Rousham - a treat not to be missed!


Monty Don described Rousham as "one of the greatest experiences on this earth" in his book, "Around the World in 80 Gardens", and having visited yesterday, I have to agree with him - it is an outstanding property! Originally designed by William Kent in the first half of the 18th century, little has changed in the last 250 years, and every corner you turn gives another amazing vista. Combine this with perfectly mown lawns, the impressive statues and the views over the Oxfordshire countryside and the River Cherwell and you've got a garden that's unique.

Rousham has stood still in time. You approach the property up a long driveway bounded by fields filled with grazing cattle. There is no gift shop or tea room here, but just a ticket machine where you pay your entrance fee, and then you can wander at leisure through the grounds. First view of the house is impressive (above) but when you wander round the side, you realise that this garden is really different.

The views are breathtaking and at every turn there is another statue or feature that makes you stop in your tracks. More striking still is the total absence of flowers around the house - the vista is green, green, green - just lawns, trees, and a series of water pools, which reflect the green around them. You can spend hours just wandering through this verdant landscape and you begin to feel as though you have been transported back in time - the pressures of the 21st century seem far removed when you come face to face with a statue of Apollo, or the Dying Gladiator. This is a genuine landscape garden.

But if it's flowers you want, you can head for the magnificent walled garden adjacent to the house and this is where you will find the 17th century kitchen garden, an ancient church (above) and a box parterre of roses, overlooked by a dovecot (below).
Even in September, the flower borders are magnificent (below) and it was here in the flower garden that I found one of the gardeners who is lucky enough to work at this beautiful property, who told me that the garden is rarely crowded, even though it has been in the limelight recently. I spent several hours here and saw no other visitors at all, but that is probably because the day had started out as a rainy Monday, and then turned into a beautiful day, as you can see from the sky in the photographs.

Comments

  1. Gorgeous. I love how the green lawn perfectly sets off the stone! It is like a beautiful carpet.
    The blue gate in the stone wall, amazing, why does blue seem to be such a fabulous colour in the garden.

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  2. I can imagine spending days wandering around the gardens! The lush green in the front is very organized...even the lines in the lawn are 'dress right dress' but..oh the collection of color in the kitchen garden. Wonderful

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  3. What a beautiful day you had yesterday! That is an amazing, lovely place.

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  4. I hardly ever relax in my own garden, always something to get done. So, I can imagine how wonderful it must have been to be here in this lovely garden and just ENJOY the beauty surrounding me. Thanks for sharing.
    Rosey

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  5. Wonderful photos, it looks so warm and summery!

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  6. Charlotte, Can I please be you, just for a while -- a month, a week, a day; I won't be fussy. Wonderful tour of this inspiring garden; and likewise, inspiring tour of this wonderful garden.

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  7. so beautiful.. like a fairy land

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  8. Alone in such a wonderful garden, what can be better? I'd love to see the "only green" part, without flowers, but then I'd start missing colors, I think. Fortunately, that place has it all. Thank you for the tour!

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