As a lover of beautiful gardens, there’s only one thing better than discovering somewhere new, and that’s spending an afternoon visiting several gardens in a particular town or village. Garden trails take place all over the county throughout the summer to raise money for good causes, and they provide a fantastic opportunity to see what a community has to offer.
When I found one such trail was coming up in Tilston near Malpas a few weeks ago, I just had to take the chance to explore the area. The prospect of revisiting Stretton Old Hall was a big draw, but I discovered many more delightful places during the afternoon. There were large contemporary gardens, small and quirky ones, and gardens designed with wildlife in mind, which I particularly loved.
Most of the eight gardens on the Tilston Trail were within walking distance of each other, but I arrived at Stretton Old Hall first on my way into the centre of the village. This stunning garden is just over five acres in size and was created from a completely blank canvas by owners Ken Roscoe and David Bradley back in 2013. A couple of years ago, readers of Cheshire Life Magazine were treated to a year in the life of the head gardener, Stephen Gore including a rather ‘cheeky’ photo taken for a charity calendar, and as I follow Stephen on Instagram @stephenthegardener, I knew there would be loads of new features to see. The first was the recently built quarry garden that occupies the site of the old swimming pool. Minimalist planting and huge sandstone boulders contributed to the overall ambience of this area and the route to the more familiar part of the garden was via a perfectly placed boardwalk over the crystal-clear water of the pond. The heart of the garden is a pathway flagged by olive trees in super-sized pots, and the star of the planting show was the beautiful Sisyrinchium striatum flanked by repeating box balls and spherical steel sculptures. Other garden rooms lead off from here including the rill garden and gravel gardens, all stunning in different ways.
I headed back to the car just as the rain threatened, and made my way to the village centre, where I found several gardens conveniently sited close to each other. The first had magical views over fields towards the Welsh Hills and was full of fruit trees and raised beds for growing vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. Happily for me, the next two gardens offered refreshments in the form of hot drinks, cake and prosecco. Absolutely vital to keep the energy levels up before the walk to the next garden which was full of twists and turns and quirky features.
One of the larger gardens was Well House, which can also be visited by arrangement via the National Garden Scheme. This is a one-acre cottage garden, with several ponds, a natural stream and a huge variety of trees and herbaceous plants. I particularly loved the view from the elevated terrace, over a magnificent Cornus kousa tree and the woodland area was a haven for wildlife.
Sometimes by chance, you save the best until last, and I was particularly entranced by Tilston Lodge. The garden is very spacious with some fine specimens of mature trees including a Black Walnut, Juglans nigra, which has magnificent buttery yellow foliage in autumn. I loved the orchard, with its pathways through the wildflowers and the topiary area enhanced delightfully by scented climbing roses. Owners Kathie and Neil Ritchie who have lived at the property for 35 years told me that the beautiful yellow rose ‘Teasing Georgia’ by David Austin, had been given to Neil by his sister some 22 years ago, and was having its best year for producing an abundance of gorgeous blooms.
It was a highly enjoyable day out, and thanks go to Adrian Donovan of Stocks Cottage, who organised the event, along with all the people who welcomed visitors to their gardens. The Garden Trail raised £9312, and the proceeds will go towards the maintenance of St Mary’s Church in Tilston, part of which dates back to the 15th century.
The Gardens of Tilston
o Stretton Old Hall – a magnificent contemporary garden.
o No.5 Wynter Lane – wonderful views over the Welsh Hills.
o Stocks Cottage – a trellis of David Austin roses welcomes visitors.
o Tilston Close – sparkling wine and a party atmosphere in the heart of the village.
o No. 1 Inveresk Cottages – a fairytale garden full of surprises.
o Tilston Lodge – a large garden with beautiful trees, herbaceous borders and wildlife areas.
o Well House – a favourite with NGS visitors over many years.
o Homewood, Edge – a traditional country cottage garden with well-stocked borders.
