TRAVEL WORDS

A Garden Walk

Athelhampton Hall, a 15th century manor house, was purchased in 1891 by Alfred Cart de Lafontaine. He commissioned Francis Inigo Thomas to create new gardens. He designed a series of linked gardens with ponds, ham stoned walls and raised terraces which have been maintained and improved over the centuries.

The Great Court with the dominant yew pyramids

The raised stone terrace with a pair of garden pavilions – the houses of Summer and Winter, each with an ornate decorative stone. This is Summer.

The Corona Garden is the principal focal point of the garden rooms, with a scalloped wall and obelisks.

Lion’s Mouth Garden is now a Mediterranean style with donations of plants from Tresco Gardens.

The walled kitchen garden has a tunnel of roses and laburnum.

Lupins, Laburnum, Fringed tulip, Choisya, Common broom, Pink Peony, Yellow ‘Molly the Witch’ peony

Shady walk close to the White Garden and Rose Garden

Ranoms / Wild Garlic near the River Piddle

West Lawn with the 25th century Dovecote. Which does house doves, but unfortunately I was too slow to capture them flying out.

I had a very pleasant wander around the 5 acre grounds on a sunny day. I spent some time sitting in the Lion’s Mouth Garden with a book, relaxing in the sunshine with just birdsong before continuing my wander. I finished with a very nice lunch in the Coach House restaurant. The Tudor house is open for visiting.

Jo’s Monday Walk

Athelhampton House & Gardens
Puddletown
Dorchester
DT2 7LG

Flower Portrait

Hibiscus is a genus of common flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world.

Sculpture by the Lakes

Simon and Monique Gudgeon are the creators of Sculpture by the Lakes, with over 100 sculptures in this 26 acre sculpture park many of them around the level meandering paths around the North Lake and Rainbow Lake. It makes for a lovely leisurely stroll through native trees and planting. There are several waterside venues available for private hire and an excellent Pantry offering self-service fresh, seasonal food with plenty of seating outdoors and around the park where to relax and unwind.

Showcasing the work of sculptor Simon Gudgeon and more than twenty other sculptors among the garden designed by Monique.

As Jo loves to be beside water I am sure she’d love this walk:

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This is a Charles Elliott ‘Verdigris and Gold Sail Sphere’ Handmade Metal Garden Lighting Sphere Sculpture

“Search for Enlightenment” by artist Simon Gudgeon.

‘Leaf Spirit’ by Simon Gudgeon (close-up)

‘Allium’ by artist David Cutler. (close-up)

‘Sphere’ by Simon Gudgeon “Use what talents you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” Henry Van Dyke

‘Isis’ by Simon Gudgeon. The sculpture is inspired by the Egyptian Ibis bird, a wading bird characterized by a long, down-curving bill.

“Family Group” sculpture by artist Beatrice Hoffman

Set in 26 acres alongside Dorset’s River Frome, with lakes, streams, meandering paths and plenty of places to sit it’s somewhere you can leave your busy life behind and enjoy peace and tranquillity in a beautiful and serene environment.

Jo’s Monday Walk

Flower Portrait

Bearded Irises ‘Kent Pride’ or ‘Pride of Kent’, a cultivar known for its distinct chestnut-brown standards and yellow falls

Seen growing among Bronze Fennel at RHS Wisley. I have the Bronze Fennel, I think I need to buy some of these irises to plant with it.

Bearded Iris ‘Kent Pride’ (often referred to as ‘Pride of Kent’) is a classic, award-winning tall bearded iris bred in the 1950s. It is highly prized for its rich, burnished coppery-brown tones

A River Walk

I do like to be close to water and if it can’t be the sea then a river will do as long as there is a walk alongside it. When I lived in Ludlow, Shropshire, I often walked along the River Teme doing a loop between the Dinham bridge near the castle and Ludford bridge. It was a pretty walk taking in the Whitcliffe common and the native woodland.

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So when I chose Dorchester for my recent holiday I was pleased to find that there is a river walk which takes you out to the water meadows. And further afield if you want.