Bourton House

BOURTON HOUSE GARDEN

HHA/Christie’s GARDEN OF THE YEAR

From April 2010, Bourton House Garden has new owners and they are delighted to announce that the garden will once again be open to the public.

Bourton House Garden has undoubted historic origins but it was overgrown and unloved when Richard and Monique Paice arrived in 1983. During their custodianship, the garden gradually evolved into a garden of delights, tranquil in atmosphere but with a vibrant undercurrent of excitement. Their many years of work were recognised when Bourton House Garden received the prestigious HHA/Christie’s ‘Garden of the Year’ (2006) award.

Today the garden has flamboyance and exoticism, anchored by structure and form, both in its imaginative planting and its architecture. Serene fountains, ponds and plunge pools give way to luxuriant terraces and deep herbaceous borders. Raised alpine troughs, creatively planted pots and a unique shade house add variety and interest. Ancient yew hedges mirror the contours of contemporary trellis and metal work. And then there is the box … in the knot garden, parterre and topiary walk, delighting the eye in every season. An 18th century raised walk provides an enticing link to the rolling Cotswolds hills beyond. And in the walled pasture opposite the garden, there are specimen trees and the enigmatic sculpture ‘Cleaved Air’ gyrating in the slightest breeze.

The entrance to the garden is through an exceptional 16th century Grade I listed Tithe Barn, where you will find occasional art and craft exhibitions and can enjoy a delicious home-made tea.

The new owners will continue to develop the garden with the active assistance of Head Gardener Paul Nicholls, who has for many years been instrumental in turning vision into reality, helping to create the wonderful garden seen today.