More than 18 years in the making, the gardens offers the visitor an abundance of surprises, combining traditional features of English garden design with others, more personal and eccentric; winding paths opening unexpectedly into long vistas framing a statue or a birdbath; paved areas using natural local stone set in mosaic patterns; box bushes shaped into globes, cubes and cones; nooks and crannies and secret places where the curious eye can discover a mosaic, a sculpture or a bas relief ....(continues below.)

In addition to a wide range of trees and flowering shrubs (tulip tree, walnut, cedars, magnolia, pine, monkey puzzles, laburnums, rhododendrons, azaleas, etc., more than a hundred Japanese maples dominate the Spring and Autumn with their blazing pinks, reds and yellows; those planted in open ground are now growing to maturity; others, confined to pots, are acquiring the intricacy and refinement of bonsai.

A number of comfortable benches, set both in sunny and shady corners, offer ideal opportunity to relax with a good book, or enjoy the tranquillity of this secluded garden, and the profusion of wild birds which have made it their home, perhaps with a glimpse of our red squirrels, owls and (rather less welcome!) our visiting rabbits. To complete your enjoyment, teas, coffee, and afternoon cream teas can be served in the garden or on the terrace.