Stockton Bury Gardens , Kimbolton, Herefordshire. May 24

[lugg]

A few days ago I visited Stockton Bury Gardens – a first time visit for me. It is about 25 mins drive from my home, a few miles outside of Leominster in Herefordshire in a village called Kimbolton. It is a relatively new garden set on a working farm and the garden covers about 4 acres. It is very close to Berrington Hall which I have also posted about on here and there is a link between the two. The web site link to the garden is;

www.stocktonbury.co.uk/garden/#:~:text=Raymond%20Treasure%20and%20Gordon%20Fenn,it%20into%20this%20acclaimed%20garden.

The weather was absolutely beautiful and the recent rains made it extremely green, however my camera and phone both struggled with the vibrant colours, so apologies in advance for some of the photos.
Although the garden itself is fairly new (as is the main farmhouse) the land and buildings have a rich history, much of which I discovered in the small museum on site as there seems to be limited information on the web. Some of the older buildings, indeed some quite ancient, survive and form part of the backdrop for the plantings. Originally the farm was part of a group of “Bury Farms” which supplied the Benedictine Priory in Leominster
As I mentioned above there is a link to Berrington Hall. In 1886, Herbert Smith-Williams, a tenant farmer, bought the estate from Lord Rodney of nearby Berrington Hall who had to sell assets due to his gambling debts. Herbert laid the main lawn in front of the Queen Anne house and planted the monkey puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), believed to be one of the first planted in the UK and now the largest in Herefordshire. Sadly the Queen Anne house, riddled with rot and woodworm, was demolished and replaced in 1970 by a Georgian-style house.
The house lawn and monkey puzzle tree today,

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Anyway the here and now,
Raymond Treasure (Great Grandson to Herbert Smith Williams) and his partner Gordon Fenn created the four-acre garden 45 years ago, and the family continue to maintain it today. Much of the garden was pasture until the pair transformed it. Both men were inspired by Raymond’s relative, the late John Treasure (well known for his garden at Burford House near Tenbury Wells) and their friend, the late plantsman Christopher Lloyd. Raymond’s nieces, Tamsin Westhorpe and Connie Marston, joined the family team a few years ago.
Tamsin has previously been deputy editor of Amateur Gardening magazine and Editor of The English Garden magazine. Tamsin now spends time in the garden and writes freelance alongside her role as an RHS Judge. Her books Diary of a Modern Country Gardener and Grasping the Nettle both feature Stockton Bury. Connie also helps on the family farm and runs the garden café.

The garden opened to the public in 1995. For anyone who wants to know more about the garden’s creation and the ongoing strive to keep it as a viable family business, plus the details of the trials and tribulations of opening to the public and enticing new and return visitors …. here is a link to a podcast about the garden –( I accessed it free of charge via the google link)

www.lizleanpr.co.uk/podcast/episode-nine-stockton-bury/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0H9HQs3UL9JqrYn2HXfIRrTKo-ilV-Y_ArIQHu6t-MnWgdjLxHlo3-2rc_aem_AYJnmMbwbGLDcDQRqFdy2LTVYnfnKUK4CtFoYf7udxdd22hv_igLmvILTF6a4y8kPahrkxcjisuwGxpq48zsi6b9

So here is a little of what I saw as I explored.
Entry to the garden is via a room that houses an old cider press. It costs £9 to enter the garden. I met a cheerful guy who took my money and gave me a map and told me to wander at will. As I came to write up this report I realised that the cheerful chap was in fact Gordon Fenn and that I had, sadly, wasted the opportunity to learn more from the horse’s mouth.

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Firstly I had a look around the small museum (but will come back to that later) Leaving I glanced back before heading off to the house and the lawn.

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Had a quick peek in this old building and was surprised by the inside, which very much belies its humble past

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Here is a clue

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Yes – previously a chicken shed.

Onwards ---The house and the monkey puzzle tree which was spectacular

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Next I headed towards the kitchen garden and the small unheated glass house , bordered by an old wall , probably from the Queen Anne era. On the way I noticed this sculpture, one of many in the garden,

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How gorgeous is this Honey Garlic ?
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A few lonely asparagus spears
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The common garden peonies were a delight …little did I know they were just a taster for some of the magnificent tree peonies’ that I would see later.

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Inside the glasshouse

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Chilean Glory Flower I think..
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Bathing in the reflected warmth of the glasshouse – beautiful Iris

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Onwards passed the soft fruit enclosures,

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Looking back before heading down into the Dingle ( No 27 on the map)

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More to come ..

[whatagain]

Absolutely charming.
And a delight of colours.

[bixaorellana]

Out of this world interesting and your photos are fabulous.

Can't wait to see inside the museum. Is the cute little chicken coop, and those other larger buildings (& oast houses?) part of the original buildings on the property?

I saw a giant monkey puzzle tree in one of the gardens I visited in England, but it was dwarfed by the amazing giant you show.

Scrolling down the gorgeous flower pictures -- that honey garlic!, that perfect wisteria portrait! -- I was stopped in my tracks by that stand of incredible blue and yellow irises next to the greenhouse. I never saw a variety like that before. I swear, they seem like shapeshifters who could just take off across the lawn.

And your closeup of the violet & white one just shimmers -- perfection!

[bjd]

Lovely pictures, Lugg. I have always loved the idea of a garden surrounded by brick walls but of course, it would not be suitable in a warm climate. You chose a beautiful time of year to visit.

[lugg]

thank you guys and yes bjd - lovely time to visit

May 13, 2024 20:31:09 GMT bixaorellana said:

Is the cute little chicken coop, and those other larger buildings (& oast houses?) part of the original buildings on the property?

yes the original buildings - some are much older which I will show a little of later

[lugg]

The Dingle area of the garden sits in an old quarry and utilises natural springs to create water features. It was shady and cool and oh so green. The ground falls away gently, and apart from the birds it was very peaceful

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I had walked past this stone and knew what it commemorated as I had seen a photo of Flashman in the museum.of course this was in the times when hunting was an accepted part of rural life

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A closer look at the ponds and water channels. Part of this area was given to wildflowers but there were some other beauties too,

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Various varieties of Camash

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The Cape Pond Lilies – still buds. I am not sure if I have ever seen these before.

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A lone Japanese Iris in flower – but lots of buds

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A good place to sit and watch the pond

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I went in search of The Grotto and found it

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The exit was quite tight

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Anyway moving on I headed through the Secret, the Paddock, the Sunken and the Pillar Gardens (map 30-33)
I will just show a few out of the many photos I took in these areas,

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The tree peonies were just so beautiful

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As were the cornus

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Time to move on to explore the remaining areas…more to come .

[htmb]

What a delightful place! I’d love to visit sometime. Your photos are great, too. Very sharp. I once tried photographing a tree similar to the monkey puzzle tree and my pictures did not turn out no matter what I tried. Yours are super. Looking forward to seeing more of your photos, Lugg.

[kerouac2]

An absolutely enchanting garden and almost certainly the best time of year for a visit -- even though it always makes me want to see such a place during different seasons, too.

You have magnificent photographic skills, lugg.

[lugg]

Thank you both

May 15, 2024 18:06:29 GMT kerouac2 said:

even though it always makes me want to see such a place during different seasons, too.

Yes me too.

[lugg]

Before I move on to the rest of the garden , I will back track to the museum. It is very small but has some really interesting timeline plaques that explain the history of the gardens.
The museum is housed in the old stable block,

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Some of the info (I hope you can see the detail if you zoom into the photos)

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A little history from the info – buildings on the site since 685 AD, farm supplies the Benedictine monastery around 1125 – some of the buildings still exist – the dovecote and tithe barn (now a café)
1881 Anxiety 4th , a Hereford bull bred at Stockton Bury was exported to America and became the “father” of the US Hereford cattle . Apparently 99% of all modern American Herefords are descendants of Anxiety 4th through the top line of their pedigrees.

hereford.org/static/files/0708_Legends.pdf

But stepping even further back in time the museum houses what is known as the “Leominster Hoard“

the-past.com/news/unpicking-the-leominster-hoard/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-39846096

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I was more taken by this Roman love token

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Another stable houses an array of old farming tools

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and another showing how one type of bee hive is made up

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Moving on into other parts of the garden which I will just show a glimpse of
The gardens still house honey bees hives – the traditional but also skeps,

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I had never heard of skeps which were the forerunner, these were in the garden just behind the house ( not a great pic but I failed to get closer)

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It was ok to wander up close to the house ( I suspect that no-one lives there during the opening times.
A recent addition built on the back wall of the house

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At the front of the house

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..and this room – which was not open to the public but I looked in …would love to know more about it . It is hard to get a sense of it from the photo as the garden is reflected in the door glass

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A bordering side wall

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I wanted to see the dovecote which is ancient and a Grade 1 listed building so I headed that way , past the pool garden first

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This looked very enticing, ( or could be without the cover) given the weather,

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I don’t think I have ever seen these flowers before, Solitary Clematis

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past another small water feature

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Onwards to the dovecote

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Surrounding the base was something that I had seen in many places around the garden , a favourite of Tamsin I believe- late flowering Tulipa sprengeri, or Sprenger's tulip,

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I could continue but enough for now.
Time for a cup of tea and maybe cake. The old tithe barn is now the café, the outdoor seating looks out over the cider apple orchards with grazing Clun sheep and another view of the dovecote.

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The date flapjack was delicious in case you are wondering

Spotted the stocks next to the tithe barn on my way back to the car – no idea if there is any connection.

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Anyway all for now …but I will go back in another season.

[htmb]

I would have had a difficult leaving this place. Lovely! Did you have the whole place tp yourself? I seem to remember reading something earlier, but couldn’t find it on a quick glance back.

[fumobici]

This must be one of the most perfect English gardens anywhere thank you for so splendidly sharing it with us. It's even got an ancient pigeon house!

[lugg]

Thank you both
Htmb there were some other people but generally very few . maybe 20 in total.
Fumobici - i think so too ...perfect example.

I will go back in another season

[bixaorellana]

I fell behind in looking at, reading, and wholeheartedly enjoying this magnificent report. Every time you make a report on one of your garden visits, Lugg, I think, "She really surpassed herself this time!" And yes, I'm thinking that right now.

It's just marvelous how lovingly and accurately you capture individual plants and also show us how they look en masse. The solitary clematis are something I've never seen. I was struck by how they could be stand-ins for a stand of blue irises. Then at the end you show thee Tulipa sprengeri, which sort of match the solitary clematis in form, except red. There is some very discerning person(s) choosing the plants for this wonderful garden!

Your pictures of the tree peonies are gorgeous. I particularly appreciate them since I don't think I've ever seen a tree peony in real life.

The museum is a very well-presented surprise -- so much more than one would expect to find in a garden open to the public. Well, everything in this garden is somehow more and better.

I have to go back & read more of the timelines on the wall, but have a question about one entry: At 1730 it states that a highwayman was being chased and to avoid capture shot his horse & buried it in the yard at Stockton Bury.
The logic of that completely escapes me.

You said there weren't many other visitors. Do you think that the Garden is under-publicized, hard to get to, or relatively unknown. I'd think it would be swarmed with visitors, but am glad it wasn't for your sake & for ours -- your glorious pictures were all the better for not being clogged with pesky humans.

Well, that's all I have to say for now except that I'm going to go right back through it all again. Just wonderful, Lugg -- thank you!

[lugg]

Thank you Bixa - so glad you enjoyed it

At 1730 it states that a highwayman was being chased and to avoid capture shot his horse & buried it in the yard at Stockton Bury.
The logic of that completely escapes me.

yes me too - apparently it was because the horse was covered in sweat and so it would have given him away - if so , what an absolute tragedy.

Re numbers of visitors I think, from listening to the pod cast, they are trying to create more of a presence on social media to increase numbers but they also struggle with one time visitors who do not go back to see it in different seasons or year on year. However a younger cohort of visitors are attending which hopefully is positive. However it is fairly isolated in terms of public transport etc as is much of my home county.

[kerouac2]

One excellent thing about these mixed gardens & museums is that there is something interesting to do if it suddenly starts pouring rain!

[whatagain]

Thank you for taking us along with you !
I enjoyed the visit.

[lugg]

So true - although it was tiny so would have to be just a quick shower !

Thanks Whatagain

[bixaorellana]

I guess the intelligence of highwaymen is right up there with people who rob liquor stores. Why didn't he just let the poor horse loose, then take himself off in the opposite direction?

(Thinking about this in case I need to take up mounted highway robbery.)

[bjd]

May 20, 2024 20:34:37 GMT bixaorellana said:

Why didn't he just let the poor horse loose, then take himself off in the opposite direction?

What struck me was the length of time it would have taken him to dig a grave big enough for a horse. Did he have a shovel with him or did he scoop the soil out with his hands?

[lugg]

No idea bjd and Bixa ....but poor horse if there is any truth in the story!

[bixaorellana]

May 21, 2024 6:52:20 GMT bjd said:

What struck me was the length of time it would have taken him to dig a grave big enough for a horse.

Exactly!
There is a piece missing from the original story. Lugg will have to go back & badger the docents for a realistic answer.
Also, we'll get to see more of this fabulous garden when she goes back!

[lugg]

Your wish is my command Bixa