MY VISIT TO NYMANS
Visiting Nymans was a last minute decision. We were en route from London to Gravetye Manor in East Sussex and Nymans happened to be on the way. Being a Bank holiday in the UK, the place was crowded and it took some patience and lurking in order to achieve these photos!
Developed by three generations of the Jewish Messel family, Ludwig Messel left Germany and bought the estate in the late 19th Century and set about improving the house and planning an Arts and Crafts inspired garden. His head gardener was James Comber who helped establish plant collections, developing many original sports and hybrids unique to Nymans. William Robinson also helped in the planning of the wild garden. I was interested to hear this as William Robinson was responsible for developing and designing the beautiful garden at Gravetye where we were headed.
The garden reached it's peak in the 1930's and was regularly opened to the public. Unfortunately, there was a disastrous fire in the house in 1947, and the house today survives as a garden ruin. Upon Leonard Messel's death in 1953, the garden was left to the National Trust. The Great Storm of 1987 wreaked havoc and 486 mature trees were lost as well as many shrubs. Restorations are on-going. Despite the fact that the famous herbaceous borders were not yet in flower, we still enjoyed the garden immensely, although the low light was not ideal for taking photos.
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| A wonderful Wisteria Walk |
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| The Dovecote |
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| A section of the house where the roof is still in tact. |
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| This magnificent Copper Beech is apparently over 200 years old.. |
