Someone Else's Garden.

We went for a fabulous day out this week with our Village Gardening Club to the Abbey House Gardens in Malmesbury, home of the famous 'Naked Gardeners' (though thankfully they were tee-shirted and be-shorted.)

The gardens, in the shadow of the Abbey Ruins, are  really gorgeous, and a great tribute to the Pollard family, who only went to live in the historic Abbey House in 1994 and have absolutely transformed the gardens.   These form a series of 'rooms', with everything from a superb rose garden (JUST beginning to come into flower), knot garden, herb garden, Lady Chapel Garden, spectacular herbaceous borders, laburnum tunnel, and much more.  Unusual water features, and impressive statuary together with clever plantings and very imaginative touches, all made us realise that these gardens are the product of a true artist's eye. 

I just managed to photograph one of the fish about to grab its dinner!

Behind the beautiful old house the land drops away steeply down to the River Avon, here just a quietly flowing stream.   It is truly amazing to think that this extensive area was inaccessible in 1994, covered as it was with everything from brambles, nettles, dead tree limbs, and much more.    Now it is really pleasurable to wander along the many paths through a huge variety of trees and shrubs down to the river, which can be crossed with stepping stones taking one to a whole newly developed area of fishponds such as those originally dug my the monks, where the spoil from the excavations have been used to form a flower covered mound.  A Japanese-style structure sits atop this pretty pile, from where there is a wonderful view of the rear of the house, which apparently Turner sketched when he visited Malmesbury.

We picniced in one of the quiet garden 'rooms' on a day filled with sunshine.   We even had time to visit the Abbey, and take a look around Malmesbury itself, a Cotswold gem.  We MUST go again - a perfect place to take people who come to stay with us.

TREATS!

April has not only brought us lots of lovely sunshine - though we gardeners, having grown flowers and vegetables from seeds, are becoming weary of the need to water all of them each evening, and can’t believe we find ourselves watching the weather forecasts daily in the hope of some mention of rain! - but has also brought us lots of lovely treats.

First there was a great couple of days down at our favourite ‘treat’ hotel – High Bullen near South Molton in Devon. It was my birthday treat for John and this time, as well as the delicious meals, swimming pool and cosy bedroom, we enjoyed a really jolly round of golf. We hired a buggy and John whizzed us up and down the hilly course with complete abandon – I don’t know which we enjoyed most, the golf or the ride!

The Birthday Boy

Looking over the golf course.

Our lovely High Bullen

We meandered homewards, coming across a lovely old train station which had been painstakingly restored by volunteers.   It turned out to be part of the old Lynton and Barnstaple Railway which is gradually being brought back into use couldn't resist taking a look round the station and the little exhibition in an old goods van, and ended up taking a short return journey.   Sadly for us, a diesel engine was in use that day, but at weekends a fabulous old steam engine pulls the carriages.    Still, we sat in splendour in the First Class Carriage, replete with velvet sofa-type seating, and much enjoyed our nostalgic journey.

The old waiting room

From inside the First Class Carriage

We found ourselves at Lynmouth by early evening, and whilst watching mad canoeists riding the boisterous incoming surf, suddenly spotted a group of people taking a heavy 'cage' down to the shore.   It turned out to be members of an animal rescue service who were releasing a young seal back into the sea - it was fun watching its antics, then it's little head popping up out of the sea further and further away till it disappeared completely. 

Kerry came home for a 5 day visit – the weather was hot and sunny the whole time, so she much enjoyed photographic trips to the National Trust’s Kings Wood (just off Shute Shelve under a mile from here), and along the river which flows through our village. She and John were so impressed by the swathes of bluebells and great expanses of wild garlic flowers covering the wood, that they insisted I too went along to see it next day. I have to say it was pretty fabulous – and just on our doorstep too.

We also fitted in a day over at my sister Ingrid’s, and an afternoon strolling along the prom at Burnham, enjoying ice creams.

Having been able to share Good Friday and gifts and cards with Kerry, we took her to catch her coach back home to Wales on Saturday afternoon. Then it was off to Jon and Sam’s in Bucks. on Easter Sunday. Sam has a burgeoning baby-bump now and looks really well as she’s swimming daily and keeping to a very careful diet.

We only stayed a few days but managed to fit in a game of golf (plus buggy) with Jon (whilst Sam swam at their nearby Fitness Club), did some baby-shopping, had a really good lunch sitting in the garden of a pub in Turville (such a beautiful and typically English little village), enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal on Easter Sunday evening, sunned ourselves on their balcony, and while John went off for a golf lesson booked by Jon, Sam took me for a luxury pedicure together in Gerrards Cross.

                              The churchyard at Turville, ancient cottages, and windmill on the skyline

However, the high spot of the visit was their Golden Present to us, which they had kept as a complete surprise. We went to Raymond Blanc’s Manoir aux Quatr’Saisons! We strolled in the lovely gardens beforehand, and then had champagne and the most unusual, but utterly delicious nibbles before sashaying into the dining room. There Jon ordered the 9-course ‘Tasting Menu’ – every course was OUT OF THIS WORLD, and truly a taste sensation. Though there were seemingly legions of charming French waiters, the service was never intrusive and always really efficient yet friendly. This was food taken to high art, and a fabulous experience. Conversation and laughter flowed the whole evening, and when we stepped out into the warm night afterwards, the garden now shimmering in soft lighting, we felt we had tasted paradise.

Thank you Jon and Sam for such a truly magical experience.