I'm continuing to post about our visit to Britain last fall to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Come along with us today as we visit a very interesting garden and home.
Levens Hall is the family home of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bagot. This fine Elizabethan home has fine oak paneling, and Cordova leather wall coverings. Though there is no photography allowed inside we enjoyed our time visiting the inside that is full of early furnishings and wonderful objects that have been collected through the years.
I first learned about Levens Hall from one of my blogging friends, Cathy. She wrote a story about Gabriel and his adventure to Scotland. On his journey he stopped at Levens Hall. When I checked out the information I knew we wanted to stop here on our visit to England. If you want to read about Gabriel's adventure you can go to The Adventures of Poetry and Gabriel In this chapter Gabriel stops at Levens Hall.
Cathy wrote and illustrated this charming story.
Levens Hall is known for its topiary gardens. There is a rose garden and herbaceous borders and huge beech hedges. Let's go take a look.
The topiary gardens are enormous! When you need this kind of machinery to keep your topiary shaped, you know you mean business.
This garden requires quite a landscaping force.
I was in awe at the size and the beauty of this garden.
I couldn't help but take a lot of photos of this lovely garden.
You can see the pruners have more work ahead of them, so we'll leave them to do that. Let's go visit the Warton Old Rectory ruins before we call it a day.
Can you believe the beauty? I want to always remember.
Warton Old Rectory is not too far along this hedgerow road.
As you can see from the information this place is quite ancient. Built in the 1300's!
This rectory was not directly affected by the Suppression of the Monasteries in the 16th century. It was in ruins by 1721.
This property is kept up by the English Heritage. We are the only ones looking about today.
The north end of the building used to have a cottage that was inhabited until the 20th century. It was then turned over to the state in 1971 when they removed all the later additions and kept only the medieval structures intact.
You can read about Warton Old Rectory above. Remember that you can enlarge any photo by clicking on it.
We can see clearly why these old stone walls are still standing! The thickness of them assures that they will be standing for many more years.
This is the rental car that took us all over Britain. Traveling on the left and enjoying every minute. Join us again soon as we are going back to Scotland!
This is the rental car that took us all over Britain. Traveling on the left and enjoying every minute. Join us again soon as we are going back to Scotland!
Another adventure! Those gardens were impressive. A little topiary goes a long way for me. After a while I feel like Alice in Wonderland. Then, too, it can have a modern look.
ReplyDeleteVee, you are right, I do believe Alice would have been right at home in this garden. ♥
DeleteAmazing, Martha Ellen!! What a fantastic trip to celebrate your 50th! -xoxo
ReplyDeleteNellie, it was a dream for us to return to Britain for our anniversary. Thank you for stopping by! ♥
DeleteYou are so sweet to mention my story! And I'm pleased that you visited Levens Hall on my account. Have you ever been to Ladew Topiary Gardens in Maryland northeast of Baltimore? http://www.ladewgardens.com It is quite lovely.
ReplyDeleteCathy, when we planned this trip I knew we should try to put Levens Hall in our itinerary. I'm so glad we learned about it from you and Gabriel. I've never visited Ladew Topiary Gardens in Maryland. It looks like a place that I would enjoy. ♥
DeleteYou visit and see some of the coolest places. So neat! Love the rock buildings and those trees...nice.
ReplyDeleteWe were so fortunate to see so many places in Great Britain, Pam. ♥
DeleteYou're so lucky to have gotten to go visit there! What I wouldn't give to see the old stone castles from where my ancestors once lived. Thank you for sharing! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteTeresa, so many of us have ancestors from the British Isles. I'm so glad you are traveling along with us as we visit many places that I dreamed of visiting one day. ♥
DeleteThat topiary garden is amazing! It must have been quite impressive to see it in person and "feel" the enormity!
ReplyDeleteWarton Old Rectory is impressive as well. It stretches my imagination to realize that this structure stood so many, many years ago. I suppose I am very "American" in thinking that a two hundred year old building is old. That's just a baby building! :)
Cheryl, the Levens Hall gardens were so lovely and take so much work that I can't imagine. It's wonderful to appreciate those places that do.
DeleteWarton Old Rectory ruins certainly boggles the "American" mindset about what is old! ♥
A place that I have never visited but I have now put Levens Hall on my to do list, it looks impressive. Loved the topiary trees, not possible here on the Isle of Lewis. The winds would soon damage them, sadly.
ReplyDeleteYour wind makes a certain look to your trees already, doesn't it? Near our coastline, I've seen many trees leaning with the wind patterns. That's kind of a natural topiary! ♥
DeleteThe topiary of Levens Hall is magnificant Martha Ellen. Warton Old Rectory is also interesting and I´m always amazed at all those ruins in England, I´m sure in our country that would have long been cleared away, but that the charm of Great Brittain.
ReplyDeleteJanneke, you would really appreciate Levens Hall gardens. The topiaries, the flowers, the roses--it's a gardener's paradise. ♥
DeleteThere is something incredibly magical and so mysterious about topiary. I love it. I am trying to topiarise a yew tree that gave itself freely into my garden a few years ago. Just a simple cube with rounded edges, well, that's my aim!
ReplyDeleteI worry about box topiary, for box blight is currently a scourge of all gardens containing it.
~~~Waving~~~From Across the Pond~~~Deb in Wales xoxo
Deb, you'll have to share your topiary experience--it's quite the process. I took a topiary class once and enjoyed it very much. It was on a very small scale compared to these gardens! I hope the box blight doesn't visit my garden. There are many old gardens with 200 year old boxwood around here that would be a shame to lose! The same for you all across the pond! xoxo ♥
DeleteOh my, I love all the old stone buildings. I think about those who laid those stones. Another adventure! Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteThe stone work alone in Britain is a sight to behold. From houses to barns to warehouses to dry stacked fences, they are everywhere. We were so happy to see the workmanship of so long ago. ♥
DeleteI never tire of seeing topiary gardens such as this. I just love the shapes and the contrast in color of some. Gorgeous! Would have been hard to leave. Those stone ruins amaze me. People had to lift those stones into place themselves. I just can't imagine it. Thank you for sharing a wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, Levens Hall gardens were works of art. The shapes and the flowers were so pretty and unique in contrast to each other. You are so right about the size of the stones that were used to build Warton Old Rectory. It's a wonder to me how it was built without modern machinery! ♥
DeleteWow that was amazing! I can’t imagine keeping up with those topiaries. I can see why they resort to using the large equipment to do it. Too bad they don’t allow photography inside. You two surely had an amazing trip and I’m impressed as to how well planned out it was!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. Photography was not allowed in several places and I do understand. This trip, though quite extensive, required a lot of planning on both of our parts. Grayden is wonderful at putting all of my hopes and wishes into reality. Researching is much easier now in the days of computers! ♥
DeleteThat looks amazing! How cool that you went there because of Cathy's story!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read Cathy's story I thought it would be a fun place to visit while in the Lake District. ♥
DeleteWhat a amazing mature topiaries and garden! It looked right our of Alice in Wonderland for the fanciful and unusual shapes. What a nice trip you and Grayden had to celebrate your 50th anniversary!
ReplyDeletePat, our trip was a dream come true for me to return to Britain as I love it there. It just feels like home to me! Thank you so much for your sweet comments. ♥
DeleteMartha, I love reading about people's trips to England, since I won't be going again any time soon! I especially love Cumbria where my mother's family lived for centuries. Your photographs are excellent!
ReplyDeleteJean, I remember you saying that about your family living near Ullwater in Cumbria. How wonderful to have roots in that gorgeous place! Thanks for your sweet comment. ♥
DeleteOh my goodness! I am new to blogging and just found your beautiful blog.
ReplyDeleteIt is a feast for the eyes.
I would love to know how to add a wallpaper to my background, like you have done.
Absolutely Beautiful!
Melissa
Welcome to my little corner, Melissa. It's been a while since I changed my wallpaper and will probably keep this one of William Morris'. I adore his work and especially his wallpapers. If you play around with your settings you will find a place to change your background. My daughter and husband help me from time to time as I'm really not computer savvy. Good luck with learning Blogger and welcome to Blogdom. ♥
DeleteI am so pleased you took a lot of pictures and shared them here.
ReplyDeleteThose gardens look wonderful.
You had a wonderful trip … and more to come!
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan. I'm recording our trip here for us to have a more permanent record of our travels to Britain. It's really nice to have you along with us. You wouldn't believe how many photos we took! ♥
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