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Hidcote Manor Garden, near Chipping Camden in Gloucestershire, extends to some 10 acres, and is designed as a set of interconnecting rooms with different themes. Our visit in the Summer of 2002 was the second for us as a family, and was one that I relished because I had been so impressed the first time we visited some years ago.

Perhaps memories eliminate the negative and enhance the positive - the garden is as I remembered it, the most creative mix of styles and sensations, but on the day seemed very busy (hence rather few photographs because of the extreme difficulty in avoiding people in the picture) and somewhat unkempt. This last aspect may just have been due to the season - lots seemed to need trimming and indeed the hard work the annual trim of the pleached limes in the Stilt Garden was under way (sadly removing the photo opportunity again!)

But let me not be too negative, because that would be quite inappropriate. The garden is magnificent in concept and execution, and the work of the National Trust to continue the development of the garden created by Lawrence Johnston from 1907 onwards is to be applauded. On another day, my reaction would have been quite different I'm sure. I particularly like the blue garden furniture occasionally visible in some of the photographs below, and featuring strongly in the garden's own publicity material.

The following photographs are some of my records of an all to brief visit (clicking on the small images will take you to a higher quality version opened in a new window - close the window to return).

You can find the National Trust's Hidcote Manor website at http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote/