Our planned visits were affected by a station closure and extremely hot weather. However, nothing daunted, we did some quick thinking and managed to fit in two garden visits and a river boat trip and picnic.
July saw us at Painshill Park landscape garden near Cobham – where our walk contributed to the NWR national walk. This eighteenth century landscape was laid out by Charles Hamilton as a living painting and combines exotic buildings, dramatic views and calming water. Sadly, by the middle of the last century the garden had become a wilderness and the buildings were derelict. Since the early 1980s the garden and its buildings have been gradually restored – a process that continues today. We had a fascinating day, and the weather was kind – a bit chilly to start with but no rain and not too hot.
The ceiling of the Gothic Temple
The Grotto
The view from the Greek Temple
Our August visit to Oxford was affected by the closure of Oxford Station so we visited West Green House Gardens instead. Quite theatrical in its own way West Green Garden is the creation of garden designer Marylyn Abbott and offers something to see in every season, from the walled garden with decorative plantings of fruit trees and vegetables surrounded by roses and herbaceous perennials and annuals to the lakeside garden and wisteria walks.
Stunning agapanthus at West Green House Garden
In the walled garden
September proved too hot for our postponed trip to Oxford so a small group of us took a short return riverboat trip from Henley with a welcome picnic in the shade afterwards.
Our Oxford visit has been postponed until next year – fingers crossed for good weather.