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| Bateman's Borde Hill Great Dixter High Beeches Gardens Highdown Gardens Leonardslee Gardens Merriments Gardens Nymans Garden Pashley Manor Gardens Sheffield Park Gardens Standen Wakehurst Place |
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My visits to Borde Hill coincided with the 'Sculpture in the Garden' event with about 70 exhibits from the Surrey Sculpture Society, this contributed considerably to my enjoyment by providing varied focal points across the garden. Some of which can be seen in the accompanying photographs taken in April 2003 and May 2005.
Borde Hill is a 200 acre informal garden consisting of beautiful parkland and woods. In 1892 the garden just consisted of a few good trees and the usual Victorian shrubs, but in the late 1800's Colonel Stephenson Clarke a keen naturalist, set about creating a garden which was to become internationally recognised for its collections. Borde Hill won the Historic Houses Association, Garden of the Year in 2004
The prime years of the garden development coincided with the feverish
plant collecting
expeditions fashionable in the early 1900's, by such eminent collectors as E H
Wilson, Reginald Farrer and Joseph Rock amongst others. Many expeditions were
sponsored by Colonel Stephenson Clarke and the collections included superb
rhododendrons and magnolias which continue to give a wonderful display of
colour in late spring.In the grounds is Borde Hill House a Tudor mansion dating from 1598, built by Stephen Borde a physician at the court of King Henry VIII, this is not open to the general public except for occasional special displays, but can be viewed by groups by appointment. Near the house is some more formal planting including a Mediterranean garden and a Rose garden together with the Victorian Greenhouses.
Borde Hill Garden is located near Haywards Heath in West Sussex and is accessed from the A23 Brighton Road and the A272.
| *Link to official site for viewing Visitor Information* |
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