Clovelly Court Gardens, Clovelly, Bideford, Devon
Clovelly Court Gardens are a delight, and if you come here in the summer after visiting the historic North Devon fishing village of Clovelly you'll probbaly find it a peaceful contrast - Clovelly can get very busy in the season as it attracts the throngs due to its very uniqueness. Quite often the tourists get so engrossed in wandering around the streets and the beach and seeing the donkeys that they overlook the gardens and well, that's their loss because if they had, they would have found something rather special.
These lovely old walled gardens are bounded by an avenue of huge lime trees so are protected from the coastal breezes, which can blow in from the Bristol Channel quite strongly at times. What you'll see is a wonderful example of a Victorian kitchen garden that is easy on the eye whatever time of year you visit.
Considered planting means the herbaceaus beds are a riot of colour in the summer and very much in keeping, are the restored Victorian glasshouses, where they grow all kinds of fruits and vegetables, among them apricots, peaches, grapes, melons, chillis, peppers, tomatoes, lemons and figs. Outside there's a profusion of herbs and impressive cordons of apples, pears and quince (you can buy the apple juice in the Visitor Centre at the entrance to the village). Much of the produce is put to very good use in the dishes they serve at the inns on the cobbled main street in Clovelly.
Clovelly Court Gardens are open from 10.00am to 4.00pm and are included on the admission fee to the village, otherwise for a very small fee, you can pay separately if you don't fancy the bustle of Clovelly.
T: 01237 431781 All information correct at the time of writing