When Tom Harte Dyke visited the Belles back in January as guest speaker there, was no doubt that we needed to organise a trip to his home Lullingstone Castle and today was the day!
Greeted at The roadside by Tom himself, opening the gates for us to his family estate, we arrived to the most spectacular views of the Manor House and Gatehouse. Both were built in 1497 next to a 15 acre lake leading to the River Darent in Kent, however the estate also houses the even older building of St Botolph parish church of Norman origin.
We were honoured to have Tom give us a tour of the grounds & in particular his The World Garden. Inspired by his sketch of his dream garden, drawn whilst a hostage in The Darien Gap, in the heart of the Panamanian/Colombian Jungle, The World Garden started to become a reality 2 years after being released. Tom’s enthusiasm for his plants was as infectious as ever as he educated us in the different species on display from all around the globe, so much so that there was a queue for buying plants at the end.
It was a great way to spend to a Sunday, a great trip, great venue and an inspiring speaker, that having been captivated himself, captivated us Belles with his encyclopaedic knowledge of vegetation.
