Three quarters of the way through the twentieth century the woodland surrounding Thenford House had seen little attention since Queen Victoria’s day.
The garden immediately around the house had, however, been cared for and the two acre walled garden had continued in active use until after the Second World War, although by the 1970s its use was largely given over to the rearing of lambs secure from the foxes for which the Bicester Hunt was famed.
Michael and Anne Heseltine purchased the house and its surrounding garden in 1976, whilst adding over 400 acres of agricultural land to the horticultural and agricultural assets of Haymarket Media Group.
Over the next twenty five years their priority consisted in the restoration of 40 acres of woodland. The debris was cleared, rotten or fallen trees replaced, the walled garden brought back to its former use, the medieval fish ponds – much altered in the nineteenth century – dredged and the water flow restored. The two acre lake had to be cleared of 3 metres of silt and its stone retaining wall rebuilt.
In order to help with the replanting programme the Heseltines sought advice from some of the leading horticultural leaders of the time, including Lanning Roper, Sir Harold Hillier, Roy Lancaster and Keith Rushforth. They also received gifts to enhance the collection from many distinguished tree lovers.
The arboretum, now spread out over seventy acres, features a collection of more than three thousand different trees and shrubs, together with extensive herbaceous borders, water gardens, an alpine trough garden, a sculpture garden, a rose garden and a rill.
The medieval fish ponds, their interconnecting canal and the existing lake have been restored and two new ones have been added. An eighteenth century avenue of mature yews has been cleared of self seeded shrubs and saplings, and returned to its former grandeur.
“Thenford is a must-see for every gardener. It is one of the epic gardens of modern times but, at the same time – like all the best gardens – very personal, containing a multiplicity of stories: from the plant collections to what it reveals about the lives, travels and friendships of Lord and Lady Heseltine.
It combines the tradition of 18th-century landscape design in its re-shaping of a landscape with patterns of woods and water, with a plant enthusiasts’s bursts of planting. And there is a surprise at every corner. It needs a day to do a visit justice.”
Christopher Woodward, Director of the Garden Museum
The Walled Garden
The Rill
Attracts much attention…the visual impact, the magic of the glittering sparkle, the splash and gurgle, the drama of shape and sound, are indispensable.
The Water Gardens
Water is the making of the garden: your own nature reserve, a personal therapy, every note inharmony with its background, a mirror for the things you’ve planned.
The Sculpture Garden
Preparing the site and designing an outdoor sculpture gallery where the theme is ‘Modern British’ but a monumental Lenin tends to shock and surprise.
The Trough garden
A trick of the mind inspires a unique garden where wisteria, rhododendrons, alpine perennials and rare species provide year-round interest and immense pleasure