Synopsis
For the last hundred years Beckley Park has been home to the Fielding family, Amanda Fielding (Countess of Wemyss and March) the present owner remembers wandering the grounds of the historical Tudor Manor playing hide and seek in the Yew and Box. Taking over the house and garden in 1992, Amanda has since planted thousands of trees, developed the existing gardens, resurrected the Deer park, and created a new pond.
These unique and quirky gardens, steeped in history and sense of place are now home to the Beckley Park Foundation as Amanda remains to this day passionate about research into the therapeutic benefits of psychoactive drugs and drug policy reform. www.beckleyfoundation.org
The garden which Amanda feels is best understood from an upstairs window is mainly comprised of three green rooms of Yew and Box. The Yew garden which looks as though it has leapt out of the pages of Lewis Carrol book was created by Amanda’s grandfather Percy and lovingly maintained by her father Basil. The Yew hedges are now over 30ft high and in some places seemingly wide enough to lie down on, enclose the many and various topiary geometric shapes and pyramids.
Adjacent to the Yew garden is an elaborate Box parterre, home to a beautiful display of roses in the summer and providing evergreen structural interest in the winter months.
Perhaps Amanda’s finest achievement in the garden is the pond, which was excavated from heavy damp clay ground. The design was created with the help of an Ex-priest and based on sacred geometry. The island with ancient columns standing in a circle and a grass Stupa in memory of Amanda’s beloved pet pigeon ‘Birdie’ was created from the ground removed to create the pond. The bridge is made of the iconic Robert Adam capitals from the wings of Gosford House.
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