Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

 In an earlier blog, I mentioned a visit to Westonbury Mill Water Gardens on our way to Knighton for a weekend away. I have just remembered that I forgot to tell you about the water gardens. They only open during the Spring & Summer (April to Semptember, inclusive) so you've got plenty of time to plan your visit.

Photo 1:  View Looking over the Pond

Hydrologist, Richard Pim, bought the house and grounds in the 1960s and set about designing the garden and building the follies. The current owners, Mark & Deborah Constable, bought the property in 2021 and have put their heart and soul into maintaining, restoring and improving the gardens.

We had a bite to eat and a hot drink in the cafe before starting our tour of the garden. The main attractions are the water-powered follies designed and built by Richard Pim. The first folly we came across was the Stone Water Tower ...

Photo 2: Stone Water Tower, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

The mill stream drives a waterwheel which lifts water upto a tank at the top of the tower using small buckets mounted on a belt system. The buckets empty their contents into a tank which discharges the water through a gargoyle when full. The following two videos show the system in action.

Video 1: Stone Water Tower, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

Video 2: Stone Water Tower, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

The next folly is the Glass Bottle Dome made from 5000 wine bottles of various hues ...

Photo 3: Glass Bottle Dome, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

... which looks even more impressive from the inside, especially on a bright sunny day ...

Photo 4: Inside the Glass Bottle Dome

Photo 5: Inside the Glass Bottle Dome

The next folly, the Giant Cuckoo Clock, operates every hour. If you arrive about 10 minutes to the hour and are lucky, Mark will be on hand to explain how the clock works and its history.

Photo 6: Giant Cuckoo Clock, Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

Photo 7: The Cuckoo Appears on Time 

This unique water clock is worth the admission price alone. You can hear the manufactured birdsong in the video below.

Video 3: Giant Cuckoo Clock Birdsong

Check the website for more information on the follies. A YouTube search for 'Westonbury Mill Water Gardens' will lead you to a number of short videos describing the gardens and the follies. For example, here, here, and here.

Mark & Deborah are embarking on new projects such as the Chashitsu, a room used for Japanese tea ceremonies ...

Photo 8: Traditional Japanese Chashitsu (unfinished)

... along with a good deal of tree planting. There are lots of features and garden rooms to explore - too many to discuss here. We spent a very pleasant 3 hours exploring the gardens and will return in a different season to enjoy different vistas and new features.

Photo 9: Driftwood Horse in Field