Memories

photos on this page were taken by members and may be subject to copyright

Cambridge Botanic Garden

6th August 2025

Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) holds a collection of over 8,000 plant species from all over the world to facilitate teaching and research. The Garden provides resources including plant material, horticultural expertise and facilities to research workers and lecturers.

Since its foundation, however, the Garden has also provided a beautiful place for everybody to enjoy and benefit from a series of wonderful landscapes through which to discover the drama of plant diversity.

Delapré Abbey, Northampton

2nd July 2025

Delapré Abbey was founded as a nunnery about the year 1145 and is located within the 550 acre landscape of Delapré Park that also incudes the site of the Battle of Northampton fought on 10th July 1460.

Our guide Delia, gave us a "potted" history of the abbey and its surroundings. Members enjoyed a tour of the walled garden, maintained by just one gardener and a small team of volunteers, before retiring to the Orangery for light refreshments.

Grimsthorpe Castle

3rd June 2025

The castle, close to Bourne in Lincolnshire and the setting for Series 3 of Netflix's Bridgerton is set in a large parkland, with rolling pastures, lakes and woodlands landscaped by Capability Brown.

A fabulous garden that includes a knot garden, hedged rose gardens, herbaceous and shrub borders and a summer house designed by Vanbrugh. A formal flower and topiary garden leads into the woodland garden and provides a fine setting for the ornamental vegetable garden and orchard.

Greywalls, Farndish

21st May 2025

Greywalls is an old vicarage in the small hamlet of Farndish, with views over undulating countryside. Set in 2 acres, it is a relaxed country garden planted for year-round interest, featuring mature specimen trees, especially a Paulownia, a large Acacia, and an old Cedar. Dotted around the garden are many stone features and 3 large ponds, leading through to a wild flower meadow. Members were free to explore the garden at their leisure and sat in the sun for a welcome cup of tea.

Froggery Cottage

21st August 2024

A 3/4 acre garden developed on an old Co--op allotment with herbaceous borders, old apple trees and a National Collection of Penstemons.

Members enjoyed a guided tour by owner John Lee and his grandson, followed by homemade cakes and tea. Plants were purchased from the stall in the front garden and the proceeds donated by John to Marlow House & Desborough Town Welfare Committee

Cottesbrook Hall

18th July 2024

The 13 acres of gardens wrap around the west side of the house in a series of rooms – gardens themselves – divided by formal hedging and warm brick walls, with views and vistas punctuated by statuary.

Batsford Arboretum

19th June 2024

Members enjoyed a coach trip to this Cotswold venue for a guided tour of some of the world’s most beautiful and rare trees, shrubs and bamboos spread across 60 acres. www.batsarb.co.uk

Lamport Hall

24th May 2024

We were shown around the 10 acre gardens by the Head Gardener. Then after some time walking in the "Small Garden" and the village church we had tea and biscuits in the old stables.

136 High Street, Irchester. 16th August 2023

Members enjoyed a large garden developed by Ade & Jane Parker over the past 20 years including different planting habitats designed for shade, sun and pollinator friendly sites. A wildlife pond attracts a large range of birds, insects, and other creatures into the garden. Alpine houses, planted stone sinks and raised beds combine with seasonally planted tubs adding bold summer colour.

Tea and home made cakes were served by Jane and her family.

More info. from the NGS website

Holdenby House

26th July 2023

Holdenby was once Elizabethan England’s greatest House, then a royal palace, and a prison to King Charles I.

Members were shown around the gardens by Head Gardener, Matt. The one hour tour included kitchen gardens, the Tou Tou garden and Rosemary Verey's Elizabethan garden planted in 1980 with plants from 1583.

photos copyright Nick Palmer

Easton Walled Garden 28 June 2023

Members enjoyed a coach outing to two gardens near Grantham. The photos, here , of Easton Walled Garden were taken by Hilary Merricks and Chris Cooke who retain copyright.

For years the gardens stood untended and impenetrable. Most saw a sprawling knot of branches and thorns too unwieldy to do battle with. Ursula Cholmeley saw an invitation. Drawing on a shared knowledge of gardening, love of a challenge, eagerness to grow, and influences near and far, Ursula and the Easton team of gardeners got stuck in. Ferocious brambles were tamed to allow for yew tunnels, rose gardens, borders, shrubberies, meadows and more. As the gardens grew, so too did the possibilities.

Today Easton Walled Gardens has been nurtured back to life, a place that sings with the seasons for everyone to enjoy.

Little Ponton Hall 28 June 2023

Hilary Merricks's photos show members enjoying the gardens at Little Ponton Hall. Chris Cooke's photos highlight some of the planting. Both photographers retain copyright to their work. The hall and its gardens nestle in the curve of the River Witham as it winds its way through the rolling countryside of South Lincolnshire towards Lincoln.

The 18th century house, home to George and Bianca McCorquodale and their three children, is surrounded by spacious lawns dominated by a 200 year old cedar tree. In the walled vegetable garden are the Victorian greenhouses and a listed dovecote. The most recent addition is the development of a herb garden. Click for more.

Burghley House 24 May 2023

Head Gardener Joe Whitehead had been the guest speaker at one of our Winter meetings and members enjoyed meeting him on his home turf for a guided tour of parts of the gardens at Burghley not normaly open to the public.

Quinton Old Rectory 9 August 2022

Old Rectory Quinton is an 18th century English rectory neighbouring the church in Quinton. Its three-acre garden was redesigned and recreated over an intense period in 2014-2015 into a truly special 21st century garden by Anoushka Feiler. The garden is open under The National Garden Scheme on selected dates and is available as a location for photo and film shoots. Hort. Soc members were introduced to the garden by the co-owner Emma Wise and then left to explore, before gathering under the arbour of pleached trees for cool drinks on a hot afternoon.

Click here to go to the Old Rectory website.

Elton Hall 13 Jul 2022

Members enjoyed a guided tour by the Head Gardener at an extraordinary, romantic, part-Gothic historic house near Peterborough, that has been in the Proby family for 400 years. Nestled in the beautiful countryside on the Cambridgeshire/Northamptonshire border, lying eight miles southwest of Peterborough. It stands proud in unspoilt landscaped parkland where a house has stood since the 12th century. Copyright of photos in this section is held by Nick Palmer.

Click here to go to the Elton Hall website

Stanwick Lakes, June 2022

The Heritage Gardens at Stanwick Lakes have been developed and are maintained by a small, dedicated team of volunteers. The gardens showcase plants which would have been grown in this area from Neolithic times until medieval times. The volunteers have also carefully researched the different uses of the plants: whether for food & flavouring, medicine, dyeing, spiritual purposes, or just for their scent and decoration.

There are four individual but inter-linked areas:

The Heritage Garden, The Heritage Wellbeing Orchard, The Guild Garden, The Iron Age Nursery Garden.

Click here to go to the Stanwick Lakes website

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