Buckhurst Manor
19 of us set for Buckhurst Park at the end of June where we were welcomed by Lord (William) Buckhurst, who will become the 12th Earl De La Warr on the death of his father. Buckhurst is the private home of the Earl and Countess, so it was a great honour and privilege to be so warmly welcomed and to enjoy a private tour of both house and garden with Lord Buckhurst.
He is a knowledgeable and eloquent speaker, so two hours passed in a flash – he kindly found time to then escort us to the Sackville chapel in Saint Michael and All Angels church in Withyham, which was a wonderful end to the tour. I think for many of us, it was seeing the beautiful, terraced garden, surrounded on all sides by parkland and beyond that the Ashdown Forest, that was the highlight of the day. It involved the work of many leading designers over the centuries, from Humphry Repton and Sir Edwin Lutyens to Gertrude Jekyll, Vita Sackville-West, and the present Countess who restored the Lutyens lily pond among other things. We then set off for The Bear in Hartfield where we enjoyed a very jolly lunch. A fitting finale to the BOTPS 60th celebrations!