Events

Garden visit to The Manor House, Upton Gray

1st July 2025, 11:00 - 13:00

Garden visit to The Manor House, Upton Gray

Tuesday 1 July 2025

11am – 1pm

We are delighted to have the opportunity of visiting the garden at the Manor House, Upton Gray, believed to be the most complete and authentic Gertrude Jekyll designed garden now in existence.

Mark and Virginia Turner have arranged this visit and for one of the owners to give us an introductory talk after which there will be ample time to explore the garden with the aid of a plant list.

The house (which is not open to the public) dates from the late 15th century, and was in a state of disrepair when acquired by Charles Home, a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts movement, in 1902. He first commissioned an architect to restore the house and then, in 1908, he commissioned Gertrude Jekyll to create a new garden on a site of nearly five acres.  On it she designed one of her most beautiful gardens containing many features of a typical Jekyll garden including her distinctive “colour drifts” creating visual harmony and a sense of movement throughout the garden.

When the current owners, John and Rosamund Wallinger, acquired acquitted the property in 1984 the garden was in an almost derelict shape. However, they discovered that there was a full set of Gertrude Jekyll’s plans for it held by the University of California in Berkeley. They obtained copies of these and then began work on a detailed restoration of the garden.

On the south east side of the house lies the Formal Garden containing herbaceous borders running from cool colours at either end to hot in the centre and with a pergola covered in roses, jasmine and virginia creeper leading down to the Rose Garden.

The Rose Garden itself is planted with peonies, roses and lilies and has herbaceous borders containing blazes of colour and filled with hollyhocks, delphiniums, phlox, poppies and campanula to be followed later in the summer by dahlias and helianthus.

On the other side of the house, approached through an Arts and Crafts wrought iron gate, is
the Wild Garden planted with rambling roses, bamboo and walnut and with a green path leading to a pond.  In addition, there is a kitchen garden, a nuttery and an orchard with apples, pears, plums and figs.

The cost, to include tea and coffee, will be £18 for members and £25 for non-members.

We will give you more precise joining instructions nearer the time.

The event is not suitable for dogs.

Deadline for booking 23 June 2025.

If you fancy lunch afterwards, The Hoddington Arms is a 1 minute drive away.  Please make your own arrangements, you can contact them by clicking here.

Any enquiries please contact us info@surreyhillssociety.org

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