Summary (by AI): I was enchanted by my visit to Iford Manor, where I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the magnificent Italian-style terraced gardens and peaceful wild meadow.
Blog: There’s an enchanting place tucked deep in a valley that sits right across the Wiltshire and Somerset border. It’s called Iford Manor. The house itself is an incredible building in its own right—a big, old, stone manor house—but the gardens are what really make it.
Because it’s in a valley, the gardens are quite steep. An Edwardian landscape architect called Harold Peto, who was completely obsessed with the Italian Renaissance, decided to design them to look like a terraced Roman garden. And it really does feel like one. You get this beautiful contrast of limestone terraces, cypress trees, and secret staircases. There’s even a cloister built out of local Bath stone. From the terraces, you look across to the other side of the Frome Valley, out over this wonderful English countryside. It’s a magnificent place.
I hadn’t actually booked before I went. I just turned up right at opening time, around 10:00 a.m., on a lovely, sunny Wednesday in May. I thought I’d be fine, but it turned out all the slots were fully booked. Luckily, the lady at the entrance saw how disappointed I was and kindly let me in anyway. I had a lovely hour walking around.
Alongside the Italian features, there’s also a beautiful wild meadow. It isn’t particularly Italian, I guess, but it’s amazing, dotted with ancient oak trees and almost has the feel of an orchard.
And then there’s the cloister I mentioned earlier, which is this beautiful Roman courtyard. I’ve read online that they have opera performances there in the summer. I can only imagine how incredible that must be, with the acoustics in there amplifying the sound. It’s just a very nice place to visit.
The Map: