Rowley House

About Rowley House

At Rowley House garden there is much to see. Your first experience is the Court Yard Garden, a formal area with three “rooms” designed by Sue Davies of Outside Rooms. The rooms feature and frame, firstly, an elegant sculpture by Ian Gill – “Dragon’s Eye’ and an original ancient pump found on the site. Also around the courtyard garden are some unusual trees – amongst these are a blue Noble Fir, a Weeping Atlantic Cedar, a red-coned Norway Spruce and a Golden Oriental Spruce – and mixed herbaceous borders which add beautiful and vivid colour.
Leaving the courtyard, take the “Woodland Walk” passing a large narrow-leaved Ash, Japanese Maples, rhododendrons, ferns and other shade-loving plants. You will see a huge and magnificent Weeping Beech, a Ginkgo, a Brewer’s Weeping Spruce, Handkerchief tree, Tulip tree and Amur Cork tree and also note a small bed of wildflowers.
Walking around the original lower pond you see the Swamp Cypress growing happily on the island, and through its leaves glimpse a sight of the obelisk; and pass the sweet-scented Japanese Clethera surrounded by rhododendrons. Also featured is a little bridge to the island.
The main lawn is flanked by herbaceous borders and various unusual trees including a Metasequoia Gold Rush, a Kentucky coffee tree and a Japanese pergola tree. Interesting features include two wood sculptures by Any Burgess – a merlin on the summerhouse and on the lawn is a Red Kite.
Beyond the original pond is Park Meadow with a naturalised pond surrounded by a wild flower meadow, sown and managed to maintain the maximum variety of species. Pass through a field with mature trees – large maples, beautifully shaped limes and a smaller Shag Bark Hickory – to the Marl Pit Wood. Follow the path past water-filled marl pits observing a number of ancient oaks; also find Aspen, Weeping Silver Limes, Japanese maples, and newly planted hydrangeas and shrub roses; then continue through a further wild flower meadow. Notice also, across the pond an amazing wood sculpture of an Eurasian Eagle Owl, landing again by Andy Burgess. Return through Park meadow past a Wingnut tree and thence back into the garden to the teas and home-made cakes.

Many unusual plants and trees, also many areas dedicated to wildlife. Leaflet provided with map and details of garden.