Bicton College Courses at Hestercombe

meaning that we can overwinter more plants. It is exciting times for us, so to get us fired up and to refresh our memories about glasshouse work, we arranged for a one day course, just for us, at Bicton college. We spent the day in the glasshouse with Janice Hindley, who took us through several propagation techniques, seed sowing, and glasshouse pest and...

There has definitely been a change in the weather recently and we are looking forward to our Autumn Events programme. Planting & gardening workshops a-plenty, with Bicton College setting up new courses and our own too with Head Gardener Claire Reid: Confident Gardener Class We will shortly be moving towards our Christmas activities, from skating to Father...

Hestercombe is a wonderful garden venue and regularly listed amongst the top 20 gardens in Britain. Many activities are offered in the garden, a good number of them are free with garden entry such as the butterfly walks and the charcoal burning days. Special emphasis is also given to children as it’s a great place for them to engage with nature and enjoy...

**Nestled in tranquil countryside and boasting sweeping lawns, three stunning historic gardens and the iconic light-filled Orangery, it’s no wonder Hestercombe's Somerset wedding venue is one of the most idyllic wedding venues in the Southwest.**: **Venues**: With a selection of gorgeous venues from grand and formal to small and intimate, all situated in...

**MEMORIES OF HESTERCOMBE: THE 1873-77 REMODELLING OF HESTERCOMBE HOUSE**: The moulded stone arch that frames the east entrance to the Gallery Shop, originally the Great Hall, probably formed part of the rear wall of the original, early medieval house at Hestercombe. By the late 17th century the increasingly substantial residence of the Warre family...

**The next instalment from the Hestercombe Archives explores the fascinating early history of 'Haegsta’descumb', from 682 - 1391**: **_Written by_**_ _**_Kim Legate, Senior Archivist_**: As far as the valley of Helsdena (Hel... ‘s Valley). Then by a brook to the ford which is called Wealaford (Ford of the Welsh or Celts). And so along the course of that...

The Hon. Mrs Portman with her dog at Hestercombe_ **Celebrating International Women's Day at Hestercombe**: From the moment Constance Portman gently suggested to her husband Teddy that she have a small amount of extra garden for herself at Hestercombe, women continued to play a significant part in the running of the Formal and Landscape gardens. Mrs...

**Head Gardener, Claire Greenslade, shares tips on how we’re saving water at Hestercombe**: As you can imagine in the high temperatures we’ve experienced recently the gardens are beginning to suffer from heat exhaustion - just like the rest of us! At Hestercombe we are very conscious of our water consumption and use. We recognise that water is such a...

HESTERCOMBE HUMDINGER & SUNDAY ROASTS! We've teamed up with Forever Running for the annual running race around Hestercombe. The road will be closed on Sunday (3rd Feb) but we are STILL OPEN! The Stables Restaurant will also be serving their delicious SUNDAY ROASTS, with two courses for just £12.00. Look out for other tasty treats too! Look forward to...

**Visitors will notice a new feature as they take the main drive towards Hestercombe House.**: Visitors will notice a new feature as they take the main drive towards Hestercombe House. A body of water currently awaits restoration to be transformed into an original Water Garden that formerly graced the estate. The Water Garden is situated in the parkland...

We have some really beautiful weddings at Hestercombe - unsurprisingly I suppose, with the landscape and formal gardens acting as a backdrop - but this one was a little bit different. Chris and Rhian were married on October 11th 2013 in the Temple. For those who don't know, the Temple is situated at the top of the landscape gardens. It has incredible views...

**an amateur artist whose talents were far from amateurish** - ~ Huon Mallalieu, Country Life art writer_ **Coplestone Warre Bampfylde, 1720-1791**: **2020 gained significance as we celebrated the 300th anniversary of the birth of Coplestone Warre Bampfylde, former owner of Hestercombe, and designer of the impressive Landscape Garden that greets you after...

We were delighted to learn last month that the **Somerset Gardens Trust has generously donated £1,000** towards the cost of restoring and conserving the rotunda in Hestercombe’s fantastic formal garden. Designed by Sir Edward Lutyens and built between 1904 and 1908 after he and Gertrude Jekyll were commissioned to create the formal garden at Hestercombe,...

When it's cold outside and the days are short, it can be all too tempting to hunker down, cosy up and stay indoors. But we're here to convince you to throw on a jacket, pull on your wellies and head outside. Visiting winter gardens is a great way to do this. And while there won't be quite so many blooms, the colder months bring their own unique treats. ...

Today's been a bit cold with the changing seasons but plans are afoot for the HESTERTOMB and Hallowe'en is just around the corner. Mark's been decorating the courtyard in a very ghostly guise... Next time you visit Hestercombe's Stables Restaurant you're in for a big surprise! - Spooky tours - daytime and night, will be running throughout the holidays, and...

Photo by _Rui Dias_ from Pexels_ Here at Hestercombe we were beginning (pre-lockdown) to establish a number of activities aimed at improving health and wellbeing of our visitors, such as yoga, mindfulness and of course our annual Woodland Wander. Just by coming to visit Hestercombe and enjoying a walk around our 50 acres of gardens you’ll almost certainly...

**Another week, and it's a week that is filled with menu planning for the new spring season. A visit to a local food show always gives a great opportunity to meet new suppliers and find new ideas. As winter is still upon us a great and versatile (if a little bit ugly) vegetable is the celeriac, fantastic as a soup and also great as mash or puree to accompany...

Today is International Women's Day and I thought this was a great opportunity to celebrate some magnificent women in horticulture. And where better to start than with Gertrude Jekyll who designed the planting in the formal gardens at Hestercombe. Gertrude was born in 1843 and died in 1932. She had a very artistic start in life and her skills included...

you are doing a cracking job! Just keep asking us all questions and learn as much as you can....... and keep baking!!!!**: **I think that it is about time we introduced two of our valuable team members.... the students.** Jessica Redhead (on the left) and Hannah Philips (on the right) Both started here in September 2012 and will be with us until the end of...

The Humdinger is fast approaching and to welcome new visitors (even if it is only a brief visit as they shoot past on the challenging Humdinger course!) we are putting on an extra catering space plus fantastic offers in the shop. The catering tent will be set up nice and early for runners (and hardworking volunteers!) to grab a bit of breakka or to refuel...