When the Victorian hall was dismantled in 1995, the footprint was marked in the design of the new garden, using a yew hedge. The exact locations of the previous halls had been lost, so it felt important to remember the one we knew. The grand stone-stepped entry is still in place, and leads up to the main entrance. Standing on the platform, the 4 storey tower would have been almost above you, with the grand staircase and hall below, now marked by the sunken ‘hot’ bed. The cloisters formed a lovely, covered walkway from which to enjoy the views over the iris beds, and what is now the square peony bed used to be a rather murky pond. Round the corner is the pretty and sheltered Dutch garden, currently planted with beautiful orange/yellow roses (Roald Dahl). The chickens round the back of the cloisters are where the old kitchens used to be .
