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52


THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE NEWARK PARK


This month, our media horticulturalist, Camilla Bassett-Smith, finds a natural nugget nestled in the Gloucestershire countryside…


Another month, another garden, as staff greeted us with the warmest of welcomes as they came out of hibernation from their entrance hut home. A smile goes a long way on a cold spring day and these were plentiful on arrival at Newark Park in Ozleworth.


The house at the heart of this 303 acre estate was originally a hunting lodge built around 1550 by Sir Nicholas Poyntz as his ‘New Worke’, the origin of the name ‘Newark’. Over the years it has been subject to many changes, but much of the original finely-cut, locally quarried limestone exterior remains intact. It was left to The National Trust (who are incidentally celebrating their 125th birthday this year) by a former owner as a memorial to her son who was killed in WW1 and is a registered war memorial.


However, there is nothing mournful about this property and grounds, for it sings with a breath of springtime celebration. Its


luscious lungs are filled with the sweetest of air whirling in over the spectacular 50 mile panorama which takes in the Marlborough Downs in Wiltshire to the Mendips in Somerset.


Having entered the gardens via a cattle grid, the first port of horticultural call is the walled garden area – created in the 1970s as a nod to the Tudor origins – wrought iron gates, boxed edged borders and the cry of peacocks take you back to a time when I would have been with bodice not bobble-hat!


From this point onwards though, forget formality, as this garden is oozing with Ozleworth undulation and natural charm.


Decades of daffodils dance in the grass as you head off through descending woodland paths, passing the romantic ‘Sham Castle Folly’. The view back up towards the house from the Lower Terrace, clouds and blue sky beyond, is dramatic. Carry on down, through impressive wafts of wild garlic just starting to intensify,


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THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE CAMI L LA BAS S E T T - SMI TH


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