An exclusive open day for up to six guests at the beautiful gardens formerly owned by Sir Cecil Beaton. This visit is part of our Secret Garden Visits fundraiser to raise urgently needed funds to save the Garden Museum from the impact of the coronavirus.
Reddish House is a romantic, Grade II listed Queen Anne house built on a chalk hillside alongside the River Ebble in the Chalke valley. Once owned and loved by Sir Cecil Beaton who, over 20 years, created with his devoted gardener Jack Smallpiece a garden as romantic as the house itself.
Owners Sophie Caruth and David Bernstein have been breathing new life back into the garden over the past six years with the help of designer Tania Compton, including gradually transforming the old water garden opposite the house, which was bought by Cecil Beaton to make sure of the view from his bedroom window.
The gardens still bear the stamp of previous owners, who include musicians Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox. Alongside renowned large cloud topiary, the borders now burgeon with summer colour and there is a much-loved vegetable and cutting garden.
Writing for Country Life, Non Morris described Reddish House as “the ‘dream house’ and gardens of Cecil Beaton, restored for the 21st century just as he’d have wished” – read the article
Guests will be invited to bring a picnic lunch and wander round the gardens at their leisure. A full address for the garden will be provided to the buyer, along with the contact details of the garden owner so you can arrange parking and timings