About

Guided tour and lunch included.

The Holt is a classic William & Mary style house dates from 1687 and sits very comfortably in the middle of the estate, at the centre of its own recently restored and enhanced parkland landscape.

Since the current generation arrived at in 2005, extensive work has been undertaken to create a clear overall structure to the landscape.  The real catalyst for change came when the new generation had the good fortune to work with renowned landscape architect Kim Wilkie. Kim devised an elegant and dramatic design solution. This neatly incorporated a new grass amphitheatre, with its striking zig-zag path dissecting the terraces. Creating a focal point which leads up to a gate into the parkland beyond.   The collaboration between the Wakes and Wilkie is on-going. Other recent additions included a large spiral mound that sits at the centre of a ‘patte d’oie’ axis of five avenues linking the gardens to the woodland beyond.

There is a logical route around the garden taking in the grass amphitheatre, the spiral mound, with its avenues. The round pond leading through the high-pruned beech ‘darkling rectangle’ to a new lime avenue.  Guests then follow the axis through the Pool Garden with its elegant, black canal-like pool, herbaceous beds, apple orchard and meadow. Finally into the Kitchen Garden which has been restored to retain its original structure. It still includes an area used for growing vegetables, as well as greenhouses, a young pear orchard and meadow.

A collection of 57 varieties of apple pruned as espaliers. Long lavender hedges which look spectacular in summer, and mixed borders around the perimeter walls. This includes a south facing bed with more tender plants. There is a growing collection of old shrub and climbing roses. Some of which were brought from the collection at Fairfield House, Hambledon. The previous generation of Wakes created an extensive garden here.

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