LIVE 24-SEVEN
Berrington Hall, near Leominster, is advertised as Georgian grandeur on a human scale and this I feel is a true reflection, for here is a house and garden which while imposing is inviting and while aristocratic is accessible to all.
It is also a garden that is a work in progress with The Walled Garden & Pleasure Grounds Project aiming to conserve and reinstate important aspects for future generations.
By far the most impressive and rare feature is the curved walled kitchen garden, designed by no less than Capability Brown; the grounds here were in fact his final creative masterpiece prior to his death in 1783. Having been a farmyard for 100 years, the curved wall area finally came back into National Trust ownership last year, the rest of the estate having been rescued by them in 1957. It was believed in the 18th century that curved gardens were beneficial in the growing of fruit and staggering of their fruiting period and that they generated more heat than straight walls. As fundraising gathers apace and essential conservation work on the wall is implemented, I’ve a feeling it won’t be long before masses of fruit will come to fruition in this area of the garden!
Elsewhere at Berrington edibles have certainly been on the top of the list with masses of neatly pruned heritage apples surrounded lovingly by large areas of lawn, all labelled and bearing the most wonderful names such as ‘Ladies Finger of Hereford’, ‘May Queen’ and ‘Herefordshire Costard’. I also spotted Quince and a Mulberry deliciously under-planted with a berry purple Heuchera – inspired planting! I also spotted some gorgeous rhubarb forcers standing out like sandy terracotta mountains amid the dark soil of the surrounding vegetable plots.
You can’t miss one of the most recent additions to the garden, the ‘Look! Look! Look! Pavilion’, designed in 2017 by local artistic duo
Heather and Ivan Morison. Intended to replicate the popular follies of times gone by, this one looks like a rather large pink pineapple, echoing those which were highly likely to have been grown at Berrington in forcing pits when it was the height of fashion and social standing to produce these tropical delicacies!
Back to the traditional though and stately trees are aplenty on the estate, with pollarded oaks and seven London planes planted in 1775 by five sisters of the family in-situ. A 14-acre man-made lake and a ha-ha alongside sweeping views of the countryside and mansion are the real stamp of Capability Brown and the typically English countryside to which we have become so accustomed. Berrington Pool is actually deemed a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to the heronry there – surely the happiest herons in Herefordshire! Long walks can be taken around the parkland and these vary in time from one to two hours or more. A very detailed map is just the ticket and ideal if you want to make a day of your visit!
Don’t think that you’ve been cheated of formality here though, enter via the Triumphal Arch and you’re greeted by mounds of topiary lining the path and a formal water feature waiting to get aquatically acquainted with you!
Our lemon cake and cappuccino was delicious and I have to say here that the staff throughout our visit were exemplary. There was a second-hand book shop to peruse and produce from the garden on sale. The National Trust shop was delightful – super small, but proof that often the best things do come in the smallest packages, as we came away spending almost £30 on bits and bobs. Their selection of environmentally friendly items was indeed impressive.
So I suggest you beat the blues, get green and put Berrington on your springtime list!
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THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE CAMI L LA BAS S E T T - SMI TH
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