To Ham House...again!

L2 Day 15. A walk along the Thames path from Teddington Lock to visit Ham House Gardens (again!) a friend who had never been there, and her dog Magic. (See Magic in the extra...named Magic because of Black Magic chocolate Strawberry!) We downloaded the audio garden tour which is really informative and interesting. When the garden was first laid out in the 17C it was designed to impress as a showpiece garden which would reflect the owners wealth, their status and loyalty to Charles II. Since the 1970’s the National Trust has restored much of the original garden. The main areas are the Cherry Garden which was originally a private walled garden for the mistress of the house, the South Terrace where hundreds of plants in pots were displayed and which overlooks eight rectangles of grass known as Plats, The Wilderness which was an area for contemplation and reflection where ladies of the house would have felt safe to wander and lastly the Kitchen Garden and Orangery.
Good to see that they have put up fairy lights already for Christmas and lots of gardeners and volunteers busy working in the gardens.