Rosa ‘Thackray Pearl’
The old drive was fairly steep and narrow making access difficult.
In 2005, a new gravel drive was constructed with a turning circle and an Aqualens water feature forming the centrepiece.
The drive is planted for year round structural effect. Box headed Hornbeams form a raised hedge running around the edges of the turning circle and down the drive. These are underplanted with low, broad hedges of Box. Weed smothering Luzula sylvatica carpets the ground and provides a contrast of texture with large clipped balls of Yew.
The outer drive is separated from the inner drive with blocks of Beech hedging, punctuated with columns of Yew and two domes of Pyrus salicifolia ‘Pendula’.
Immediately opposite the main entrance a topiary Ivy ball echoes the Aqualens outside the house, framed by a crescent of 5 box headed hornbeams
The front of the house is planted with Rosa ‘Jaqueline du Pre’ and Agapanthus campanulatus, with two columns of Magnolia grandiflora furnishing the walls.
At the bottom of the drive a large clipped cone of Yew is surrounded by Rosa ‘Thackray Pearl’.
The drive is particularly attractive in autumn with the yellow of the Hornbeam and the copper of the Beech.