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Spencers Garden

Spencers is a mid-Georgian country house named after its first owner, Lady Anne Spencer, grand-daughter of the first Duke of Marlborough. It is surrounded by parkland and mature grounds including extensive lawns, a walled garden, woodland garden and many ancient trees. The walled garden retains Lady Anne's original 18th century grid structure but has been extensively renovated under the guidance of landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith. The woodland garden was laid out in the nineteenth century along the young River Colne which is today spanned by a Chinese bridge. If you zoom in on the location map below, you will be able to make out some of the garden lay out on the satellite image. The Conservative politician RAB Butler lived at Spencers from 1978 to 1982. Head Gardener's Comment Spencers walled garden is very traditionally English and many visitors call it 'romantic', with its eighteenth century greenhouse (supposedly the oldest in Essex), pergola, herb garden, rose garden around the central sundial and secluded resting places. Following Tom Stuart-Smith’s renovation it overflows with spectacle - huge tumbling wisteria, armies of true-blue Lord Butler delphiniums. Rab lived at Spencers in the 1970s-80s), a dazzling herbaceous border, vibrant green clover garden and a rich variety of roses in many forms. It has been recently featured in Country Life and The English Garden.
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    Open to the public

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