Synopsis
It has been created over the past 25 years by the owner Alasdair Forbes, an art historian, and he describes it as ‘a meditation on the landform of the valley’.
Alasdair’s name for the garden ‘Plaz Metaxu’ is Greek for ‘the place that is between’, and is a reference to both the garden’s valley setting, and metaphorically to the otherworldliness imparted to it by Alasdair. It can be appreciated on two levels, firstly as a fascinating and beautiful garden on its own merit, and secondly on a conceptual level, as the garden is imbued with symbolism and references to Greek gods, mythology, and Eastern religions.
The garden is 32 acres in total, with sheep grazing the hills on the slopes of the valley. A lake, fed by a stream that runs through the garden, is surrounded by clipped Hornbeam and Yew enclosures,, stone and slate sculptures and standing circles, sheltered walks and groves, avenues of trees, turf mounds, carved engravings with quotations from poetry, and zig zag paths, all gently interconnecting the two sides of the valley and providing focal points for walks through and around the garden. Behind the stone farmhouse there are also several walled and courtyard gardens.
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