These adorable ducklings and their Mama Duck put on quite a show in the lily-bedecked canals of Westbury Court Gardens, a National Trust property open to the public. I am having a wonderful time this glorious summer touring the Cotswolds, with my husband, via all the National Trust Properties in the Cotswolds.
I was handed a map of all their properties in this lovely region when I visited Chedworth Roman Villa and found it to be joy to visit them one by one – great way to see this area – taking me to parts of the Cotswolds I had never explored.
Westbury Court Garden near Gloucester and the Severn River on the edges of the Cotswolds was a revelation. It is the only 17th Century restored Dutch water garden in Great Britain. It was originally laid out between 1696 and 1715 and remained untouched for over 300 years.
Hooray, for the National Trust rescuing it in 1967. An engraving from 1707 helped with the first complete garden restoration undertaken by this terrific organization.
Westbury Court Garden is a delight – it has a wealth of unusual plants, the calming trickle of water from the lily-covered canals, the oldest evergreen oak in England, ready for picking English apples, plums, peaches and cherries espaliered and, in season, ripening against the old red-brick walls. There are Kingfishers, Heron, Sand Martins and of course those darling little ducklings.
We have almost worked our way through all the Cotswolds National Trust Properties making our membership fee a wonderful bargain and worth every penny.
We fairly quickly equaled the cost of our tickets in entrance fees and now it feels like all future visits and return visits are free.
NATIONAL TRUST PROPERTIES in the COTSWOLDS
So far we have visited Dyrham Park, Snowshill Manor and Garden, Newark Park, Lodge Park and Sherborne Estate, Upton House and Gardens, Woodchester Park, Minchinhampton and Rodborough Commons, Chedworth Roman Villa, Hidcote and Chasleton House.
More on all these with photos in upcoming blog posts:
Still to visit: Charlecote Park, Coughton Court, Croome Greyfriars’ House and Garden, Hanbury Hall and Gardens, Prior Park Landscape Garden, Stowe and Waddesdon Manor.
Downloadable Nation Trust app:
nationaltrust.org.uk/cotswolds
Tel: 0844 800 1895
New! Cotswolds Memoir is now available as an AudioBook in addition to Paperback and Kindle
Click below to order
Diz White 