
Some of the most interesting garden areas include the Garden of Allah, a quiet area planted with magnolias, camellias, and champion trees. Then there is the Italian Garden, centred around a pool looking out over the sloping hillside. The Round Dell is a space for sub-tropical plants, and the Rose Garden is planted with 500 English roses from David Austin. The Rose Garden is beside a set of Victorian greenhouses, and leads to a small Mediterranean garden and a White Garden in front of the manor house.
The house was built in 1598 by Stephen Borde, though the estate itself goes back to at least 1534. Borde's crest appears over the west porch. A later crest on the gate to the rose garden is that of the Preston family, who bought the house in 1825 and added the central block.

Visiting
We came late on a rather dull summer day, when we were practically the only visitors; it was as if it was our own private garden. The way the formal gardens are arranged as a series of small 'rooms' helps create a sense of mystery, and surprise as you enter a new room and find something different. There are wonderful statues scattered around the gardens at strategic points to act as eye-catching focal points. Some of these sculptures are quite compelling, like a fiercely fanciful dragon, and a young woman playing a flute, water droplets glistening off the underside of the flute's body.
The 16th century house acts as a backdrop throughout much of the garden, creating a wonderful sense of history and timelessness. I half-expected to see a lord and lady ride out, followed by a retinue of brightly clad servants!
Borde Hill is a delight, a wonderful visiting experience, whether you come purely for the garden or to experience the setting beside the historic manor house.


