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Caption: / preston hall /
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Caption: When I heard that Preston Hall Walled Garden was opening to the public during weekends in August, and then discovered that dogs were welcome too, I knew that we’d have to visit. Located on the outskirts of Pathhead in Midlothian, Preston Hall estate has been home to the Callander family for over 200 years and is known for its parkland and impressive Georgian architecture, including the late 18th century Grade A listed house and the accompanying stable block, along with an 18th century walled garden, which was recently restored. We visited last Saturday, on a bright and blue-skied day.
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Caption: The walled garden is believed to have been built in 1806, just after the the main house was completed, and was then remodelled in 1885, at which point the garden suppled fruit and vegetables for the main house, and there was also a cut flower garden. The garden continued to be used and enjoyed until the 1970s, at which point it became too costly to maintain and over the years it fell into a wild and overgrown state.
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Caption: Then, in 2011, the Callander family were approached by Richard Edward, who had heard about the derelict garden. Although not a professional gardener, Richard was interested in a project, and he spent the following years restoring and transforming this space.
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Caption: One of the things that I liked about this garden is that it isn’t manicured or pristine. It’s beautiful, but it also feels like a real living garden, albeit on a very large scale.
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Caption: As soon as you enter the garden your eye is drawn to these brick structures. These are gazebos and the one on the right contains a staircase that leads up to the walkway you can see with the column balustrade, and into a room in the second gazebo.
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Caption: I have a thing about glasshouses. I can’t resist a great looking glasshouse like this.
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Caption: Just as we were leaving the glasshouses I spotted this old abacus just leaning against a wall. I love details like this.
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Caption: From the glasshouses, we headed into the first gazebo. This part of the garden was a highlight for me in the textures and details.
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Caption: How about this for a view!
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Caption: And look at this hexagonal roof detail. These are the moments I enjoy in old buildings.
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Caption: The walled garden is open to the public for the last weekend of August, on Friday 28, Saturday 29, and Sunday 30, from 10am until 4pm. You can book tickets online here. If you’re concerned about social distancing, visitor numbers are being limited, and these gardens have plenty of space to explore without contact with other people, creating a really relaxed environment to spend a few hours in. As mentioned, dogs are very welcome too.
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