In 2004 work began to restore the walled garden with the arrival of the current Head Gardener, Matt Bishop. On The Bottom Terrace this involved widening the central grass path to its original width and adding new paths to improve visitor circulation, especially for the disabled.

To equalise dimensions either side of the central grass path serpentine hedges were added of Phillyrea angustifolia f. rosmarinifolia which will be allowed to reach chest height. Along the length of the central pair of borders are sentinels of Cupressus arizonica ‘Blue Ice’ to provide some structure out of season. These will be clipped to narrow obelisks punctuating the view to the stone archway at the far end. The colour scheme in this pair of borders comprises lime greens from glorious long-flowering Euphorbia ceratocarpa; pale yellows accented with and red Dahlia ‘Marie Schnugg’ and orange from the superb repeat-flowering Kniphofia ‘Tetbury Torch’.

To the left, the pair of borders incorporate a much warmer palette of colours centring around the strong contrast from reds including Lychnis chalcedonica and orange Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ with deep purple foliage. Next to the barn at the far end of this path is the Chilean Berberis valdiviana – we believe our specimen is the champion for this species in the British Isles. Beyond the tower to the right the planting focuses towards lovers of shade and a fine form of Schefflera taiwaniana jostles with unusual Philadelphus, Deutzia and Hydrangea.

The most recently restored section of the bottom terrace is The Sunken Garden, beyond the barns and to the left, now reached by a path which curves its way down and around a nineteenth century granite base for a horse-drawn railway, used in the former local mining industry. This is the hottest section of the walled garden, previously the site for a peach house (though not in living memory) as can be seen in the cement rendering on the back wall. From here are fine views up towards the house above the Annexe Terrace, though dominated in the foreground by the cinnamon branches of a fine Paper Bark Maple, Acer griseum.

Previous: The Walled Garden

Next: The Tennis Court Lawn