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Hestercombe: the quintessential Edwardian garden
Visit Somerset’s 16th-century country house Hestercombe and experience Edwardian garden designer Gertrude Jekyll’s influential design in its original planting plan
Nestled between Taunton and the Quantock Hills sits Hestercombe, a 16th-century, Grade II listed country house. Enveloped by 50 acres of parkland, this gem in the heart of Somerset is a showcase of three centuries of garden design. Roam from immaculate lawns to ornate flower beds and a grand cascade. Explore the Grade I listed Orangery, wander around the world-famous Victorian parterre, The Great Plat, and view its glory from the terrace.
The dynamic duo
Hestercombe’s formal Edwardian garden is the result of a legendary partnership between garden designer Gertrude Jekyll and architect Edward Lutyens. It’s a fine example of the duo’s bold layout and attention to detail and is the most acclaimed creation of this celebrated collaboration. Described by garden writer and broadcaster Penelope Hobhouse as “the Edwardian symbol of good taste, the epitome of excellence for a generation on the brink of extinction”.
A rare opportunity
A visit to Hestercombe will reward visitors with the opportunity to enjoy three centuries of garden design: a Georgian landscape garden, a Victorian Shrubbery and the formal Edwardian Garden. An additional area, the 17th-century water garden, will be accessible once renovation work has been completed to offer four centuries of garden design.
Hestercombe’s Edwardian garden is also a rare chance to experience an exact replication of Gertrude Jekyll’s planting plan. Jekyll’s garden was an inspired and transformative moment, which was highly influential in British design aesthetics. As an erudite plantswoman, her knowledge was extensive. She adored colour and her designs were painterly as she celebrated the Impressionist art movement. She also understood the integral relationship between foliage and architectural elements, which can be clearly seen in the garden.
Symmetry is perfectly balanced between pergolas, balustrades and geometrically shaped flower beds and ornamental pathways to create serenity.
“It's easy to look at [Jekyll’s] style of planting and forget how radical this was for her time,” says Hestercome’s Head Gardener, Claire Greenslade. “Victorian gardening had all been about formal carpet bedding schemes, or showing off individual exotic plants. Jekyll's plan mixes together grasses, shrubs, roses, lilies and herbaceous plants to form a community. She recognises that one plant may not be a spectacular variety but she has the ability to see that if it were put next to another plant, together they can really sing.”
“You can see Gertrude’s artistic eye everywhere within the garden walls,” Claire continues. “Her planting design is like a watercolour painting. It's a joy to be able to walk into a copy of one of her designs in real life and get a sense of the artistry involved in designing this space.”
A place to explore
As well as Jekyll and Lutyens’ collaborative showcase garden, Hestercombe is home to other restored landscapes. Visitors can experience an 18th-century park that was designed by the estate’s former owner, Coplestone Warre Bampfylde. Or meander to the Victorian shrubbery, a small, enclosed garden that incorporates a 19th-century yew tunnel with views to the Victorian water tower.
Two ponds, Box and Pear, are the perfect spot to take respite and contemplate while the Gothic Alcove, the Temple Arbour, the Witch House and Mausoleum all punctuate the walk towards the restored 17th-century Water Mill with its Dynamo House and Mill Room.
When you’ve finished exploring, enjoy refreshments at The Stables as the perfect finish to a wonderful day.