This England: Snowshill -- The Gardens

I'm already eager for spring. I may be a lousy gardener myself, but I love visiting a good one. Charles Paget Wade, whom we met as the quirky collector of Snowshill Manor, loved his gardens as well and reviewing the photos reminds me that he did a fine job with his property. They are far more simplified than his home, which we saw in the last post!

Even in autumn, maybe especially in autumn, the sense of the garden, the colors and textures, were so very alive! We found this true, even though our visit was in mid-October.

But first, just outside the doors of the main house, you'll find a dovecote, adjacent to the Priest's House where Wade himself lived, rather than inside the mansion.

If you read the last post on the interior of Snowshill Manor and the collections, you may have noted how large the home was and how packed it was with is collections. Yet Wade chose to live in the adjacent Priest's House. It was (by comparison) practically minimalist!

Only a few rooms, one could easily move about without fear of knocking into something. The odd thing is that even after he married, he and his wife lived in this small space. She must have been an amazing woman.

Wade laid the gardens out himself, working in conjunction with architect M.H Baillie Scott over a three year period beginning in 1920. It was designed as a series of outdoor "rooms" with terraces and ponds. 

In addition to the ancient dovecote, the grounds included a model village set on a pond, fields for sheep to craze and interesting architectural details highlight the varied gardens. 

As you enter the Snowshill property, I was struck by these "humps" which Jenny told me were large anthills.

To the right, a field for grazing sheep with a gorgeous view!

The gardens are set in a sunken area "below" the house, which provided for interesting perspectives.

There were also various levels. Here we look down at the kitchen garden.

I was very fond of the model village. Wade constructed many of the houses himself and they are set on a hill above a small pond.

Here's a better overview, including the pond.

This might have been my favorite of the garden rooms. Looking in one direction we see a couple of sheds.

Turning around and looking the other way, you see a handsome clock.

I confess, I was excited to see this one from the first glance I saw as I left the big house!

In one of the sheds, there was a massive carriage. We don't know how it was used, but it was impressive.

In another, there was a display of the various apples grown on the property. 

And, I was rather taken by the gardener's color wheel. I never thought of using a color wheel for a garden but it was a great idea.

All good things come to an end. It was time to head off to the town of Burford, where we would overnight at a pond -- and discover a most interesting church!

Next time, a fabulous church dating back to Norman times.

Travel Tips:  

• Snowshill is also a village in Gloustershire, nestled into the Cotswolds, and as charming looking as one might imagine (and yes, it was in the "Bridget Jones' Diary" film.) If you have a car, directions are easy to find. If you don't -- and have good walking ability, it is two miles south of Broadway and can be a pleasant walk. The nearest train stop is Moreton-in-Marsh and you can taxi or bus to Broadway from there. 

We didn't have a chance to visit the town but it looked absolutely charming. You would probably need a taxi to the Manor if you didn't drive.

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