Suffolk belonged to the Angles in the 6th century, only becoming part of England in 918AD, and remains one of the more isolated parts of the country. A destination in itself, Suffolk has long attracted creative types. Sir Cedric Morris, the artist and gardener famed for his hybrid irises, founded the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing at Benton End. Composer Benjamin Britten also lived here, in Aldeburgh, where former fishermen’s cottages are painted in pretty pastel shades.
Helmingham Hall‘s Grade I listed gardens are set within a 400-acre deer park, and were created by Lady Xa Tollemache. The moated 16th-century hall is surrounded by beautiful gardens masterly laid out in a contemporary yet classic style. Highlights include a classic parterre flanked by hybrid musk roses, and a stunning walled kitchen garden with exquisite herbaceous borders and beds of vegetables interspersed by tunnels of sweet peas, runner beans and gourds. On the other side lies a herb and knot garden behind which there is a beautiful rose garden. A stay of at least two hours is recommended to fully appreciate all this garden has to offer.
Bury St Edmunds and the surrounding area is a gardening hotspot. Three generations have gardened at Great Thurlow Hall, where 13 acres are filled with the finest horticultural elements: mixed borders, sweeping lawns, yew hedges and an arboretum. Shrubs and flowers fill the knot and herb gardens at nearby Wyken Hall, where you can also visit the associated vineyard, restaurant and shop. Over at Ickworth, stroll the formal Italianate gardens that encircle the magnificent Rotunda before taking in the large walled garden, a fully productive space with heritage fruit and vegetables in abundance,
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