Biddulph
Grange
After our more distant excursion
to American deserts and mountains, it was a more than pleasant
contrast to have mild brightening English Spring weather for our
visit to these National Trust gardens just beyond Congleton.
Outside the entrance this
green mountain of clipped yew made me wonder how they clipped
the top part, given the width of its 'skirts'.
A minor wonder in a garden
that was in its time (1842 -) adventurous and novel in its concept.
The view from the terrace,
over the Italian Garden.
Not especially noted for
its formal plantings, it was impossible not to appreciate such
a lovely display ...
... the tulips being in
peak condition and toning in with the redder wallflowers.
Biddulph Grange and its
gardens were the creation of the owners James and Maria Bateman
and their artist friend Edward Cooke.
It passed from the family
to new owners in 1871 and eventually the house became a hospital
in 1923. After a successful appeal launched to save the garden
in 1986 the National Trust 'embarked on its most extensive garden
restoration project: to return Biddulph to the glory of its Victorian
heyday'.
One of the novel features
of the garden's design is the use of 'rooms' of differing character
separated one from another by hedges or other plantings, rockeries
and earth mounds and connected by paths, or as here by tunnels.
You leave one garden type,
progress briefly in twilight and emerge into another horticultural
world, here one of large mature trees and a broad walk. The majestic
mature beech trees had new leaves and flowers, all soft pale green
silkiness now before they stiffen and darken with age.
Banks of bluebells and underplantings
of holly and other bushes are beside the walk leading through
the Pinetum to the next transition ...
... Cheshire Cottage.
Beyond, a bank of bluebells
...
... and beyond that the
recently (1996) replanted Wellingtonia Avenue leading up the hill
to a giant stone urn.
Closer to the house our
first view of one of the more exotic features of the garden ...
... an 'Egyptian Temple'
guarded by two pairs of sphinx. Each of them having the same European
(even English?) face, causing me to wonder on whom they were modelled.
A Bateman friend or relative, perhaps?
In this area adjacent to
the house more formal layouts, with much topiary, are in evidence.
However, a turn of the path,
another transition, and we are in China - or a Willow-pattern
version of the same.
Looking back from the temple
...
... with its exotic roof
looking more Thai or Burmese than Chinese to my eye but a delight
nonetheless.
As were the mature Japanese
Maples.
Back from China we can appreciate
again the rhododendrons across the Lake and watch the golden carp
being fed.
The spectacle of massed
rhododendron hybrids of various colours and timings is being augmented
by additional plantings as the garden is progressively brought
back to a similar diversity to that of its early years.
There's an austere look
to the Dahlia Walk and will be until the Dahlias are planted out
later in the year. This area had been completely buried under
tons of topsoil and needed archaeological exploration to locate
it and discern its features. The yew hedges are still showing
some signs of their relative immaturity in their lack of density.
We have not been everywhere,
seen and shown everything there is in this gem of a garden, but
it's time to pass again through the Italian Garden on our way
out ...
... paying our respects
to this particularly fine rhododendron by the steps.
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