The Courts Garden, Holt, Wiltshire

The Courts Gardens, Holt

I live just a couple of miles from The Courts at Holt, Wiltshire, which is a lovely National Trust Garden and a real pleasure to visit.

Historical records inform us that the formal garden here was laid out in 1900-10, surrounding a house built around 1720. The gardens were designed by the architect Sir George Hastings and were completed by Lady Cecile Goff between 1921 - 1943.

The Courts built c 1720 was the home of a wealthy clothier, from nearby Bradford on Avon, at the time a thriving woollen town. The Courts was also a place where local weavers could go to have legal disputes dealt with as it served as the village law court. Around 1797 it was purchased by John Davis and remained in his family until 1900 when the aforementioned Sir George Hastings bought it. There was a cloth mill on the site, which was demolished around 1888 due to the decline of the wool trade.

Sir George Hastings took advantage of the mill stream and used this to create the pond and water features. The Courts have been in the ownership of The National Trust since 1943 when the Goff family, who purchased the property in 1921, handed it over to them, however, their daughter Moyra Goff remained a lifelong tenant until she died in 1990. There are still tenants in the main part of the house today, so please do not go peering through their windows! A National Trust restaurant occupies part of the rear, and I can recommend calling in when you visit The Courts.

The gardens are laid out in a way to create 'garden rooms' along with an orchard where you can picnic. There is a wide variety of plants to see, and spring is an exceptionally good time to visit. The gardens are open from Spring to October click here for details and are closed on Wednesdays.

I hope you will visit one day and that my photos have helped you to appreciate the beauty of The Courts Gardens, Holt, Wiltshire.