It's a haven of roses, lavender and summer flowers, alive with the buzz of busy bees in the warm months and filled with tranquility when the weather cools. The formal structure is a modern invention, laid out over the past years to make a centrepiece to Sudeley Castle's stunning gardens. But it's inspired by Katherine and named Queens' Garden in honour of her and three other women who held that title and who visited the castle - Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth I and Lady Jane Grey.
In Katherine's time it was filled with flowers and vegetables, a working plot that had to earn its keep. Now it is home to over eighty types of roses including one named for a future Queen of England, Catherine Middleton.
The rose beds are divided by neat gravel paths that allow you to stroll around - I defy anyone to walk quickly here as the beauty and serenity of the place seems to make you slow down and relax. There are stone benches for pondering and thinking and a fountain at its centre. And at two edges are sleek archways topped with a queen's crown.
The Queens' Garden at Sudeley might not be the exact view that Katherine Parr had when she lived here but every time I walk through it, I can imagine her there, thinking and dreaming as her quick brain went on another adventure. Now, it is a haven for visitors - even if you don't love Tudor history, you will enjoy spending hours here surrounded by glorious views of the rolling Cotswolds hills and breathing in the sweet scent of a garden named for queens.

No comments:
Post a Comment