Easton Walled Garden near Grantham is open for free on Sundays through November and today they had a Christmas Craft Fair so we had a wander round in the sunshine. We certainly intend to go back. What a beautiful place!
The garden is 400 years old. Until 1951 there was a large house to go with it but the house was used by the armed forces during the war and suffered severe damage apparently. It seems such a shame ...
Surely a building like that could have been saved!
Well too late now! They demolished it!
The steps and a bridge over the river survived; the stable block was also salvaged because the demolition equipment broke down!
If you look carefully at the photo on the left above you will see two well cut hedges - these became the yew tree avenue/tunnel pictured in the final photograph of this post.
After 1951 the estate was abandoned for fifty years: the garden was neglected and nature took over.
Until 2001 when the family decided to save it.
They now have a thriving kitchen garden providing food for the cafe and inspiration for visitors.
Why can't I make my allotment look like this?
Next year perhaps!
There are rose gardens on either side of this yew tree avenue but they were a bit bare looking today.
You could get a real sense of history wandering up here though ... it was easy to imagine an Elizabeth Bennett travelling through those gates in a carriage.
Snowdrop Week is 16th - 24th February 2013.
Marked in my diary already.
