Miserden Gardens – An August Visit
If you’re a garden lover and live in or are visiting the Gloucestershire area, put the Miserden gardens on your ‘to do’ list! I finally made it to Miserden Gardens in Gloucestershire this August for inspiration and wanted to share the experience and encourage people to visit.
Where is Miserden Park?
The village of Misenden is tucked away in the rolling Cotswold hills, it’s an idyllic setting and the local pub was worth a visit too…but that’s another story! Think sweeping views, dry stone walls dripping with roses, and a garden that seems to whisper, “Take your time, there’s no rush here.”
Who Owns Miserden Estate?
The gardens wrap around Miserden House, a stunning 17th-century manor that’s still privately lived in by the Wills family, who have owned the Miserden Estate for over a hundred years. You can’t go into the house, but the gardens more than make up for that because you can tell that they are loved by the owners. The architect, Lutyens made a significant contribution to the layout of the gardens in the 1920s and the influence of Gertrude Jekyell (who had a close association with Lutyens) can be felt, although she didn’t have a direct link to the development of the Miserden gardens. It is not surprising that the Miserden estate won the Historic Houses Garden of the Year Award in 2018.
Who built Miserden House?
Miserden House was built in the 1620s by William Sandys, a royalist who served as one of King Charles I’s court officials. The house is a fine example of Cotswold stone architecture from the early Stuart period, and it has been lovingly maintained over the centuries. The Sandys family were prominent landowners at the time, and the estate has passed through various hands since then.
Miserden Park – What’s to See?
If you like immaculate gardening, then Miserden might disappoint. That’s not the point of the garden. It sits well into the wider landscape and you can wander around the grounds, to admire the arboretum and sweeping views on grass pathways. After the long dry summer this year, the ground certainly wasn’t wet for me, but I can imagine that it could be tricky to navigate on rainy days with grass steps and uneven ground to navigate. I found myself quite alone to enjoy the timeless quality of the Miserden gardens, it felt like a family garden, it is large but intimate.
The Planting at Miserden Gardens
One of my favourite corners was the dahlia garden, which was a riot of colour in August. I admit dahlias aren’t really my ‘thing’ in a garden, especially coupled with clashing gladioli, but, given the setting and style of architecture this garden looked completely in keeping, with the magnificent urn taking centre stage. It’s all set against the most incredible views over the Golden Valley—rolling hills, and not a pylon in sight. It’s so peaceful, you could just plonk yourself on a bench, of which there are many, and stay for hours absorbing the atmosphere.
There are just two full time gardeners to take care of the Miserden gardens. They were working on the herbaceous borders when I stopped for a chat and they told me they were about to start the mammoth job of yew pruning. There are a lot of yew hedges to keep in shape! All very much in keeping with the formality of the house and giving much needed structure and shelter when the herbaceous planting has died down in winter months.
The planting is mostly perennial, but some annuals, such as these dazzling trailing petunias, used as in-fillers.
There were a couple of plants that stood out for me, the first was this Belladonna lily, which I’d not come across before.
And also this Actinidia kolominta, the hardy, variegated kiwi, which I’ve not had much success with at home. I think it needs a sheltered wall for it to thrive, and thrive it certainly is at the Miserden gardens!
The Structures at Miserden Gardens
The various structures, gates, archways and garden art are imposing, in keeping with the scale of the gardens. I particularly loved the way the gardeners have planted up enormous troughs, again very much in keeping with the history, horticulture, and heavenly views that these gardens inspired.
The final structure not to be missed is the cafe…I can recommend the cake!
For more ideas on gardens to visit in Gloucestershire, see our linked article here.
