A hidden gem
Today we discovered a hidden gem in south-east London. I read about it on daysoutguide.co.uk and since it was sunny this morning, we decided to go.
It's in Bexley and it's only about 11 miles from here; it took us 40 minutes with a change of train at Lewisham
and then a 15 minute walk to the gate
Hall Place and Gardens belong to the local council and is managed by Bexley Heritage Trust.
It is a Tudor country house, enlarged in the mid 17th century, with an interesting history and some fantastic gardens. If you have a thing for topiary, you'll be in heaven here!
First we had a look at the gardens near the greenhouses
and then had lunch in the cafe' by the river Cray.
Next stop was the garden immediately next to the house with the topiary Queen's Beasts and the Chess pieces: amazing!
The house itself is really beautiful too. Surprisingly, no attempt was made to disguise the extension in the 17th century: as you can see from the photos, the 2 parts look rather different.
The house - built with stones from London monasteries and convents demolished during the Dissolution wanted by Henry VIII - has changed many hands during the centuries and had different uses: in WWII it was nicknamed "Santa Fe" by the Americans who were stationed there to intercept enemy radio signals.
Then we carried on with our exploration of the gardens: we saw a sunken garden, another one full of medicinal plants
and one with huge borders and more topiary
After a walk in the grounds
we went back towards the house
to visit the greenhouse
full with exotic plants, flowers and scents (a fragipani shrub was in bloom)
It was a marvellous day out and we were shocked that such a treasure is not really known at all: in spite of being a bank holiday week-end, the house and garden were very quiet (and there's no admission charge to keep people away).
I guess that it made the day even a bit more special!
It's in Bexley and it's only about 11 miles from here; it took us 40 minutes with a change of train at Lewisham
and then a 15 minute walk to the gate
Hall Place and Gardens belong to the local council and is managed by Bexley Heritage Trust.
It is a Tudor country house, enlarged in the mid 17th century, with an interesting history and some fantastic gardens. If you have a thing for topiary, you'll be in heaven here!
First we had a look at the gardens near the greenhouses
and then had lunch in the cafe' by the river Cray.
Next stop was the garden immediately next to the house with the topiary Queen's Beasts and the Chess pieces: amazing!
The house itself is really beautiful too. Surprisingly, no attempt was made to disguise the extension in the 17th century: as you can see from the photos, the 2 parts look rather different.
The house - built with stones from London monasteries and convents demolished during the Dissolution wanted by Henry VIII - has changed many hands during the centuries and had different uses: in WWII it was nicknamed "Santa Fe" by the Americans who were stationed there to intercept enemy radio signals.
Then we carried on with our exploration of the gardens: we saw a sunken garden, another one full of medicinal plants
and one with huge borders and more topiary
After a walk in the grounds
we went back towards the house
to visit the greenhouse
full with exotic plants, flowers and scents (a fragipani shrub was in bloom)
It was a marvellous day out and we were shocked that such a treasure is not really known at all: in spite of being a bank holiday week-end, the house and garden were very quiet (and there's no admission charge to keep people away).
I guess that it made the day even a bit more special!