Tipsy at Greys Court Garden

Greys Court House and Gardens are a short drive from London and perfect for pets with itchy paws who need to get out of the city and explore the nearby countryside and the gardens, which are the main draw here.

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We drove up and pretty much took the last free place in the car park.  The overflow hadn’t opened yet, and there seemed to have been some confusion among the staff whether it would be or not, with a tail back of cars not sure what to do, so just note, it is a place that gets busy on lovely Bank Holidays.

We first had a quick wander around part of the estate – which is huge – so we didn’t wander too far.  We met some very friendly cows and crossed a pretty Japanese Moon Bridge.

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Then we joined a really interesting guided tour of the gardens, which were superb.  The owner had been keen to create spaces of walled garden, with little doorways that led on to more gardens, that then opened up into surprising spaces; and she certainly managed to get the desired effect.  There’s even a special statue of the gardner, bee hotels a plenty, and lots of pretty fountains.

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Although we had just missed the wonderful wisteria, and were too early for the corridor of roses, the gardens didn’t disappoint, with beautiful colours, scents and bees buzzing around.

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We also visited the house – which was issuing timed entries as it was so busy – and that was nice too.  There’s also an interesting horse and donkey wheel, a tea shop, and a gift shop to nose around.  But it is the gardens that really steal the show here and deserve a second or third wander.

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