weekend our daughter Ruth Owen is going on a Diocesan Church Crawl with the family. I think they are turning the sponsored cycle ride round Norfolk Churches into a sponsored picnic for the family (and others) details are on Just Giving if you have a mind to part with loot. I shall be there with the camera – more next week.