Fancy getting out of town this weekend? With the long summer days and pleasant weather we all like to get out and about and for garden lovers it is a great time to visit horticultural delights for inspiration and sheer pleasure. I often like to stop off on my way to stay with friends but planning in advance is pretty much essential. That’s when I go to my trusty friend Hudson.
This wonderful guidebook to historic sites of all kinds is easy to navigate and satisfying to leaf through. It is organised in areas and then further divided into counties. It gives comprehensive information about National Trust sites like the very famous Sissinghurst Castle Garden, in Kent,
but also covers the great private gardens, like Great Dixter.
There are also English Heritage sites and completely independent little gems too. So, for instance, if you’re in Suffolk, which is so easy to escape to for North Londoners, you can look the county up in Hudson’e and find a choice of interesting places to visit from somewhere dramatic like
the great Anglo-Saxon royal burial ground at Sutton Hoo (National Trust),
to the charming little Gainsborough’s House (Owned by the Gainsborough’s House Society), with a delightful walled garden.
You will be able to discover Framlingham Castle (English Heritage),
and the beautiful private gardens of Helmingham Hall. Many sites of historic interest also have gardens which are not necessarily the most wow-inspiring but still have their own charm. My own copy is ten years old but it is still giving sound advice, so for around £14 it is great value – highly recommended.
