Hill House, Wickwar

The garden is consistently maintained. At the time of the last survey (1988) the care of the garden was one of the main preoccupations of the owner, the Dowager Duchess of Westminster. The layout is changed frequently, adding to the beds and removing plants and trees which have grown too big. Many trees and shrubs have recently been planted.

The garden is entered via a short drive, sloping steeply up from the road. This leads to a wide gravelled area at the front of the house. To the east of this, opposite the house, there is a grass walk sloping down through an avenue of cypresses to a modern folly. The square of land projecting to the north is rough grass, with several mature trees including pines, copper beech and ash.

The entrance to the garden is via a gate on the north side of the house. The path leads to a terrace behind the house, almost enclosed to the west by the trees and bushes surrounding the pond with a small fountain at one end. From the terrace, a long level lawn sweeps half way up the garden. On the south side, almost hidden, are the outbuildings. There are two small greenhouses and the kitchen garden. An old medlar tree grows against one of the outbuildings. The beds running down each side of the lawn are very deep, planted with trees, bushes and many perennial plants.

On the north side, a strip of lawn divides two beds, reaching the high stone wall and creating small sheltered bays. Much of the north wall is covered with vines and other climbing plants. Island beds create other enclosed areas on the south side of the garden, including a rose garden.

The lawn ends with a row of four stone columns, placed in front of a large cedar. Against the north wall at this point is an aviary, and a gravelled walk between pleached limes with flower beds on either side.

The second half of the garden beyond the cedar tree is somewhat wilder, with paths mown through uncut grass and patches of wild flowers, both planted and self-sown. There are many trees and shrubs, both standing singly and in small groups. There are a few older trees, mainly pines, but most have been planted since the 1960s. The very end of the garden is a small paddock where a flock of sheep are sometimes kept.