THE SITE

Nestled in the picturesque village of Bardwell, Suffolk, Mansard House is a testament to the enduring beauty of English country living.  Set within two and a half acres, the garden has a walled traditional kitchen garden at its heart and is a semi-wild, carefully cultivated landscape that blends effortlessly into the Suffolk countryside.

THE BRIEF

Tom and his family moved to the C16th brick-built Dutch-gabled property over a decade ago and lovingly embarked on a journey of restoration, bringing the house and walled garden back to their former glory. The project included new formal planting, a natural swimming pool and the creation of a Robinsonian inspired landscape. 

DESIGN DETAILS

The meticulously restored kitchen garden and its distinctive crinkle-crankle wall contains Tom’s fruit tree collection of cordons, espaliers, and fan-trained specimens, a greenhouse and extensive vegetable beds.  Inspired by the work of legendary Irish gardener, William Robinson, ornamental planting intermingles with native flora species, transforming the former bramble dominated field into a sprawling canvas of beauty and biodiversity which morphs into the dynamic and ever-changing wetland meadows beyond.

The garden is an exemplar for landscape -led restoration and is a laboratory where Tom experiments with new plant varieties and horticultural concepts, ensuring that each addition to his beloved landscape has been tried and tested before finding its place in future projects. 

PHOTO CREDIT

Thomas Hoblyn