Ascott

 

Address – Estate Office
Wing
Leighton Buzzard
Bedfordshire LU7 0PS

Phone01296 688242
Opening times

27th Mar - 29th Apr 14:00 - 18:00  Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
1st May - 26th Jul 14:00 - 18:00  Tue, Wed, Thu
31st Jul - 14th Sep 14:00 - 18:00  Sun, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Collection/special featurestopiary sundial and new sunken garden
Dog friendly?Dogs on leads only
Child friendly?Children enjoy the fountains and the topiary sundial but there’s not a special area or trail for them.
Description The main part of the garden was designed and planted in 1902, following the owner, Leopold de Rothschild’s marriage, and was conceived partly as a present for his wife and also as a celebration of their happy marriage. He was a talented gardener who laid out the grounds with the assistance of Sir Harry Veitch, the famous Chelsea nurseryman.  The gardens were a mixture of the formal and informal - George Devey, the architect working on the house, was interested in garden design and played a significant role in the revival of 'Old English' formal gardening. His architectural work in the garden included the Tea House at the east end of the Madeira Walk and the Skating Hut overlooking the Lily Pond. After the Second World War, when some Chelsea pensioners had been living in the house after being bombed out of their London homes, the more elaborate Victorian bedding-out was reduced, some of the topiary removed and many flowering trees were planted.

Ascott photograph by Rictor Norton & David used under a creative commons licence