Horatio’s Garden is delighted to be offering an incredible opportunity to visit a rarely opened private garden by special invitation of the owner.

As well as an exclusive opportunity to view the breathtaking gardens, traditional homemade afternoon tea will be served for guests during the afternoon visit.

Tickets are £95*

Tickets can be booked through Eventbrite or alternatively, please book by ringing the charity’s office on 01722 326834

Stavordale Priory Gardens

Stavordale Priory, a Grade I listed building, first built as a priory of Augustinian canons in the 13th century. It was converted into a private residence after the suppression of the monastery in 1538 and became a farm for three centuries and then a gentrified Edwardian residence. It has now been the home of Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Michael Le Poer Trench Esq for over twenty-five years.

The gardens originally laid out by the previous owner and garden designer Georgia Langton have now been developed and extended by Michael and his team. “Arts and Crafts” is an overused phrase, but if meaning a garden of outdoor rooms, topiary, stone walls and gorgeous “tapestry-style” planting it can apply to much of what we see at Stavordale. Described by Gardens Illustrated as “singing with creativity & invention”. Beds overflow with richly coloured perennials with structure provided by tightly clipped box shapes and topiary yews. The vegetable garden is more a potager with fruit and flowers in the mix. Michael’s birthday arboretum leads to the “Les Misérables” elephant and then through a woodland grove to a series of ponds and lakes surrounded by generous beds of moisture-loving primulas and iris.

The Elephant was made for the film set of Les Misérables and is a model of The Elephant of the Bastille which was a monument in Paris which existed between 1813 and 1846. Originally conceived in 1808 by Napoleon, the colossal statue was intended to be created out of bronze and placed in the Place de la Bastille, but only a plaster full-scale model was built.

Restrictions

For maximum enjoyment of everyone in the garden and to safeguard the integrity of the garden and the privacy of the owners we ask that everyone follows these few guidelines:

• No Phones: All phones must be turned off and kept in pockets and bags.
• No Photos: Please respect the privacy of the owners.
• Don't touch: Please don't touch the topiary box. It can spread disease.
• No Umbrellas: They can damage the garden.

NB* Price excludes Eventbrite booking fee which is non-refundable