Author: Sarah Salway
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Prison Landscapes
I know about real gardens in prisons, but it was only when I was browsing in a second-hand art book shop in London that I found out about the scenes of gardens and natural spaces that are painted in prisons throughout America for prisoners – often with their families – to be photographed against. The…
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Dungeness – but is it a garden?
I didn’t have any hesitation in putting Dungeness on my list of Kent gardens to visit, although when I walked around I began wondering whether this was because of my love of Derek Jarman’s garden. Because apart from certain notable exceptions, I think that the good folk of Dungeness have more on their minds than…
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St John’s Jerusalem, Sutton-at-Hone
No wonder Sir Stephen Tallents and his wife loved St John’s Jerusalem so much they gave it to the National Trust, it is a real sanctuary of peace and loveliness. Walking round, it is hard not to feel its history as home to the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St John of Jerusalem since…
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The Franciscan Gardens, Canterbury
It’s always surprising to me to find these ‘hidden’ gardens right in the middle of the city, and the gardens behind Franciscan Friary off the High Street, and behind these gates is just one such gem… To be honest, when I visited – last February – there wasn’t much to see (certainly compared with when…
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Chilham Castle
Of course the Writer in the Garden has no favourite gardens, but if she did Chilham Castle may come pretty high up the list. Even going through the gates felt like I might be entering a secret garden … The Castle is privately owned by Stuart and Tessa Wheeler, and I was lucky enough to…
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Brogdale, home of the National Fruit Collection
I visited Brogdale, near Faversham in October, but I’m definitely going back in the Spring. Imagine seeing these rows in blossom … Although the apples are like flowers in themselves… As well as apples, there are pears, cherries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, and nuts in Brogdale, but it was the apples I was particularly interested in. Over…
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Down House, Downe
The twisting roads to Charles Darwin’s family house are a lesson in survival in themselves. But once there, the house and gardens feel like a sanctuary. As indeed, they must have done to Darwin, his wife, Emma, and their children. And although on one hand, this has been recreated very much as the family home…
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Canterbury Cathedral Gardens
When we think of cathedrals, we often picture the buildings and not the gardens around them. But Canterbury Cathedral, although smack bang in the middle of the city, is actually an oasis of calm and green – even if it is, as it was on the spring day I visited, absolutely freezing! As well as…
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Knole, Sevenoaks
Of course, if we were being pedantic it shouldn’t be Sevenoaks any more. Apparently it’s been Oneoaks ever since the 1987 Hurricane. Knole though is still Knole, and I’m sure always will be… … despite the threat from flying golf balls.. I wasn’t sure, to be honest, what I would write about Knole, but after…
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You are invited…
To an evening of readings of new and favourite garden writing… … on Wednesday 17th October, 8pm at the Canterbury Cathedral Lodge, as part of the Canterbury Festival. Together with fellow writers, Will Sutton and SJ Butler, I will be reading poems from my gardening inspired work-in-progress, illustrated by photographs, music and readings of favourite…
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Quex Gardens
Oh, Quex Gardens is a strange and hidden gem. To be honest, it wasn’t even on my original list of gardens to visit and yet it ended up being the one that most haunted my dreams. Normally I read up about every garden before I visit, but this time I had no idea what to…