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:
