Thursday, 13 June 2013

Gardens and towers

Interesting vistas from our window before we leave. Relaxed after 3 days in same place.

We leave Forest Row with a final childhood memory. A walk in the Ashdown forest. Originally a deer hunting forest in Norman times, Ashdown Forest is now one of the largest free public access space in the South East. It is a great place for walking and enjoying spectacular views over the Sussex countryside and is known the world over as the 'home' of Winnie-the-Pooh as the forest was what inspired the tales.

We went to a National Trust proporty called Nymens. It was an outstanding 20th-century garden, set around a romantic house and ruins, in beautiful woodland

The house (of unknown origin and period) was transformed into a Gothic mansion in the 1920s, burnt down shortly after, leaving romantic ruins. The remaining rooms are unexpectedly charming, filled with flowers from the garden as Anne Messel, the last owner, had them. Anne Messel was Princess Margaret's husband.

Then we walked up to Leith Hill which is the highest point in Southeast England and is set within the beautiful Surrey Hills. Its gothic tower rises majestically above the surrounding hills and from the top you can see sweeping views towards London in the north and the English Channel in the south. Leith Hill Tower was built by a man called Hull in 1765 because he needed another 60 feet for the hill to exceed 1000 feet so it could be the highest point in Southeast England. It offers views as far as St. Paul's Cathedral in London to the north, and the English Channel to the south.

Naughty sausage roll.
 

We booked into our accommodation early as we were going out to Steve and Alexa's for tea. We are staying at a wonderful posh place called Barnett Hill just outside of Guildford. Barnett Hill is a beautiful Queen Anne-style property set in 26 acres of stunning gardens and woodlands. The building started out as nothing more than a wooded hilltop when Frank Cook, grandson of the famous travel agent Thomas Cook, purchased the site.

In 1940, Mrs Cook came into ownership of the property after her husband passed away. She passed the house over to the Red Cross for use as a convalescent hospital during the war; a real-life Downton Abbey, which fulfilled the same purpose in show. Those injured during bomb blasts were cared for and rehabilitated at Barnett Hill, with the help of the St John War Organisation. In 1944, Mrs Cook actually handed over the deeds to the house to the British Red Cross, who decided to convert Barnett Hill into their National Training Centre.It was later sold.

 

 

After settling in we found our way to Steve's place and enjoyed catching up with them.

 

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