Cothay Manor Gardens Primulas (Alice Joyce photo)
Cothay Manor Stone Bench (Alice Joyce photo)
An ideal garden holds you in its embrace.
Cothay - Topiary .. Walkway (Alice Joyce photo)
Yet, another Somerset held me in thrall with the romance of its garden rooms, sylvan meadows and bog garden: the lush landscape and splendid 15th century Medieval house of Cothay Manor. Fine topiary lends a formality to the landscape of Cothay Gardens, as do myriad vignettes revealed as you move from one perfectly composed garden room to the next.
Cothay Manor Gardens Urn (Alice Joyce photo)
Embellishments – a stone bench, a classic urn, a unicorn – act, as understated focal points, pleasing to eye, and soothing in their elegance and placement.
Cothay Manor Gardens Stream Rock walk (Alice Joyce photo)
Cothay Manor Gardens - Somerset (Alice Joyce photo)
Springtime at Cothay Manor: the meadows appear like dance floors for arrays of wildflowers and tulips, rising up and moving in time with the wind. And primulas! Brilliant candelabras, skunk cabbages, tree peonies, and greater celandine emerge in the Bog Garden, and throughout the wild-appearing woodland that is anything but wild.
Cothay Manor Gardens (Alice Joyce photo)
Designed in the 1920s by Reginald Cooper, friend to Lawrence Johnstone of Hidcote Manor and Harold Nicolson of Sissinghurst, the gardens “have been redesigned and replanted within the original framework of yew hedges.” Lyrically memorable, the 12-acre Cothay Manor Gardens estate holds a place in: 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die (Barron’s 2007): a book I contributed to, albeit, did not have the good fortune to be assigned the Cothay entry.
- Cothay Manor Gardens Yew Walk (Alice Joyce photo)
Garden lovers might also enjoy Great Gardens of the World by Penelope Hobhouse and The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World by Alain Le Toquin. Garden history books on Amazon.com
- Cothay Manor Garden Room – Pool, Succulents (Alice Joyce photo)
Cothay Gardens - Bridge (Alice Joyce photo)
Dear Alice, I have absolutely no wish to be a killjoy, but I am afraid that Cothay made no lasting impression on me whatsoever and, looking back into my journal, I read that I was somewhat disappointed and underwhelmed. The avenue approach I thought rather fine, and the house is, of course, lovely.
Somerset as a county, I do agree, has much to offer in the way of fine gardens although, sadly, the dear Popes at Hadspen are gone. Tintinhull, when under the stewardship of Penelope Hobhouse was one of my all time favourites.
Dear Edith
As mentioned in my email, I do believe some serious revitalization is ongoing these days at Cothay. The gardens are in lovely condition, delightful to spend time in, and quite dreamy, overall.