Nymans
Whilst out on my travels between survey sites last summer, I took time to visit as many National Trust properties as I could, one of my favourites being Nymans in West Sussex. The Nymans estate consists of beautiful gardens containing plants from around the world, and half a beautiful old house and half a beautiful old ruined house – the house was partially destroyed by fire in 1947 and now forms romantic ruins.
Gardens
Nymans Estate in the Sussex High Weald was bought by Ludwig Messel in the late 1800’s to make a dream family home. The gardens were inspired by the wooded surroundings and include different ‘zones’. From the herbaceous borders to the heather garden, the bamboo maze and the rose garden, each area contains a wonderful collection of lovingly tended plants.
Nymans is a great place to spend a relaxing few hours; as I visited in summer the gardens were a riot of tasteful colour. Each ‘zone’ is intimate and encourages curiosity and exploration and there are plenty of play trails and geocaching to keep children entertained, while the café has delicious cakes and lunches.
More information from: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/nymans
More National Trust properties : Mwnt – Hardwick Hall
