The story goes that Emma Bridgewater wanted to give a mug to her mother, and finding none she liked, began to make her own. The eponymous pottery company, that she founded in 1985 and now runs with her husband Matthew Rice has grown to become a household name. But who knew that the pair had also been cultivating this beautiful garden at their home in Oxfordshire at the same time?
Ham Court, the former gate house of a major castle had no garden at all when the couple bought the place, and they have slowly created what’s there today, digging a moat, planting thousands of trees and adding a kitchen garden and flower beds.
Theirs is one of 3,700 private gardens opened via the charity, National Garden Scheme. Wherever you’re going this summer, just put in a postcode or area and their website pulls up all the nearby private gardens that are open for visitors. Explore Oxford Colleges, castles, allotments, roof terraces, working flower farms and private gardens all around the UK for just £5 entry.
