The Brief

The project is a mixture of hard / soft landscape combining and working with the existing landscape with many aspects of refurbishment to form the new landscape. This was particularly difficult to find the right balance and feel to provide. The new landscape design sits in 35 acres and forms part of the over all 200 acres of working estate. The scheme includes the following soft landscaping sections: main house, spa, stables and barn, wildflower meadow and lake works.

The front of house comprises of formal lawns bleeding into the existing woodland and vast rhododendrons and azaleas. The tree and shrub planting is formal and grand in design to reflect the main entrance to the hotel.

The Design

The Spa landscape leads from the main house, through sculptured rolling lawns with a combination of simple landscape with mature hedges and tree planting enhancing the spa and formal northern gardens providing a tranquil feel to the area. The spa roof is covered with a self sustaining sedum roof with large swaths of lavender planting on the lower sections with a small herb garden to the front on the lower terrace section.

The extensive wildflower meadow which is over 10 acres in size is a beautiful combination of native and French mix spices providing longevity of swaths of colour and wildlife throughout the summer months up until the first heavy frost.  This meadow was planted to give natural feel providing vast vistas of colour throughout the estate.

The main house Landscape includes formal gardens to the rear of the house leading to the sunken garden and lime walk which includes formal lawns and a croquet lawn. The shrub and tree planting is a mixture giving a feel of new and old styles.

The Stable and Barn landscape which also sits in close proximity to the newly refurbished lake is a combination of old and modern landscape with in the existing mature trees. This area comprises of formal lawns, mature tree planting, sculptured mature hedges and formal shrub planting.