Our visits to Corpusty Mill followed by Elsing Hall, were judged to be a success by those who came on the day out in June 2015. Corpusty Mill is a large garden with many small distinct and very different areas including follies, a grotto and a formal Mediterranean garden and a lovely river running through it, as you would expect where there is a mill. We were allowed to eat our picnic lunch on the lawn before moving on to Elsing Hall. This is in a magical setting with a superb moat. Some of the roses were spectacular as were some very blousy peonies in unusual yellow and orangey colours, as well as other herbaceous plants. We were given tea and cakes before our return back to Bures.

Visit 2016 Wednesday 15th June
In last year’s Magazine I mentioned that I had provisionally booked to go to Coton Manor and Cottesbrooke Hall. This is all now confirmed and as I thought that it was likely to be a sell-out Members were given the opportunity at the end of last year to reserve a guaranteed place before I could confirm final the final costs, which have not changed.

Coton Manor is owned the Pasley-Tyler family and has magical gardens leading down from the Northamptonshire stone house and includes a large wildflower meadow and bluebell wood. There is a restaurant in the Grooms Cottage which has been reserved for our exclusive use at 13.30. Lunch will consist of home-made sandwiches, cakes, tea/coffee, soft drinks etc.

The garden opens at 12.00, when we aim to arrive. We will leave after lunch to go approximately 4 miles to:

Cottesbrooke Hall, which is owned by the MacDonald- Buchanan family. The house is a classic Queen Anne Grade 1 listed building and contains one of the best collections of sporting pictures in the UK, known as The Woolavington Collection. It also has some outstanding English and French furniture as well as English and Chinese porcelain. The gardens have won many awards and there is a statue walk containing statues from Stowe, (I wonder how these got here?) and the house is surrounded by formal gardens. We will be given a guided tour of the house before being allowed to roam the gardens.
The cost will be £45 per person which includes all admissions and the guided tour of Cottesbrooke Hall and lunch at Coton Manor. This also includes the cost of the CSCA taking out liability insurance. We will offer refunds if you drop out and your space is subsequently filled by someone else.
We will aim to be back in Bures around 19.00.

Members who have internet will have received the formal details in February but at the time of writing this, there are still a few spaces left. Can I suggest that you contact me by email mark@markpadawson.co.uk or telephone 01473 824550 to find out if there are places available. You can then complete the form and send your remittance. If we are over-subscribed I will start a waiting list.

The Future of Garden Visits
I started the garden visits eight years ago when a new member was surprised that, apart from trying to protect the countryside, all we did was hold an AGM and Summer Party! Since then we have visited in 2009 East Ruston Old Rectory, 2010 Sissinghurst and Great Dixter, 2011 Highgrove, 2012 Thenford Manor, 2013 Blickling Hall, 2014 Bradenham Hall and Hilborough House, 2015 Corpusty Mill and Elsing Hall. After running these visits for that length of time I feel that someone else should take over and whilst I will provisionally book 2017 I am NOT going to organise it! I have in mind the garden of George Plumtree, the Chief Executive of The National Gardens Scheme, at The Manor, Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire. There will be a second garden but this has not been confirmed. Please step forward someone who is prepared to take over running these visits from me, failing which the visits will come to an end. The CSCA aims to make a small profit from these visits which helps defray the costs of the Magazine, which has for a number of years developed into what I hope is an interesting and much enjoyed publication, judging by the comments that I receive. However the production costs are considerable.

Mark Dawson