“Hinton Ampner House”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/stately_homes_castles/england/south/hinton_ampner/index.html is a Georgian style house built in 1960 after a devastating fire had destroyed an earlier house. It is surrounded by attractive gardens and set in parkland with views across the Hampshire countryside. The gardens are the work of Ralph Dutton and designed to complement his house.
The walled garden with its views of “All Saints Church”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/south/southeast/hinton_ampner/index.html probably dates back to the original Tudor house and is now used to grow fruit, vegetables and flowers for the house and tea room.
It is very fertile soil and the onions were huge, easily the largest I’ve ever seen. The C19th espalier apple and pear trees growing along the walls were ladened with fruit.
Between the walled garden and the church is the orchard which may have been the site of the Tudor house. This is divided into four by neatly trimmed low hedges and newly planted with fruit trees. In spring this is colourful with early flowering bulbs.
To the south east of the church is the dell, an area of woodland and mature trees. Grassy paths lead to the gardens to the south of the house, with a lily pond.
White iceberg roses form a boundary to the paved terrace with it’s ‘temple’ which was built as a folly and resting place.
Running along the front of the house and reached down steps from the house is the sunken garden. In September this was very colourful with deep pink dahlias set between carefully trimmed yew trees. These frame vistas across the Hampshire countryside and lead to the long walk with its stone urn at the end.
To the north between the long walk and the stable yard is a wild garden with trees, shrubs and roses.
These are very attractive gardens, carefully designed so the different gardens flow seamlessly into each other. For the energetic, there are a series of “marked trails”:https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hinton-ampner/features/the-estate-and-parkland-at-hinton-ampner around the estate. The gardens are open from 10am and close at 5pm or dusk if earlier. They are well worth visiting, as is the house.
The post code is SO24 0LA and the grid reference is SU 596275.
There are lots more pictures “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/gardens/england/south/hinton_ampner/index.html
