The Meadow Garden

When we took Cliff House on in March of 2020 we wanted to try and do our bit for the environment and nature.  One of the things we do (we do other things as well!) is to let part of the garden go to meadow in summer months. This provides a valuable place for small mammals to live as well as providing a fantastic habitat for insects, which in turn become a food source for the birds that nest in our gardens.   We participate in the Blue Campaign, as identified by the blue hearts we have at the start to the path through the meadow.  This means that we have made the decision to let some of our garden grow wild – it also saves Alastair cutting even more grass!

In the Meadow Garden, is one of Alastair’s favourite spots – a bench from which on summer’s evening, you can watch the sun set behind the trees of Chafer Wood.

The Orchard Garden

Just over the wall from Orchard House and over the beech hedge from The Play Garden, we have The Orchard Garden.  A fabulous grassy area offering shade in the summer from the sun underneath the canopy of cherry trees, apple trees and pear trees.  In spring, time your visit for when the the cherry trees drop their petals.  At the start of the year this garden is a haven for snow drops.  With a sturdy bench, this garden is the perfect place to sit and read.

Spend time for you in our 2 acres of gardens and enjoy some reading.

The Old Kitchen Garden

Beyond the Orchard Garden is the area that was laid out as a kitchen garden, with vegetable patches laid out across the area that is now grass.  A path (that is still a work in progress), bordered by locally grown lavender leads up to our Orangery.  Outside the Orangery is an area for seating complete with a table.  Perfect for lunch or for sitting out in the evening enjoying a gin and tonic.  Guests are welcome to sit inside the Orangery, where there are additional chairs and tables, as well as an ageing peach tree festooned with lights.  The Orangery is an excellent spot to retreat to once outside cools a little bit too much in the evening. The Orangery also makes a fantastic space for family get togethers, or events such as whisky tasting.  Get in touch and we can help you plan a special event. We love the Orangery so much that we made it part of our logo.

The Woodland Garden

If you walk through The Play Garden and then follow the winding path through The Meadow Garden, you will come to a door.  Whilst its not quite Cliff House’s equivalent of the Secret Garden, we still think it is a bit special.  With a round walk that starts and finishes by the gate, you can wander through the lower part of own private wood.  At the start of the year the woods are littered with snowdrops, which then give way to daffodils and later wild garlic and finally bluebells.  Running through the woods is our own little beck (or stream).  It starts at the top of garden in our spring fed pond (please look after little ones when here), and then cascades down through the woods, before going underground and reappearing in a small pond next to Orchard House. Our pond is stocked with Brown Trout, just ask us for some feed and you can watch them rise to the surface to get the food.  Ultimately the beck joins the Ebberston Beck just on the downward side of our driveway over the Ebberston Beck.

By the pond there a small bridge crossing the beck and the second of our magnifying posts for you to enjoy.  In the woods we have seen rabbits, weasels, deer as well as pheasants and buzzards – even the occasional kingfisher.

In the woods, we also have a clearing with a small fire pit – perfect for roasting marshmallows whilst gazing up at the night sky!