The Open Gardens around Brent Knoll

(WADAS 18.7.10, absentees 3)

A swift pint at the Red Cow was the prelude to this pastoral cycle, visiting gardens thrown open to the public in The National Gardens Scheme. The NGS was founded in 1927 to raise money for the nurses of the Queen's Nursing Institute (QNI).

The gardens varied in size and style, but all had some special interest. Copse Hall, our last destination, boasted elaborate Victorian greenhouses and excellent cream teas enjoyed on the south facing terrace. This overlooks the newly re-modelled curving slopes and paths of the Knoll, which appear slightly raw in their newly planted state. The ha-ha, wild area and kitchen garden remain in their original form, reinforcing the sense of continuity provided by this comfortable Edwardian house.