Return to Albion: King Charles’ Highgrove
Let me start by saying that I believe it’s inappropriate/creepy for an American citizen to have strong opinions about the British monarchy. Living on the outside you grow up seeing pictures of fat Henry VIII, you sit in the theatre watching Richard III mince around on stage, and you settle into a life-long awareness of a reserved lady who looks vaguely like your posh friend’s grandmother. So it’s easy to get a confused picture of what it means to be the head of state. But with all apologies I do have an opinion, and it is overwhelmingly positive. There’s no doubt that the House of Windsor looks like only one part of the experience of being a Briton, but the sense of continuity, the ability to rise above the fray of current politics, and the reassuring pomp of an institution that transcends hundreds of years, made the ceremony and drama of Queen Elizabeth’s death, and the collective outpouring of emotion surrounding the celebration of her life, truly moving.
Now with King Charles III ascending to the throne, I feel fortunate that we were able to visit his favorite home and gardens before it passed to the new titular head of the Duchy of Cornwall. Highgrove is first and foremost a personal garden and is worth the visit even without any royal connection. If you are lucky enough, as we were, to secure reservations for a private tour (and they are all guided/guarded by a docent—no one is let loose on the estate) you will find it represents everything that Charles has been championing for more than forty years.
We entered a semi-secret drive on the way to Badminton House and proceeded to an unassuming gatehouse with a smiling (everybody smiles) guard who appeared to be a retired Rugby player. “You are a bit early, but we’ll see if we can slip you in.” He seemed genuinely happy to see us. After conferring on his walkie-talkie he winked and waved us through. I felt that we had passed some test, and for a brief moment I was sure that, in spite of anything rational, Charles would be there to welcome us. We were met instead, in a tasteful anteroom by a (smiling) woman who appeared to be a greeter, but more to the point, was there to go over the rules: No photos, No wandering, Keep on the paths, Do try to move along smartly. The walls were covered with paintings and photos of Charles and the boys doing things that they do: playing polo, cutting ribbons, meeting children. The building was new and comforting in that way a high-end spa or ski lodge aspires to be.
HRH said he bought Highgrove in 1980 because he had a “subconscious urge to enhance the existing”. The grounds were somewhat featureless and he wanted to undo some of the destruction that had been wreaked on the countryside in the name of progress by re-establishing hedges and ancient woodlands. He also wanted to fulfill his own dreams for a garden.
His first steps were familiar to us all. He had a view to block and he needed to gain some privacy from the road. His next step was to put into practice an idea for dealing with sewage (via reed beds, willows, and marsh marigolds) that was efficient and eco-friendly—not exactly kingly, but highly practical and well within the established practice of his distant relation George III - The Farmer King.). What followed was a lifelong process of looking at what the environment offered—a church spire, an ancient Cedar of Lebanon—and building a garden in harmony with these landmarks. Here are a few of the highlights1:
Views from the House
Given the blank canvas of the original site, (it was all lawn and gravel drives) Charles has moved with a free hand in crafting the nearby spaces. A great deal of the action takes place on the long expanse on the southwestish side of the house. The Thyme Walk leading to The Fountain Garden is overlooked by a huge statue of a gladiator who seems to be about to storm the house. Along the way there are some eye-popping golden yews that, in spite of the advice of Sir Roy Strong, Charles decided to highlight instead of remove. It is a nice informal space that benefits from just a touch of structure and repeated elements.
The Cottage Garden
In contrast to the wandering-around-an-Edwardian-cocktail-party feel of the Thyme Walk is the intimate space of the Cottage Garden. Bulbs and roses seem to thrive in this space, and regardless of the weather, it feels 10 degrees cooler and slightly more humid than the rest of the garden. Rosemary Verey lent a hand with the original planting plan, and like every other space, it is jam-packed with personal touches: bronze busts, terracotta pots and stone staddles from bygone days.
The Wildflower Meadow and Woodland Garden
Charles has been sounding the alarm about the destruction of native meadows for many years, and his commitment to this space is impressive. Christopher Lloyd may grab all the press about Great Dixter’s meadow (which is actually quite small), but Highgrove outshines it with attention to detail and sheer scope. They also strive to put traditional farming practices into place, so the meadow is cut by implements drawn by heavy horses. Which seems cool.
The Walled Garden
This expansive kitchen garden might be the most amazing and most English part of all of Highgrove. Well-tended and a showcase for all that is great about vegetable gardening, it is a virtual Stump-The-Band of British produce. It is hedged throughout and filled with espaliered, standard, and step-over fruit trees. Gooseberries, Currants, Rhubarb, Leeks, Parsnips—the list goes on and on overflowing with enough bounty for thousands of Sunday lunches. And remember, everything is grown organically. More about that in a moment.
Of course Highgrove has hundreds of other little nooks and gardens that you might expect in a dynamic home. Some seemed planned and groomed while others are just for fun. There is a Stumpery, some cool Hobbit-like treehouses, hundreds of works of art given to the Prince throughout the years, shrines to beloved pets, and an arboretum. It is in these spaces that you see that this is truly a home, and not just a show garden.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve gone this far without mentioning sustainability. My first memories of Prince Charles was some profile of him as a talk-to-the-plants-crazy-organic-farming crank. Now he’s seen as a visionary. I find myself falling in line behind his views on architecture (check out Poundbury), his fondness for the music of Hubert Parry, and most of all, his enthusiasm for gardening and support of those who do the actual hard graft of farming and agriculture. Seeing his garden was a real treat. William has some tough Wellington boots to fill.
NB. No garden post is complete without a review of the tea room. Highgrove’s stands above the rest with a stately hall where you half expect someone to give a speech about “On these walls you see the names of those who came before, lost in the First Great War.” You are waited on at table and the menu includes all the expected Cress Sandwich and Coronation Chicken favorites. The gift shop is high-end and we bought a candle for the newly renovated upstairs bathroom.
Don’t worry, we honored the “no photos” rule, and for this post relied on images from the books shown above.