The garden in Gloucestershire, which is owned by the National Trust, is a very unique place that differs from most National Trust properties. What makes it different is that it's a Dutch water garden, and the only restored one in the country. It was first laid out between 1696 and 1715, when this neat and symmetrical style of garden was popular in England. However, in the late 1700s, the English Landscape style of garden became popular, and the Dutch and French style gardens were mostly destroyed and replaced with more natural-looking, informal gardens. Amazingly, Westbury Court survived and has been restored to its former glory.
It's a really beautiful place, featuring two large canals, a parterre, a walled garden, and many different varieties of plants.
Naturally, as it's a Dutch garden, there are plenty of tulips there!
Interestingly, the garden also contains what is said to be the oldest evergreen oak in the whole of England!
The day that we were there was very cold, and my hands were frozen by the time we'd finished exploring! But overall, I really enjoyed the trip. I've actually never been to the Netherlands before - I'd like to go, but it's something I've never got round to. (It's definitely a bit unusual to have visited the likes of Chile and Uruguay and not to have visited one of the nearest countries to England!) So for me, our visit to Westbury Court Garden felt a bit like being on holiday abroad for a day!
I've still got several items left on my local travel list, a few of which could also be considered to be English alternatives to foreign destinations. Hopefully, we'll have the chance to visit another one very soon!
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