Place to retreat from modern world (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Place to retreat from modern world

IN a fold among acres of green fields and woodland, standing at the end of a mile- long drive lined with stately trees, Lucknam Park Hotel is set apart from the hurly burly of the modern world.

The grand country house, in 500 acres of parkland, traces its history back to 1680, when wealthy Bristol merchant James Wallis bought Lucknam and 100 acres for £500, a fortune he raised importing 7,000lb of tobacco from Virginia.

Since its early days as a home for the Wallis family, the house has enjoyed a colourful history. It has been much altered and extended, the estate has grown and a curious Victorian water tower built next to the house.

Now, in its latest incarnation as an hotel, Lucknam Park has come into the spotlight once again, for the magnificence of its extensive gardens.

Applauded by the RAC as one of the 20 most beautiful hotel gardens in the UK and Ireland, Lucknam Park, near Colerne, is a treasure trove for the gardening enthusiast.

From the classical elegance of the knot garden, to the modern mix of grasses in the Tower garden, from the exuberant and colourful borders to the enclosed, shadowed tropical garden, Lucknam offers the visitor a host of contrasting styles and moods.

It is an enchanting place for a wander, with arches and doorways offering tempting vistas and pretty pathways leading to curious garden pockets, like miniature worlds.

The design, nurture and development of Lucknam Park's acclaimed gardens fall to head gardener Giles Hall.

He has managed the garden for around eight years, and has about 30 years' experience in gardening.

The RAC accolade provided much appreciated recognition for the efforts of Giles and the team of five people working with him to maintain the gardens and grounds.

The gardening team has been busy this year replanting the main borders in the walled garden behind the hotel, which Giles said had become tired and needed reinvigorating.

Larger shrubs and colourful peonies were left in place, and some thousand plants were added to extend the flowering season into the autumn. Giles drew up a rough plan to build up the structure of the borders and used a palette of colours and flowering times to ensure a lasting and beautiful display.