This is a fundraising event with proceeds to Woodford Valley Churches.
Heale Garden is anchored on the banks of the Avon in the beautiful Woodford Valley and protected by great hanging woods on the far side of the water meadows, it is a truly romantic setting.
For garden lovers the story starts in 1894 when Heale was purchased by the Hon Lous Greville, and he set about substantially restoring and remodelling the house using the well known arts and craft architect Detmar Blow.
In 1906 the Grevilles started to develop the remarkable gardens with the the advice of the architect/gardener Harold Peto. With no family the house was passed to his great nephew, Major David Rasch and his wife Lady Anne Somerset in 1959. The gardens needed much restoration at this stage, the house having been used an an annex to the local hospital during WW2. Anne planted exuberant and romantic borders of roses, peonies, delplhiniums, along with the standard wisterias and the great apple and pear tunnels in the kitchen garden.
Guy and Frances Rasch moved into Heale in 1996. After Anne Rasch died Anna Pavord helped run the garden and it was she who patiently helped Frances take up the reins. Frances enrolled in a year’s course at The English Gardening School and started to take over the running of the garden. Now she works all over the UK designing gardens and has been on the herbaceous committee for the RHS for the last 15 years, along with overseeing trials of plants at Wisley and she is also a RHS show judge.
We are extremely fortunate that Frances has agreed to give a guided tour which will take place on Thursday 30th May at 5.00pm. Guests may wander round the gardens for an extra ½ hour after the tour.
Tickets are limited to 25 people at a cost of £25 which will include a glass of wine
For tickets please email Lucinda at woodfordoffice@yahoo.com