Explore the Garden — Bridge End Cottage

01 — The House

A façade spanning three centuries

Bridge End Cottage has an attractive façade. The far right end as you look at it from the gate goes back to the 18th century, the middle section is Victorian, and the far left is a 1970s 'add on'. However, it has been so well done you really wouldn't notice the different periods from the front, unless you knew about brickwork.

The present day building certainly does not look much like a 'cottage' but the family who lived here after WWII said it was a lovely cottage before the extension was added.

02 — Front Garden

Colour and structure at the entrance

The front garden greets visitors with generous planting and a welcoming character. Climbers frame the façade while seasonal colour fills the beds throughout the growing season.

03 — The Orangery

Where tea and cake are served after tours

The orangery is a favourite gathering place. After tours, Clare serves tea and cake here — a perfect setting to sit, reflect on the garden, and discuss anything from planting schemes to Latin names. It also provides shelter for tender plants through the colder months.

04 — Garden from the Pavement

The garden as the village sees it

The view from the pavement reveals how the garden presents itself to the village — generous, colourful, and inviting. Mature planting softens the boundary and draws the eye inward through the seasons.

05 — Greenhouse & Vegetable Patch

Growing food, raising seedlings, and experimenting

The greenhouse and adjoining vegetable patch are productive and busy. Seedlings are raised here early in the season before being planted out, and the polytunnel extends the growing season considerably. The beds are rotated carefully and always packed with interest.

06 — Lawn, Pond & Oak

The heart of the garden, shaped by water and wood

The lawn stretches out from the house, with a wildlife pond that supports a rich variety of invertebrates, amphibians and birds. At its edge stands a dead oak — a magnificent, sculptural presence that now provides invaluable habitat for insects and woodpeckers.

07 — Wildflower Field

A meadow alive with colour and insects

The wildflower field is the jewel of Bridge End Cottage in early summer. Cut once a year after the flowers have set seed, it supports dozens of native species — from ox-eye daisies and ragged robin to field scabious and knapweed. By June it is humming with bees and butterflies.

08 — Vegetable Patch No. 2

A second productive kitchen garden

A second area of productive growing, this patch expands the kitchen garden considerably. A mix of vegetables, soft fruits and herbs fills the beds across the season, with careful planning to ensure something is always in growth.

09 — Damp Garden

Plants that love moisture and shade

The damp garden exploits a naturally wetter area of the plot to grow a collection of moisture-loving plants — hostas, astilbes, ferns, and marsh marigolds thrive where other plants would struggle. It is especially beautiful in late spring.

10 — Compost Heap

The engine room of the garden

A well-run compost system is at the heart of organic gardening at Bridge End Cottage. Multiple bays at different stages of decomposition ensure a continuous supply of rich material to feed the beds and borders throughout the year.