Hellens Manor, Much Marcle July 20

[lugg]

Next stop = Hellens Manor

I knew that Brobury was going to be hard to top so my next visit was to somewhere very different. No immaculate flower beds or well-tended wild spaces here. But I hope I still convey how impressive it is for very different reasons.
I am probably going to do a separate report about the house “ Hellens” in a month or so as I have a tour booked for the end of August so will try not to focus on the house too much, but that is quite difficult as it is so impressive.
...Just a little about it – it’s ancient and has a very impressive history as you would expect for a house that has survived for nearly a thousand years. Today much of what is standing is Tudor/ Jacobean with some older architecture still visible in parts. Its fortunes have risen and fallen over the centuries and since the 1980s it has been held in a charitable trust created by the owners along with another house in London. The family still live at Hellens from time to time and it remains occupied to this day. The gardens are slowly being recreated according to the guide book. I cannot begin to imagine just how much it must cost just to maintain the house let alone the gardens.
The guide book stated that the gardens are designed along the lines of the Jacobean / Tudor period. Much of the 150 acres are parklands/ meadows and include a wood, Darkwood, which is classified as ancient woodland.
I will start by showing a map of the grounds.

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You can see that there are some donkeys marked on the map who greet visitors as they arrive – one nicely the other not so.

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Walking in through the café area nicely spaced as is expected in these Covid times and made a mental note to come back later. I was surprised to find that entry is free although donations are welcomed there was no obligation. Also that dogs are welcomed.

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First glimpse of the house as I headed towards the lavender terrace,

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I have no idea whether this was the front or the back of the house – I guess that will be revealed when I take the tour.

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The terraces have some formal ponds and lavender hedges interspersed with other flower beds, beyond in the distance are the parklands and woodlands
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The pools were perfect to capture some reflections,

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A couple of details from the outside of the house
Tiny door, how people have grown taller, and maybe wider, over the generations since this was built (or most … I could probably get in without ducking!)


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A magnificent magnolia climbs the side of one wall,

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Further down from the terraces were a small knot garden that was somewhat unloved but still charming a yew labyrinth that was a hit with visiting children

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To the left was an area that was doing its own thing, including sprouting ragwort but the small brown meadow butterflies did not object and the buddleia as ever was a butterfly magnet.

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A Peacock butterfly,
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And a Comma,
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So off to the Physic garden. This area clearly receives a lot of love and there were a host of fascinating plants but what I really enjoyed was the information next to most which explained what the plant was and how it can be used. It is surrounded by the house on one side and is overlooked by a rare octagonal dovecote which was added to the gardens in 1641 – How do I know that? There is a huge clue …

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The initials are those of the then owners Fulke Walwyn and Margaret Pye , whose legacy lives on.

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The door to the dove cote was so small I would have to duck to enter.

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I took so many photos I have had to do a major cull but here are a few, lots of them reminded us of names in the Harry Potter novels

Himalayan May Apple

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House Leek – for cuts, bruises etc.

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There was a whole range to deal with other “ ailments”

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And some which came with a warning

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Ok time to move on. I will return with the second half of this report in the next few days or

[bixaorellana]

This is so wonderful, Lugg! What a beautiful place, which seems enchanted -- so still and empty in the sunlight.

So much to love, starting with that great map & also the donkeys who may or may not be pleased to be greeters.

Speaking of enchantment, again that's the feeling from that lovely photo of the giant alliums (right?) in the glade. Unfortunately, I must be suffering from news overload, because the perfectly beautiful closeup of one managed to remind me of covid.

Moving on to your first picture of the terraces, I absolutely love the way that wavy hedge separates the garden from the fields beyond, while simultaneously framing and incorporating the field. That's a wonderful sequence of pictures, with the penultimate one -- the "upside down" statue -- being sheer perfection.

So many great photos, from the diamond windows to the perfect magnolia to the excellent views of the house. And the butterflies ~ a whole animated jewel box!

The physic garden, with its charming entry, elegant dovecote, and rich planting really leaves the modern world behind. There was no scraching initials into concrete with a stick for Fulke and Margaret, was there?

Thank you for including the information on the slates along with the pictures of the plants.

Cannot wait for part two!

[fumobici]

I love this latest insallment! The house and grounds are all so charming and the gardens look like the work of real people rather than some English garden fairy with a magic wand!

[kerouac2]

Just getting to this magnificent last section. Even the little map is delightful.

[lugg]

Thank you - bear with me I will come back to your comments in next few days.


....So I thought I would finish this in the next posting but life gets in the way sometimes doesn't it so here is half of the last half !!


Before I move on to the gardens I thought I would show a little of the area… Much Marcle is right on the boundary of Herefordshire , close to Gloucestershire and Worcestershire , approx. 15min drive from my home. Marcle Ridge which is above Hellens is pretty high and there are some lovely views of the Malvern Hills , the Cotswold escarpment and May Hill in Gloucester from here. Due to its height there is also a TV aerial which serves the surrounding counties.

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Anyway back to the report.

The Long Garden , at what I think is the back of the house, was pretty colourful but the roses had bloomed and faded before I arrived. Lower down the garden became more formal again … and then that formality disappeared at the duck pond.


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The duck pond was pretty but muddy and we did not see any ducks so after a wander around we moved on to the surrounding meadows.

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[kerouac2]

Definitely a green paradise in the summer. But I'd like to see it in the snow as well.

[bixaorellana]

More beauty!

I don't know what that tree with the Long Garden sign on it is, but the bark is really lovely. And true, no roses, but that allows that wonderful soft palette of the yarrows, coneflowers, and anemones(?) to take center stage.

That's a gorgeous view of the formal garden looking back toward the house, showing how effective good structure can be.

The duck pond area could illustrate a fairy tale.

[tod2]

Fabulous photos Lugg! The shot you took of the Manor House just after the sign of The Long Garden, shows a terrific bank of chimneys all together. That I should imagine was linked to the kitchens and perhaps main lounge with a huge fireplace.

[lugg]

Jul 30, 2020 3:44:19 GMT kerouac2 said:

Definitely a green paradise in the summer. But I'd like to see it in the snow as well.

me too !

thank you all.

[lugg]

So to finish up a few photos of the meadows and its standing stones which are a modern addition. There are good views of the Malverns from here and British Camp, an iron age hill top fort ( on the right)

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The gates lead to the meadows , I imagine this was more manicured in the past , but who knows?

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More ponds. Complete with a rope swing for the children to enjoy,

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And some of the standing stone details, some are easier to read than others,

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Work to develop the gardens is on -going,

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Like any good garden – there is a kitchen garden,

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The artichoke had their fans,

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And to finish this report ….this swing was much beloved and well used by children and their parents , ( despite Covid and the fact that it looks like a wasps nest)
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And finally it is now time for tea, I am hoping to visit the house this weekend to get a better understanding of its history.

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[kerouac2]

More treasures... and a perfect place for tea!

[lugg]

Thank you K2 and it so was.