Sunday, 22 July 2012

Beyond the Walls of Loseley Park

My floral divining rods led me to Surrey this weekend for the Garden Show at Loseley Park.

After loading up the car with a bounty of goodies from the plant fair I thought it only polite to make use of the afternoon with an introductory walk around the walled garden whilst tucking into one of Loseley's famed ice-creams.

Little did I know that the More-Molyneux family hide a secret bigger than the recipe for their ice cream. Beyond the imposing exterior of the house which has been home to the family since 1508 lies a two and a half acre treasure.

Join me on my unexpected tour of the exceptionally beautiful walled garden at Loseley Park.

 Click Images To Enlarge








Now, aren't you glad I didn't miss that one!
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96 comments:

  1. Paul, your photographs are wonderful. There is nothing I enjoy more than touring historic houses and gardens. Thank you for providing me with a virtual peek at Loseley. I've added it to the list for my next visit to England.

    All best,
    Phyllis

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    1. Phyllis you would love Loseley Park, we could have spent the entire day taking in the house and magnificent gardens.

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  2. What a stunning garden, it amazes me that a garden can look this good in July from my vantage point here in dry dry Tuscany!

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    1. It also amazed us Paul. I am sure the recent deluge of rain has topped up the water table here in the UK which aided it's lushness.

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  4. Hi Paul: Boy, am I ever. Seeing it through your eyes is the next best thing, What beauty. You must be so happy to have seen it, I know I am..Happy Weekend..Judy

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    1. I wish I had more time to spend there on the weekend but that gives me another great reason to visit again Judy.

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  5. Oh Paul-- how did you pull yourself away???? Did you take a thousand pictures- I would have!!! So beautiful-- every picture is stunning--- I want to go there!
    Co
    Vicki

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    1. You'd love it Vicki. I did take lots of photos and I didn't include them all I have to leave some surprises for your visit there!

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  6. Wonderful tour!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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    1. Cheers Gary, I am sure you would have a field day at Loseley Park, so much to photograph.

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  7. Such a lovely garden. Thanks for the tour. Your pictures are gorgeous!

    Holly

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    1. Thanks Holly, glad you enjoyed the tour, you would love it.

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  8. Dear Paul - thanks for the lovely visit around Loseley Park. Like you I associate Loseley with delicious icecream, and have passed by many times without realising what a treasure of a garden it has. Your photos are stunning, and I particularly like the ones with the Crocosmia Lucifer, they are almost 3D in quality.

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    1. Thank you Rosemary, I also think the photos came out pretty well for a little point and shoot camera. The Crocosmia Lucifer are one of my favourites, we have grown them here before but I much prefer then on a larger scale like the examples at Loseley. I only show a glimpse of the garden which also houses a magnificent herb garden. The white garden and the flower garden I would say are at their peak right now.

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  9. thanks for your wonderful weekend flowers! :)

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    1. You are most welcome Tina, Loseley Park certainly had an abundance of those.

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  10. Hey Paul - Hope you guys are getting lots of sunshine! Looks like you had a great day at Loseley Park. Gorgeous photos! BTW, I am planning a garden trip (no antiquing....no shopping) to the UK for next spring. My goal is to visit / revisit the best white gardens. Many gardens (such as Sissinghurst, Hidcote, Barrington Ct) have a white garden room and others....which is fine. If you have suggestions, please email me: topiaryplants@gmail.com
    Thanks!
    L

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    1. I did think Loseley's white garden would be something you'd appreciate Loi. I shall rack my fuzzy old brain and see if I can muster up some ideas for you for next spring.

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    2. Love your photos on Loseley's white garden. I will have to visit that one!

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  11. Paul,

    You are so very lucky to have such beautiful treasures at your door steps! What a fabulous garden, I love it!

    Your photos make me feel like I am walking along with you!

    Thanks for sharing your fabulous trips!

    Elizabeth

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    1. We are indeed very lucky to have these sorts of places on our doorsteps. I had no idea what a incredible garden Loseley was hiding, I hope that lots of new people here get to discover it too.

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  12. What a treat! That actually looks like a walk full of beautiful surprises. My idea of a garden. Your pics make this place stand out! Take care. Chris

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    1. Hi Chris, I'm pleased you like the photos, I'm pretty pleased with the results I get from a little point and shoot.

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  13. Just beautiful! What lovely gardens hidden behind the walls. Thanks for the tour! Have a great week. Pamela

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    1. It truly was a wonderful surprise to enter this garden Pamela, I think I may have actually gasped!

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  14. These shots are delightful, Paul. We don't get much chance to tour stately gardens out here on the west coast of Canada, so I much enjoyed this post.

    Thanks so much for stopping by my place...:)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the tour as much as we did Lynette.

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  15. Hello Paul:
    It is now many, many years since we were at Loseley and have only somewhat distant, and indistinct, memories of the gardens. But how well, as your images show, they are looking and particularly so for midsummer when, as with many gardens, too often they have that rather 'gone over' appearance. Not so at all here.

    A beautifully illustrated and most interesting post. Thank you!

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance, we agree the flower garden in particular at the moment is at it peak at Loseley Park.

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  16. Paul, you are a star and always welcome at Loseley! Paul, director, PNPR - the PR agency which looks after Loseley Park.

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    1. Thank you very much Paul. I look forward to returning very soon. Will keep in touch.

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  17. I remember visiting Loseley Park as a young teenager on a school trip - and the amazing vanilla ice cream in a little tub with a wooden paddle spoon STILL sticks in my memory. Sadly, I had forgotten how beautiful the gardens are, so thank you for a simply gorgeous reminder that there was MUCH more to my earlier trip than the delights of designer gelato!
    Lovely images - hope that you're enjoying the sun down in London - it's glorious here in Norfolk!
    Paula x

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    1. Paula I do so hope you find time to rekindle lost memories of Loseley. We were lucky to have the sun break through the clouds briefly there this weekend and today we have beautiful blue skies at long last.

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  18. oh hello!! love the park ... wish we have something like that in Toronto! Now another question I have is: how was the ice cream?

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    1. Hi Tim, Most of the garden we visit are at least an hour or two from where we live. I'm sure you can find some fabulous gardens an hour or so outside of Toronto and I look forward to your trip report:)
      The ice cream was delicious Tim, I did intend to save you some but it began to melt.....

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  19. Oh My Goodness! This place is beyond beautiful!

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    1. Beyond! Like so beyond....without the bed and the bath bit!

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  20. Wow, I'm speechless. Stunning, as are your photos.

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  21. What a lovely blog, full of inspiration!
    I'm glad to have found and to follow!

    All good wishes

    Kind regards

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  22. Floral diving rods...love that!!! What a garden...and the white verbascum!! Haven't seen that over here across the pond!Truly a magnificent display at what is often a challenging time of year for garden bloom.

    Paul, wondered if you had seen this in your newspapers over there...from our local one, re brollys

    http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/119616-british-are-serious-about-brollys

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    1. Aren't those white verbascum divine Bren! It could be Verbascum nigrum ‘Album’ but I'm not absolutely sure.
      That article is a hoot! I nearly used a James Smith & Son Parrot headed umbrella as used by Ms Poppins for my giveaway before I found the pigeons!

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    2. Thanks for the possible identification for the Verbascum! Excellent.

      Glad you liked the article..thought of your give away as soon as I saw it.

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  23. Thank you for showing the picts - the garden is really a treasure!

    Many greetings from bavaria

    Heidrun

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    1. Welcome my Heidrun. I am so glad you enjoyed our unexpected tour.

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  24. Hi Paul, this is a wonderful tour of an English country estate and the gardens. It is a delight to learn about these Country Estates and their lovely gardens. Too bad you can't share their special ice cream with us.

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    1. Pamela I know that as you love to visit such places you'd have a great time at Loseley Park. The ice cream was far too scrummy to share:)

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  25. Hi Paul, thank you for that wonderful tour. The plants look so lovely, healthy and well maintained, but they seem so stiff or not very accomodating, hahaha, do i have something already in my head!

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    1. The gardens were indeed beautifully maintained with some of the most exquisite planting cleverly designed so that whilst the gardens were quite busy you felt as if you had the space all to yourself, very accomodating.

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  26. Most definitely glad you didn't miss that one ! Talk about a hidden treasure. Wonderful place, well-captured.

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    1. Thanks Rick, so many wonderful photo opportunities, I'm pretty sure you would enjoy it.

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  27. What a lovely garden! I enjoyed going on a virtual tour of it. Thank you for sharing.

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  28. Thanks for drawing that garden to my attention. I've tasted the ice cream now I want a taste of that garden.

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    1. Now is a great time to visit the white garden and flower garden are at their best.

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  29. What a lovely garden! I am usually one for lots of color, but I found my eye going back to the cream mullein and the sea holly, two plants that I must remember to add next year.

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    1. Snap Jennifer! It made such an impression on me that I am thinking of adding the mullien next year too, we can compare notes.

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  30. Beautiful blooms. Looks wonderful.

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  31. Fantastic photo tour ~ just awesome ~~ namaste, (A Creative Harbor)

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  32. What an incredible garden, very nice photos. We live on 2.5 acres, but except for the landscaped area right around the house the rest is wild, which means tall grasses in my part of the world.

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    1. Sounds idyllic Al, I hope to see some photos of your wild garden.

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  33. I want to be in this garden!!! Quite lovely...great shots.

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    1. Thank you Laurel, I too am looking forward to returning.

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  34. Oh to be in England instead of parched Southern California!

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  35. This is a beautiful garden, and I really like your photos. I would enjoy having a day (or two) to explore this marvelous place.

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    1. Sounds like a great idea George. There is a beautiful long, narrow pond that runs the length of the walled garden where I could easily spend a weekend lounging on it's banks.

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  36. Love the white garden bench and the Hydrangeas
    Great shots, Paul
    Those hollyhocks are wayyyy bigger than mine this year...not enough rain this season..

    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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    1. Thanks Linda. Those Hydrangeas were some of the most impressive I have seen and the Lutyens bench just adds that special touch.

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  37. Dear Paul,
    yes, I'm glad that I didn't miss that one! It is stunning! People who make ice-cream must be happy people :-) Beautiful trees, beautiful photos - thank you! Britta

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    1. Thank you Britta. After many years our local gelato maker still eats his own ice cream and always has smile on his face!

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  38. What a beautiful garden and house. I love your photo's.

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  39. Nothing better than an English garden tour! What a pretty place. You appreciate the lovely island you live on and share its beauty with us, thank you!. You are a wealth of information and should one day offer UK garden tours!

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    1. What a brilliant idea! ' The Magical Garden Tour Company' has a ring to it doesn't it!

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    2. Yes it does, and there are lots of American tourists that would want to join you on your tours.

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  40. I have never been there but now is a firm addition to my "places to see" list. I can almost smell that heady summer aroma. Simply beautiful, and with an ice cream, what more could a body want!
    Di
    X

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    1. Loseley have a list of plant and craft and specialist fairs, concerts and lots of other exciting events in addition to the house that may coincide with your perfect time to visit. Any mention of ice cream and I'm there:)

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  41. Thanks for the garden tour. I'm so glad you didn't miss this one. Although I've never been to England, I love English gardens. The white garden is gorgeous, and how striking is Miss Willmott's Ghost. Great photos,too...Oh, did you say "ice cream"?
    Babs

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    1. Well spotted Babs, Mrs Wilmotts Ghost was doing her best to bring an air of spectral luminescence to the white garden. One scoop or two?!

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    1. It ceratinly did have some magic Kwannam. The house and gardens would be a great location!

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  43. Great shots Paul.....very nice done.

    Greetings, Joop

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    1. Thanks Joop, not bad for a little point and shoot!

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  44. OK ya got me. I need to visit now!

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  45. Das sind einfach grossartige Bilder!!! Ich liebe solche wunderschön angelegte Parkanlagen!
    Herzliche Grüsse aus der Schweiz
    Carmen

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    1. Gruß Carmen. Es ist wirklich ein wunderbarer Ort. Vielen Dank für Sie besuchen.
      Paul

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  46. Just finding your lovely photographs and great blog through The Style and Travel Journals. Beautiful post. Absolutely loved the one of Wales too. I feel like I've had a mini getaway!

    Great Stuff!

    Kim :)

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  47. Goodness me, Paul...scroll, scroll, scroll... that is A LOT of comments!

    And no wonder - what a lovely...schhhh... secret! The garden looks so inviting in that "come and explore me" way that I love so much (much more interesting than the "here I am" gardens of some estates). I love the way the flowers "overflow" the gravel paths and how (at least it looks like it) they have created different sections according to colour. The "white section" is beautifully tranquil and I think that bench there has my name on it!

    Now, would you please stop showing us all of these amazing must-visit places...!? My list of NEED TO GO NOW excursions is quickly growing into unfeasible proportions and I might just begin to hyperventilate soon! ;-)

    Monday greetings to you!
    Helena

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  48. Oh....a perfect English garden Paul. Will have to put this on my list too! A bientot.

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