Creativity and Historicity in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire
Review of the day out written by Neil Cave with photographs by Chris Redston
Thenford
Our first garden tour of the year was the garden of Thenford, near Banbury, Oxfordshire. It has been described by Christopher Woodward, Director of the Garden Museum, as a ‘must-see for every gardener. It is one of the epic gardens of modern times but, at the same time – like all the best gardens – very personal, containing a multiplicity of stories… about the lives, travels and friendships of Lord and Lady Heseltine.’ The visit included a longish walk to see the topiary in the walled garden and the spectacular avenues of topiary cones that line the rill.
In addition to the guide all the nine gardeners were available to answer questions
Sulgrave Manor and Garden
After lunch it was on to the nearby Sulgrave Manor and Garden.
Sulgrave is known as the ‘Original Home of the Special Relationship’ and was the home of George Washington’s English ancestors, who built the house. It is now in the care of a trust, chaired by Carole Souter, CBE. Two splendid topiary peacocks welcomed us to a guided tour of both the house and garden. The objective of the trustees has been to cultivate plants and flowers of botanical and historical interest. The division of the garden into rooms was the work of Sir Reginald Blomfield, garden designer and architect, carried out in the early 1900s.