Parham Gardens

I've been meaning to visit Parham House and Gardens near Pulborough, West Sussex for some time, especially as it is an RHS Partner Garden, so I get free entry during the week.  So today was the day! 

From my "back catalogue" I discovered that I had visited once before in July 2009 on a very busy day, but I can't say I remember it, and comparing images, there have been a few changes.  Today I also took advantage of a ticket upgrade to tour the Elizabethan house, which first opened it's doors to the general public in 1948, and has done so ever since. It was interesting to find that what you see today is the result of the work of the Hon. Clive and Alicia Pearson who bought the estate in 1922 and over the next 40 years restored the house and filled it with interesting and beautiful things.Their descendents still live in the house, now owned by a charitable trust. A delightful discovery was the Long Gallery which, unusually, is in the attic space and gives wonderful views over the estate and nearby South Downs (extra).

The main feature of the experience however is the glorious gardens, which were full of flower, and I don't think I have seen so many butterflies and even dragonflies (extra).