The plan today was to go out with Granny and Grandad to another of the National Trust properties on our wish list. We have spent the day at Hidcote Manor.
Unlike our day at Upton House, which is only six miles away from it geographically, but a million miles away from it in every other respect, we had a blast.
The weather was glorious. The staff were friendly. The property was a delight. To be fair, if the weather hadn’t been glorious the day would not have been half as delightful.
The joy of Hidcote you see, is in the gardens. There are only three rooms of the house open and they are fairly humdrum, despite the glorious exterior:
Hidcote’s gardens were created by an American called Lawrence Johnstone. He spent forty years creating the gardens into what he called a series of ‘rooms’, each of which has a different character and planting structure.
It is an amazing garden, one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. If you are in any way interested in planting or flowers, or just want to stand at the edge of the Cotswolds and marvel, I urge you to go.
It is fun for children, as there are tonnes of places to hide and explore, as each of the ‘rooms’ is divided by pathways:
Doorways:
and lime avenues:
There is a croquet lawn where you can practice:
Awesome pigs called George and Ernest:
a very tame cat:
and some not so tame bees:
which are so raucous they have to be kept in their hives with bricks:
I will post on the plants and flowers shortly. In the meantime I will leave you with my favourite shot of the day:
My family: bums aloft.
A study in concentration!
Hidcote I have visited. Ranks way up on the list of Best Gardens.
The gardens look lovely, but the house exterior is fascinating, too. It looks like it belongs in a film.
Sharon
They were probably working out how to fish up money from the depths.
Ms.Caroline
It does, doesn’t it?