Great Dixter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Great Dixter is a house in Northiam, East Sussex close to the South Coast of England. It has a famous garden which is regarded as the epitome of English plantsmanship.
The original house at Dixter, which dates from the mid 15th century, was acquired by a businessman named Nathaniel Lloyd in 1909. He had a 16th century house in a similar style moved from Kent and the two were combined with new work by the architect Edwin Lutyens to create a much larger house, which was rechristened Great Dixter. It is a romantic recreation of a medieval manor house, complete with great hall, parlour, solar and yeoman's hall.
Nathaniel Lloyd and Lutyens began the garden at Great Dixter, but it was Nathaniel's son Christopher Lloyd, a well known garden writer and television personality, who made it famous. The garden is in the arts and crafts style, and features topiary, a long border, an orchard and a wild flower meadow. The planting is profuse, yet structured, and has featured many bold experiments of form, colour and combination.
The house and garden are open to the public on a regular basis and study tours are available. A charity called the Great Dixter Charitable Trust has been established to ensure that the property is preserved.
[edit] References
- Dickey, Page (June 2006) "The Lessons of Great Dixter: Christopher Lloyd designed garden" House & Garden 175(6): pp. 144-151;
