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Abbotsford House
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Not far from us along the Tweed valley lies Abbotsford House and it's gardens, famously known as the home of Sir Walter Scott. Sitting between Galashiels and Melrose on the banks of the River Tweed the house and garden were built over 200 years ago by Scott on the back of his literary success. The house, contents and gardens remain a monument to Scott, maintained by his descendants and now a trust. The house is a great combination of many historical architectural features having no relation to each other but appearing in one building as the 19th century designers were inclined to do, it is also a testament to Scott's romantic notions, with turrets and Juliette balconies to name a few.
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Approaching the house and gardens
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The three areas of garden ending with the kitchen garden and greenhouse over the wall
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The gothic arches based on the cloisters at Melrose Abbey
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For a grand county house the gardens are compact and contained within the walls that extend out from the house. Although some things have changed over the years, there are not many differences from the design Scott created all those years ago. The gardens are a rare example of Regency design, shying away from Capability Brown and his sweeping landscape and vista style which was all the rage at the time. Scott would have grown a range of the latest plant discoveries which would have been tended by the gardener, helped along by a stove house for the more tender plants.
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A teasing glimpse of the gardens from the outside of the garden wall
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Eupatorium and fennel
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Dahlias, jewels of colour in the garden in September
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As you enter the gardens with the house on your left, you enter the first of three rooms. This courtyard area is simply laid out with paths, lawns and clipped evergreens leading to a sundial in the centre. Inserted into the surrounding walls are many artefacts of architecture, many with historical reference and symbolism. To the east side of this garden, providing a focal point and division of garden areas are the beautiful gothic arches, based on the cloisters of Melrose Abbey.
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The clipped conifers lend themselves to black and white
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Following the path round from the gothic arches you enter the second area of the gardens. Originally this area was created as a sunken scent filled flower garden. Although more simply laid out now, in Scott's time he created a sunken area and heightened the walls. There were more paths back then, dividing up the flower beds and a set of steps which climbed to meet the steps into the kitchen garden. Originally there was a heated fruit house and now it's space is filled with old roses and perennials to cover the ground below. Mixed plantings in the borders through the year keeps the garden interesting even when the focal point of the roses have passed.
We visited at the beginning of September, 2020 and Bracken gave it an extra paw as the cafe was dog friendly as well as the gardens and he was supplied with his bowl of water too.
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