The Grounds
Let me take you on a grand tour of our 63 acres…
At the corner of the house, you come to the
sheltered South Terrace and croquet lawn. From here you can see the
lovely old single white rose, rosa cooperi or Coopers Burma Rose
creeping up the wall of the house and the majestic evergreen or
‘Holm Oaks’.
In memory
Walking up the slope at the far side of the croquet lawn you
come across the pet cemetery and the memorial stones for the family
dogs and for Dixie, the hotel’s pet cat. Lainston and Leveller
belonged to the two Craig-Harvey brothers who went off to the war
in 1939. The dogs pined so much for their masters that they had to
be put to sleep. On leaving the pet cemetery you come to the
Red Oak planted in memory of Williams Charles Lynn,
gamekeeper for the late Andrew Craig-Harvey, the last
owner before Lainston became a hotel in 1980.
St Peter's Chapel
Now a ruin, St Peter’s Chapel dates back to the 12th century and
is still consecrated ground today with a beautiful font and ancient
burial stones. A short stroll from here takes you up to the back
drive under the Horse Chestnuts, with plenty of conkers to be found
in autumn. Here you will come across some delightful garden
furniture cut from a beech tree which fell near the house some time
ago.
Sit awhile and you may hear the green woodpecker (Yaffle)
tapping at the Sweet Chestnut, three trees beyond where you are
sitting. Further along is another bench with stunning views across
the Hampshire Downs.
Fragrant gardens and sun traps
Enclosed within a yew hedge, the beautiful Sundial
Garden (in the centre of the car park) is a real suntrap
and a glorious spot to sit and relax. Adjacent to the Sundial
Garden, behind an old wooden gate lies a secret, ancient, walled
Kitchen Garden which has recently been restored
beyond its former glory. Apart from supplying the hotel’s
award-winning kitchen with fresh herbs and vegetables, the Kitchen
Garden is now a charming location for guests to enjoy
contemplative, sweet smelling walks and has also become the perfect
location for early evening drinks parties or afternoon tea with
friends.
A mile of limes!
The most striking feature within the grounds is the
avenue of lime trees. Planted circa 1716 as a 19th
century gentlemen’s vista rather than as an entrance way, the
avenue is the longest line of limes in England. Walk or jog to the
far end crossing the Sparsholt Road via the main gates and here you
will find a special 25 foot silver birch planted in 2006 to
commemorate the 25th Anniversary of Exclusive Hotels. Take a
rest here on the specially commissioned arched seating surrounding
the tree and admire the view back up the avenue to the beautiful
William and Mary house.