In the footsteps of giants Folly Farm, Sulhamstead, Berkshire
TODAY,’ Lanning Roper, wrote in COUNTRY LIFE, May 15, 1975, after visiting Folly Farm near Sulhamstead, in Berkshire, ‘such a garden is beyond the realms of possibility in this country.’ He cited the expense not only of upkeep, but of repairs and ongoing maintenance: the photographs accompanying his article show badly cracked paving stones around Sir Edwin Lutyens’s canal.
Fast forward to 2022 and not only have all the flagstones been repaired, but the historic Arts-and-Crafts house and garden, designed by Lutyens in 1906, refreshed in 1912, and planted by Gertrude Jekyll, are in the best of good health. Indeed, they are glowing, thanks to decades of careful restoration, thoughtful replanting and inspired expansion with the help of designer Dan Pearson. The day-to-day care of the gardens is ensured by an expert team headed up by Tim Stretton and overseen by estate manager Simon Goodenough.
‘Lutyens refused Jekyll her waterlilies, “he wanted his architecture to be seen and, unusually, he won”’
Originally, one entered through a gate in the wall directly into one of three small formal courtyards, laid out geometrically in 1906 with flagstone and herringbone-brick paths to balance the rural setting. Now, the approach is via the drive and the forecourt into Barn
