Floral Triptyche

Brockhampton Cottage

Created in 1999 by the owners and Tom Stuart-Smith, this scenic hilltop garden looks over miles of unspoilt countryside. On one side is a woodland garden and wild flower meadow, on the other a pear orchard and in valley below a lake, stream and arboretum containing a number of very active bee hives:

Grendon Court

Another contemporary garden designed by Tom Stuart-Smith containing a collection of mass-planted perennials and grasses of different heights, textures and colour give all year round interest. The upper walled garden with a sea of flowering grasses makes a highlight. There is also a pond and valley walk - concluding with a wonderful afternoon tea in the converted Tithe barn:

Brockworth Court

An informal tapestry style garden complementing the period Manor House which it surrounds. Organic, with distinct cottage-style planting areas, natural pond, which is home to moorhens, with a Monet bridge leading to small island with thatched Fiji house. Short paths lead to a country church, kitchen garden once cultivated by the monks and a historic tithe barn where, again, afternoon teas were served. There are views to Crickly and Coopers Hill - of cheese rolling fame. Within the garden are a number of artefacts including a repro warhorse.

Overall seems a pity that so much of the fruit, and an amount of the vegetables, grown in the area were rotting both on the ground and on the vine - I'm sure many a food bank would be grateful for the produce.

Signs of the onset of autumn were all around:

In the Steps of Lewis

Had an absorbing day in Oxford. Having previously done the dreaming spires this time we semi circumnavigated the river route. It was the day before Universities Open Day so loadsa potential students from all corners of the world meandering n lingering the open spaces. The more adventurous attempting punting the river with varying degrees of success :)

Exited through the botanical gardens, with the backdrop of Magdalene Collage Tower:

The gardens have an exceptional medicinal area, you realise how reliant we are on the extracts of these amazing, and often delicate, plants - and the price we might pay if the ecology suffered a major imbalance!

Ending with a pint of Fullers Pride and ambient jazz at Head of the River riverside pub used by Lewis and Hathaway to relax after a hard days policing - it is just round the corner from Thames Valley Police Station :)

Return to Vaux sur Mer

Just had a week in Vaux, nr St Palais, with good friends Dave n Sue who have made their home out there.

The walk into the village from Dave n Sues takes you through a well maintained local park. The village hall, host to the choir in which Sue sings, was also hosting a local quilt display:













Vaux has a small, intimate and picturesque beach. A wonderful short walk along the coast is the larger beach of St Palais - situated close to the town, catering for tourists and with great eateries. A little to the north of St Palais is big beach, a superb length of sandy beach with a gentle slope into the sea for safe swimming and catering for both textiles and naturists.












Also caught up with another 'Musical Thursday'. Romanesque churches of the Agglomeration Royan Atlantique welcome every Thursday evening in season, concerts which include internationally renowned artists and young talented musicians.The season offers a wide range of music for all tastes.The program combines architecture and music, with churches offering incredible acoustics. We caught the concert in L'Eguille sur Seudre at the Eglise St Martin. Performing were the Compass Trio of violin, alto violin and cello.

The week also included a trip to a local village fete with local groups delivering both traditional and pop music to the delight of the audience. Marilyn and I 'twisted the night away' with villagers, followed by a wonderful firework display.

and to cap the week off nicely Marilyn agreed to have another birthday :)

all will be explained in due course!

Bank Holiday Part 2

Romsey is a wonderfully friendly (esp. those lovely people in Tourist Info.) quintessentially english market town in Hampshire, handy for the New Forest and South Coast. It is dominated by a large Norman Abbey. 

you can also travel through time at King Johns House -

and in the secluded gardens see an amazing memorial terracotta army of War Horses -

In the near surround there are a number of gardens of note - 

Hillier Gardens

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is a 72 hectare arboretum with over 42,000 trees and shrubs notably a collection of oaks, camellia, magnolia and rhododendron.

Mottisfont

Mottisfont Abbey Gardens are set in the delightful Test Valley, where the River Test, famous for its trout which can be seen in large numbers in its clear waters. Mottisfont Abbey is famous for its rose gardens set within a walled garden, with lovely lavender walks and colourful herbaceous gardens and a small lavender parterre close to the Abbey.The historic Abbey is also open with many superb rooms, furniture and decorations.

Circle of Life trees

fishermans hut

Houghton Lodge Gardens

Some gardens are made for planting, others should be left as natural as possible - Houghton Lodge is one such garden. Wonderful walks through fields, woodland and along the picturesque River Test. Houghton also has a hydroponicum, in which plants are grown without soil, and a wonderful orchid collection with many rare varieties.

fire breathing topiary dragon!

the alpacas - Tom, Dick n Harry

The question now is - are we to have a late 'Indian' summer or is this the onset of autumn?