Westonbury Mill Water Gardens

The African Summerhouse at Westonbury Mill Water Garden

Westonbury Mill Water Garden is a delightful modern garden in a lovely setting near the 'black and white' village of Pembridge, Herefordshire. The garden covers three acres, enclosing an area of streams and small ponds, offering wonderful views over the surrounding countryside.

Special features include bog plants and plants that thrive in a moist environment. Walk through a miniature forest of giant gunnera to a 'Monet Bridge', or enjoy the wildflower meadow, pond, and bog garden areas. Within the garden is a stone tower decorated with gargoyles that spout water from their mouths. There is an African style summer house for relaxing and enjoying the views over the wildflower meadow.

The garden is the work of Richard Pim, a former hydrogeologist who purchased a derelict mill on this site in 1969. Over the years Pim designed this quirky, delightful garden to take advantage of the mill, a stream running through the property, and a water meadow below the house.

The Stone Tower

One of the most popular garden features is a stone tower linked to a water wheel. A system of buckets fills a tank at the top of the tower with water. When the tank is full the water runs out through a series of whimsical gargoyle carvings.

Other garden follies include a dome made with hundreds of wine bottle that diffract sunlight into fantastic patterns. Then there is a giant cuckoo clock in the form of a timber-framed tower. Every hour a set of doors in the tower open and a system of bells and whistles play birdsong.

The Monet Bridge

One of the most recent additions is a Spiral Mound in the Wild Flower Meadow. The Mound is an earthen viewing platform reached by a spiral terrace walk. It resembles the viewing mounds in Elizabethan gardens.

Westonbury Mill Garden is a place to savour, with ever-changing views, whimsical follies, and year-round interest. we absolutely loved our visit.