Cumnor Gardening Club

Snowdrops are one of the first and most obvious signs that winter is coming to an end and Spring is on its way. Visiting displays of snowdrops in February and early March has become a widespread practice and signals the opening of the gardening year. Last year the Club visited the snowdrops at Thenford House the home of Lord and Lady Heseltine. This year we were much closer to home at Kingston Bagpuize House. 

Our visit started with a tour of the House led by the owner, Virginia Grant and her daughter Elizabeth. Remodeled in 1720s the house is a perfect example of an early Georgian style house in red brick with stone quoins, banding and window surrounds. The entrance hall is dominated by a handsome cantilever staircase in stripped oak and pine. The principle rooms include the drawing room with much  French furniture and pictures by Hoppner, Gainsborough and Romney. Both the entrance Hall and Drawing room featured in Downton Abbey as the home of Lord Merton. To one side of the Drawing room is the oak panelled Dining room with Georgian furniture and a fine Victorian dining table. On the other side of the drawing room is the stripped pine panelled Library with much Georgian mahogany furniture; this room serves as the main sitting room.  

Some features of earlier gardens have survived including yews over 300 years old, a London plane tree approximately 250 years old and four huge Wellingtonias dating from Victorian times. However the present gardens were started in the late 1940s by the then owner Miss Raphael after the park had been cleared of its wartime buildings. The Woodland garden and Shrub border were established and a new avenue of beeches planted to the East of the house. Most of the trees and shrubs were planted between 1949 and 1972 with advice from notable plant experts including Nancy Lindsay of Sutton Courtney and the nurseryman Sir Harold Hillier whose nurseries in Hampshire provided most trees and shrubs. These have now matured into a large and varied collection including magnolias, Willow oak, Cornus Contraversa, Black Walnut and Swamp Cypress. The collection includes 5 UK champion trees. Subsequent owners have added yew hedges, more oak and beech trees, an Indian Bean tree, Foxglove tree, a Kentucky Yellowwood tree and a variety of shrubs, perennials and bulbs including the snow drops. 

Apart from swathes of naturalised snowdrops which carpet many areas of the park and woodlands a number of named varieties were planted by Miss Raphael between 1949 and 1976. Other varieties and hybrids have subsequently become established, many of which have been identified in recent years. The majority of these are planted near the house. Further out, two areas of woodland are currently being restored and large numbers of naturalised snowdrops can be seen in both areas. 

After exploring the park and woodlands we enjoyed tea and cakes in the tearoom to complete a very interesting and enjoyable visit.