Wollerton Old Hall, Market Drayton

[Brian Ellis]

Our last visit on our trip was to Wollerton Old Hall Gardens near Market Drayton in Staffordshire.  The main page of their website has three quotes with which I couldn’t possibly disagree

“Possibly the most beautiful personal garden to have been created in the last 25 years.” -Chris Beardshaw

“What has to be one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen...” -Chris Packham

“The test of a good garden is whether it fires you up to change your own and that Wollerton Old Hall always does in spades” - Sir Roy Strong

Developed by Lesley and John Jenkins around a 16th Century Hall House it covers 4 acres, they are ably assisted by Andrew Humphris who gardened at The Savill Gardens in Windsor and The Courts in Wiltshire (a NT garden we also liked) before becoming Head Gardener at Biddulph Grange (no wonder there are some lovely Dahlias) and then moving here.

[Brian Ellis]

To quote from their website again:

“The planting style is best described as controlled exuberance with a definite emphasis upon perennials. Colour, form and scale are all important.  There is much in the garden for the plant enthusiast and the garden is bursting with design ideas.  The range of plants is very wide resulting in significant collections of clematis, salvias, phlox and roses.”

We were fortunate enough to be admitted over an hour before their normal opening time so, after an introductory chat from John, we had the garden to ourselves - an unexpected bonus.

The entrance to the garden is round to the right of the house, past this ‘small aside courtyard’.  Turning the corner the first vista is of these ten clipped yews with billowing perennials planted between them.  The formal parts of the garden are designed with three north-south and three east-west vistas this being east-west.

[Brian Ellis]

The next piece of connecting garden is ‘Alice’s Garden’ named after a favourite Cat.  This is a ‘dog-leg’ a small north-south area which leads to the Sundial Garden - the Gazebo in the distance marking its end.  To the right of the Sundial Garden is a Summer House and from here we can see the Rose Garden which lies parallel to this one.  Sadly the roses are over, the Nepeta lining the path has been cut back and it looks quite sombre, last time we were here it was overflowing with colour.

[Paddy Tobin]

Looks like an excellent garden, Brian. Lucky you to have it to yourself with the early entry.

Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

Going back across the garden we come into the Lime Allee which looks back towards the house  a double row of pleached Tilia platyphyllos 'Rubra' forms this central axis. Walking down the Allee we come into a complete contrast.  The Lanhydrock garden, at this time of year, is a real show-stopper with large blocks of hot colours.  Comprising a wonderful mix including Heleniums, Achillea, Dahlia, Lilies, Ligularia, Kniphofia and this Abutilon.

[Paddy Tobin]

Great selection of late summer/early autumn colour in this selection. How did the name come to be applied - Lanhydrock?

[Brian Ellis]

The Long Walk, north-south across the garden, marks the end of the more formal area, there are a lot of clematis here mixed in with more Dahlias in box lined beds, the wall covered with climbers.  Beyond a doorway is an equally large area of garden with fluid winding paths leading down to a small pond through trees and shrubs

[Brian Ellis]

Heading back west up the garden towards the house again we come to the well garden, no well here but there is a carved well head in the centre surrounded by four quadrant beds.  Here was a beautifully dark Lobelia Tupa and Clematis viticella ‘Mary Rose’

[Brian Ellis]

The main perennial border is 16 feet deep by 75 feet long and is how I think a perennial border should look - if only we had the room!   At the back is Dahlia Admiral Crawley in a raised pot. Amongst the flowers in the main border was this wonderful Dahlia coccinea seedling which arose at Powis Castle, I’m pleased to say that one came back to Norfolk with me, John Jenkins was kind enough to fish one out of the nursery as there were none in the sales area.  I was amazed to find that he was surprised I had noted it amongst all the exhuberance. Across the path on the south side is the main collection of Phlox.

[Paddy Tobin]

They certainly do clip those yew hedges - the uprights.  Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

The font garden is a little oasis to recover from the overwhelming abundance of the main border, this very simple garden surrounding the ancient font is very effective.

The Rill garden borders the main border, font garden, Lime Allee and the Old Garden Here in the Upper rill garden are clipped box balls, the lower rill beyond the hedge has a seating area where the wonderful Potentilla hopwoodiana was found.  Walking through to the Old Garden with two rows of clipped Portugese Yew leading back to the house with this arrangement of pots.

[Paddy Tobin]

The phloxes are considered an old-fashioned plant now but they do give a great display at this time of year. A good reliable plant. Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

Believe it or not I did not take any photos of the shade garden as I was walking along with John at the time or the Orchard Garden beyond...we were heading for lunch in the tearoom which is to be highly recommended.  An added bonus was the vegetable garden next door open during August this year and mentioned in the papers last week.

The whole garden is very well maintained, I thought, Paddy.  They also have a huge number of Salvias planted in the approach from the gates.  It is an amazing place.

[Paddy Tobin]

Oh, there's something very uncomfortable about No. 17 above, the rill with the semi-spherical clipped box. It just rubs me the wrong way. Paddy

[Brian Ellis]

Nothing wrong with being old fashioned!  They don't like to be disturbed and can suffer from eel-worm which I think is where they lost a bit of popularity.