Fran's Photos
Dewstow Gardens
22nd August 2008
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Someone I've only recently 'met' on LiveJournal posted about a most remarkable garden she'd been to near the Roman remains in Caerwent.

We've lived in south Wales since the mid-1980s, and had never heard of Dewstow Gardens, so one warm sunny afternoon we went over to see what we'd missed.

One word - WOW! A wonderfully eccentric gentleman (he must surely have been eccentric) had commissioned a garden, complete with odd-shaped ponds and underground grottoes. Filled in during the war so that the land could be used for agriculture, these gardens only came to light within the last however many years when the current owners set about extending the golf course. Can you imagine digging down in your garden and finding odd stairways and tunnels? The 'garden' isn't my idea of a garden of course - it's very 'country estate with parkland'. There are two 18-hole golf courses in the park already, so goodness knows what sort of 'expansion' the owners had in mind. Not that it matters: thankfully, when they realised what they'd got, they set about restoring the gardens and grottoes. It really is the most amazing place, and I'll be adding it to the list of local(ish) places to which visitors should be taken. It's about an hour's drive from here - and definitely well worth paying the entry fee.

There's a lot more to see than these photos suggest, but I ran out time to see it all. Next time you visit, let's hope these gardens are open. We'll explore the rest together  smile 
The North Gardens. Fairly ordinary at the moment.. do you see the face?
The North Gardens. Fairly ordinary at the moment.. do you see the face?
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2008-08-22 16:16:16
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Let's have a closer look at that face
Let's have a closer look at that face
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2008-08-22 16:16:25
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This used to be a greenhouse. The glass was removed because it became unsafe; the original iron pillars are still inside it though
This used to be a greenhouse. The glass was removed because it became unsafe; the original iron pillars are still inside it though
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2008-08-22 16:16:54
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A taster of what's to come - tunnels, water, stepping stones...
A taster of what's to come - tunnels, water, stepping stones...
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2008-08-22 16:17:20
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Thomas in one of the underground grottoes. That hole above his head is at ground level
Thomas in one of the underground grottoes. That hole above his head is at ground level
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2008-08-22 16:18:09
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2008-08-22 16:18:15
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It's an elephant!
It's an elephant!
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2008-08-22 16:18:48
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A grotto within a grotto - a little waterfall protects a statuette of a fairy or something
A grotto within a grotto - a little waterfall protects a statuette of a fairy or something
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2008-08-22 16:19:09
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Look - there's another face
Look - there's another face
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2008-08-22 16:19:18
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Here it is
Here it is
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2008-08-22 16:19:30
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And here's the fairy
And here's the fairy
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2008-08-22 16:20:14
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I turned the flash off for this one
I turned the flash off for this one
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2008-08-22 16:20:27
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Looks royal blue to me, but this flower was actually white and vivid purple
Looks royal blue to me, but this flower was actually white and vivid purple
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2008-08-22 16:30:20
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A dark tunnel, beautifully lit by low-power bulbs
A dark tunnel, beautifully lit by low-power bulbs
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2008-08-22 16:31:20
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2008-08-22 16:31:53
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Oo-er - it could be a shroud for a dalek!
Oo-er - it could be a shroud for a dalek!
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2008-08-22 16:32:56
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I wonder where this leads?
I wonder where this leads?
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2008-08-22 16:33:19
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Passion flower
Passion flower
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2008-08-22 16:34:27
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2008-08-22 16:34:36
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That's algae at the bottom - there's water everywhere here in ponds and streams
That's algae at the bottom - there's water everywhere here in ponds and streams
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2008-08-22 16:35:38
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2008-08-22 16:35:47
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Up these steps to what, a patio? No, these steps lead to the pool we've just seen
Up these steps to what, a patio? No, these steps lead to the pool we've just seen
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2008-08-22 16:36:30
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2008-08-22 16:36:57
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2008-08-22 16:37:06
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2008-08-22 16:38:38
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2008-08-22 16:38:46
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I want to know what's behind that wall!
I want to know what's behind that wall!
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2008-08-22 16:40:34
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Without flash it can hardly be seen
Without flash it can hardly be seen
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2008-08-22 16:40:45
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This tunnel entrance is outside the main house, and alongside the croquet lawn
This tunnel entrance is outside the main house, and alongside the croquet lawn
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2008-08-22 16:41:53
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2008-08-22 16:42:36
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2008-08-22 16:42:47
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