Kiftsgate Court Gardens

Those of you who came to our AGM will recall the wonderful talk by Vaness Berridge who described how the gardens at Kiftsgate Court have passed through the hands of several generations of the same family, but, unlike Borde Hill, Kiftsgate has been a female preserve. The gardens were first laid out in the 1920s by Heather Muir, an instinctive plantswoman and garden designer, who turned a bare and challenging hill-top site into one of Britain’s loveliest gardens. In turn, her daughter, Diany, and then Diany’s daughter, Anne, have put their own mark on Heather’s creation, striking a fine balance between continuity and evolution.

We have arranged for a follow up visit to experience the gardens at first hand. Hopefully, the garden will be at its peak with the roses, especially the older felicias roses for which Kiftsgate is famous and the highly scented Philadelphus Mexican Jewel amongst others in bloom. Taking up half the space on one side of the Rose Border is Rosa filipes ‘Kiftsgate’. The vigour shown by this rose, which is claimed to be the largest in England, produces huge growth each year and three trees have been smothered by its spreading habit.

We hope to arrange for an introductory talk on arrival with time to explore the gardens afterwards, an afternoon tea and of course an opportunity to buy some plants to take home!

The garden is set on two different levels. The route between the upper garden and the lower garden contains several paths, which some visitors might find too steep to tackle. We suggest that visitors who have any doubts about visiting the lower garden walk to the terrace in the Four Squares garden and look down to the lower garden where they can assess the descent for themselves. Please note that suitable outdoor clothing and footwear should be worn.

Cost, including tea is £23.00 to members/£28.00 to non-members

Directions: From Stratford-Upon-Avon, take the B4632 towards Broadway and Cheltenham. After 6 miles you reach Mickleton. At the second mini roundabout, at the end of the village, turn left and climb a steep hill. At the junction at the top, turn left and the entrance to Kiftsgate is 0.5 mile on your left.

Note: You may wish to combine Kiftsgate with a visit to nearby Hidcote Gardens in the morning, especially if you are an NT member. This is not included in the price.