As entrances to gardens go, the way into Parsonage Oasts, in Yalding, Kent, is certainly memorable. Before you can proceed down the drive, you may have to wait to cross the canal in front of the property while a bridge is raised for boats to pass beneath. ‘It’s a bit like having a drawbridge at the end of the garden,’ jokes Jennifer Raikes, who has lived here with her husband, Edward, for 55 years.
The Raikes first moved to the red-brick and timber-clad oast
