Iford Manor (Bradford-on-Avon, England) Part 1

At the end of our trip (after seeing almost 30 gardens), our tour director, Bruce, asked us to give him a list of our top 5 favorite gardens. I had to think awhile for my 3-5 choices, but I immediately knew that my top two were Tresco Abbey (which I have not covered yet) and this one - Iford Manor. For the #1 spot, I go back and forth, but after being home for a few months, Iford Manor brings me my most pleasant memory. 

Actually, the two gardens are similar in style (Italianate). Since I'm doing these in order, it will be some time before I get to Tresco Abbey. 

First, a little about the house. The property was once home to a wool factory and dates back to the Domesday book (1086). The present house was built around 1720. The house overlooks the Frome valley with a small river flowing in front. 

We began our tour on this bridge where we met the Lord of the manor -

Just kidding - the owner is William Cartwright-Hignett. That is him in the center of this photo with our group, telling us about the history of the house and gardens.

The house was owned by several families before it was purchased in 1899 by architect Harold Peto (1854-1933). He was one of fourteen children born into a prosperous family that eventually went bankrupt. His mother's resources provided an education at the prestigious Harrow boarding school. He left school at the age of seventeen and worked for a building firm. He eventually became qualified to become an architect and formed a partnership with Sir Ernest George. They would work together for sixteen years. In 1892, Peto left the firm for health reasons and because he hated the London winters. 

Peto embarked on world travel, visiting Egypt, Italy, France, Greece and Japan, among other countries. It was at this time that he became interested in gardens. He was particularly enamored with Italian gardens. After visiting Japan, he wrote "I do not leave Japan with the tugging at my heart strings which I feel on leaving Italy."

During his travels, he began to collect garden ornaments (benches, statues, fountains, sarcophagi, etc.) that he would eventually use at Iford Manor, which he purchased in 1899. He would live at Iford until his death in 1933, expanding the existing gardens and giving them the Italianate style that he loved so much. 

More wisteria -

Here is our group leaving the bridge and headed to see the gardens. We were actually going in the wrong direction and had to turn back. The entrance to the gardens is directly in front of the house where you enter a small courtyard. 

That little detour, however, gave us some nice views of the house and garden -

We walked along this side of the house and entered a gate that brought us into a small patio area.  Looking up -

About a month after I got home, Iford Manor was in the news. Several statues from the garden were stolen. Eventually, two men were arrested and released on bail. I do not know what became of them and do not know if the statues have been recovered (I take it they have not). Two of the statues taken were these bronze deer that sat on columns flanking a small water feature -

 

Leaving the patio, the garden extends upward to terraces on the hillside behind the house -

(Visited May 9, 2025)

Part 2 ...

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy