 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Garden visits main menu ..... The garden delights and secrets of Staffordshire Sandy Felton takes a weekend out to sample the delightful Staffordshire countryside. Staffordshire is a county I have driven through many times on the M6 but have never had the time to properly explore. If you have never left the motorway to see what beckons beyond, then I can reliably inform you that you are missing a lot.
The name of Staffordshire immediately brings to mind the Potteries and of course the famous Alton Towers but what many people don't appreciate is that for gardening enthusiasts Staffordshire has a lot to offer. There is also the most delightful pastoral scenery, which I found quite unexpected, and a pace of life which suited our meandering weekend - discovering gardens. And there are gardens aplenty. From the surprises and delights of the Victorian Biddulph Grange Garden to the elegance of Weston Park and Shugborough, there is more than enough to keep any visitor occupied whether you plan a short break or a longer holiday. We started our tour at Biddulph Grange, (pictured above) an exciting survival from the great Victorian era of gardening. It is a really enchanting place, full of fun and surprises taking the visitor on a world tour of gardening. From 1842 Edward Bateman planted trees and shrubs brought from all over the world. This austere looking man seems an unlikely candidate for the type of fun garden he created, but fun it is. So here we have variety, humour, ingenuity and originality as well as some quite amazing technical innovations. Biddulph is a National Trust Garden and a lot of care has been taken to restore the gardens since they acquired Biddulph in 1988. (You can read an extended feature on the garden in the Recklessgardener Garden Visits section.) Log onto www.nationaltrust.org.uk for more details and directions to the property We left the 21st century behind with a visit to historic Shugborough - home of the Earls of Lichfield. Time has been encapsulated in the early 1800s and it really is a delight to lose yourself for the day in such pleasant surroundings. Workers in costume are to be found in the walled gardens - seemingly worried about Napoleon - Mrs Stern will entertain you in the kitchen and you may even be lucky enough to run into the lady of the house, Lady Anson. Da Vinci Code addicts will want to discover the mystical Shugborough and locate the Shepherd's Monument - we didn't crack the code - while children are more than well catered for with the park farm, the characters in the walled garden and the wonderful freedom of space that Shugborough offers - www.shugborough.org.uk Shugborough is a National Trust property managed by Staffordshire County Council. (You can read an extended feature on Shugborough in our Garden Visits section of the Recklessgardener website.) Having seen some pretty outstanding gardens we had another hidden secret yet to come in the shape of Weston Park. The beauty of the landscaped gardens captivated Disraeli and it is no surprise that they are the work of 'Capability' Brown. The Estate was, for 300 years, the home of the Earls of Bradford and is now held in trust for the nation. The 1,000 acres of parkland include a Medieval deer park, formal and secret gardens and woodland walks.
The Mansion Estate, Church and gardens surrounding Weston Park are tranquil and delightful. There is a range of public events throughout the year and a delightful courtyard and Stables Bistro Restaurant. Log onto www.weston-park.com for directions and details.
No trip to Staffordshire would be complete without a visit to the famous David Austin Roses at Albrighton. The thoughts of being able to buy roses direct from Austin's nursery filled me with absolute joy - the choice is unbelievable and they are all arranged in an easy to find order. There are also plenty of staff on hand to advise on the right kind of rose for your needs. Although we visited in the Spring it was easy to see that during the summer months the formal rose gardens would be nothing short of stunning - which made us vow to return in the summer months. There is also an excellent tea-room and garden shop - www.davidaustinroses.com
The Dorothy Clive Garden is intimate and informal and the plant enthusiast will find many unusual species here. There are also some wonderful views over the surrounding countryside. This is a colourful garden which is striking in the spring and autumn and it has the feel of a very personal garden - for details and directions log onto - www.dorothyclivegarden.co.uk We stayed at the Swan Hotel in Stafford for our visit. A lively, very comfortable and relaxed hotel we found its position, in the centre of Stafford, excellent for our visits out into the Staffordshire countryside. The building was originally believed to have been built on the site of an old Monastic College and possibly consisted of two houses which were combined in the 1700s. It became a coaching inn in the mid 18th century and is still offering warm hospitality in the 21s century. The award-winning Brasserie offers an excellent and wide-ranging menu and on a warm evening there is no better place to chill out than in the courtyard bar. Log onto www.theswanstafford.co.uk for information. Our visit to Staffordshire was pure delight. We had wonderful weather, warm welcomes and excellent food. There is still much to see I suspect so we will be back - in the meantime if you haven’t strayed off the M6 yet when you reach the Staffordshire border I suggest you do- you don't know what you're missing. © Reckless Gardener Magazine 2005 - 2006 Mill Cottage New Media |
And there is still more such as the newly restored Trentham Gardens which is proving a popular attraction. Here you can enjoy one of the most beautiful Italian Gardens in the UK with a new planting scheme designed by Tom Stuart-Smith and the Eastern Pleasure Ground, a brand new 10 acre garden designed by Piet Oudolf. The Trentham entrance is well signposted from the M6 and A50 and stands on the A34 Stoke to Stafford road - Buy Online |