BDHS Visit to Miserden and Painswick Gardens June 2024
We stopped first at Miserden, which is nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds. Miserden Gardens is part of the Miserden Estate and has a rich history dating back to the early 17th century. The garden itself surrounds Miserden Park House, a Grade II listed building that adds a touch of historical charm to the natural beauty of its setting. The Wills family, who have owned the estate for over a century, have meticulously maintained and enhanced the gardens, making it a delightful destination for visitors – it had the feel of a private garden that happens to be open to the public.
The gardens are a vibrant tapestry of colours and scents. The herbaceous borders were approaching their peak, brimming with a mix of perennials and annuals that created a stunning display. Delphiniums, peonies, irises, poppies and lupins stood tall, their vivid hues contrasting perfectly with the lush greenery. The rose garden, with its array of climbing and shrub roses, filled the air with a lovely fragrance, inviting us to pause and take in the beauty of the flowers and also the sculptures that were displayed across the garden.
There are extensive yew hedges throughout the garden, including a topiary Yew Walk which contrasted beautifully with the loose arrangements of the herbaceous borders and provided a screen to separate the formal Parterre and sundial from the more informal borders. We wandered past the summerhouse and fountain, imagining this as a shady place to sit and read on a sunny day, down the steps fringed with campanula to the south lawn. Pausing to admire an ancient mulberry tree with massive roots growing through the retaining wall. Down more steps and to the south of the gardens themselves Miserden has woodland walks and an arboretum through which we wandered and were rewarded with some stunning views of the surrounding Cotswold hills.
Then it was time to return to the coach and make our way to Painswick Rococo Garden, located in the picturesque village of Painswick in Gloucestershire. We soon realised that the roads between Miserden and Painswick were not meant for coaches like ours – most likely made with the kind pulled by horses in mind! We got there in the end due to the tenacity and excellent spatial awareness of our driver.
Benjamin Hyett originally created Painswick Rococo Garden to entertain guests with its playful and ornamental design and it is a fascinating insight into 18th century design. The garden fell into disrepair over the centuries and was eventually abandoned to woodland in the 1950’s until, in 1984, Lord and Lady Dickinson began the work to restore the gardens to their former glory. Today, it is the only complete Rococo garden in England and is being restored to reflect a painting of the garden done in 1748 by Thomas Robins, complete with kitchen garden, borders, woodland walks and numerous follies.
After a lovely lunch at the café, we followed a broadly circular path through the gardens - down a steep slope, past the Eagle house, though the beech walk, past the gothic alcove and plunge pool (which looked very chilly!) before stopping to admire the kitchen garden with its formally arranged geometric beds and clipped hedges. Here there were a variety of heritage vegetables and fruits being grown, though our visit was a little early to see them at their best.
We paused at the Doric seat before moving on to see the maze and get another view of the impressive kitchen garden from the Exedra folly and completed our circuit of the gardens at the Redhouse. The garden’s layout, with its winding paths and hidden corners, its collection of whimsical follies and woodland walks was a very relaxing place to visit and on a warmer day it would be a perfect setting for a picnic. – a good excuse to come back.