Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens are next to the Historic Parklands there. The Gardens comprise 10 acres and are a 350 year old English Baroque Garden. The Gardens were designed in the formal garden tradition of the time similar to the Dutch style made popular by William III at the end of the C17th. The garden is quite unique in that it survived the more informal English Landscape Movement of the C19th century when many formal gardens were removed. The Walled Garden which was once part of the Earl of Bradford's estate was rescued, nurtured, restored and is now owned by an independant charitable trust.
The present Castle Bromwich Hall, now owned separately and run as a hotel following restoration, was built c1599 by Sir Edward Devereux. The home and estate were sold to Sir John Bridgeman I who made changes to the hall and garden around 1700. He enlisted the help of William Winde who had made improvements to houses and gardens at places such as Coombe Abbey, Cliveden and Powys. Sir John Bridgeman II following the death of his father extended the gardens westwards until they reached the size they are today. The gardens were at their prime from 1680 until c1760. The Bridgeman family moved to Weston Park in 1762.
Those of you who have followed my blog for a long time may remember I used to visit these gardens a lot some years ago when my mother was in a nursing home and I was looking after her affairs. They became a real refuge for me where I could recharge my batteries and just live in the moment.
D and I visited briefly a month or so ago to buy some plants there and we promised ourselves we would return and have a good look around the gardens.
This door leads in to the Melon Grounds.
My Lady's border - the gardens follow a strict policy of only planting species that were available by 1762.
This the Greenhouse/Orangery built by Sir John Bridgeman II 1729/30 as a garden decorative feature. It faces the Holly Walk (155 metres long bordered on both sides by variegated holly) and at the far end is a similar building called the Summer House. When first built the Greenhouse probably housed overwintering orange trees. The roof was glazed in the C19th when it gained the name of an Orangery. It was restored in the 1980's when the garden buildings had fallen into disrepar and been subject to vandalism. The coat of arms are those of Sir John Bridgeman II and his wife Lady Ursula with the family lion crest.
A sphinx
North Orchard
We then left the walled garden for a while to walk around the "Extra Grounds" - a less formal part of the garden.
Green Alkanet and Hogweed were covered in bees.
Yellow flags by the North Pond.
The Mirror Pool - we saw loads of Common Blue Damselflies here (many in the mating position), a Large Red Damselfly and a Broad Bodied Chaser.
The New Orchard
Dog Roses
Then back into the Walled Garden and the Batty Langley vegetable garden. It is based on a plan by Batty Langley in his book "New Principles of Gardening" published in 1728.
I used to call this area my Secret Garden.
Lower Wilderness
Summer House
Upper Wilderness
A side view of Castle Bromwich Hall.
We ended our visit with tea and cake in the new tea room.
Photos taken by D
We shall certainly return!
We still haven't had chance to return to Herefordshire. We postponed the visit while I had cellulitis (pleased to report I got rid of that, touch wood, by taking ibuprofen rather than penicillin. Although I realised afterwards that taking ibuprofen is not a good idea when you suffer from Crohn's. ) D meanwhile had gone down with a horrid flu type virus which B and I then succumbed to. Hopefully, we will get back to the caravan soon.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ 330 bridge camera. Those marked *D taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).
