CAUSEWA COTTAGE GENERAL

Note Month of may flowers - I have the same for each flowering month

 

A final fling with house now sold – farewell sweet rose.

Although it is goodbye to Causeway Cottage, Billingshurst, West Sussex, I’d like to share with anyone who likes plants the final picture sets link, Here and linked Picasa Web Albums.

My “rose” is the wonderful flower of Magnolia sieboldii (which we’ve taken with us to Lincolnshire).
The link to the slideshow shows, at random, garden scenes and flower close-ups (some not so good from my iPhone). For those too lazy – here are a few pictures as a taster.
To those who may - enjoy! And if you feel like emailing me - alan_gilliland@yahoo.com

The whole was created from scratch in under 10 years (to give an idea of growth and maturity  to anyone just beginning a project)

We have moved to Lincolnshire, sans mortgage, to engage on a new project.

Garden through the seasons

This is simply a link to a slideshow.

https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/Garden2012ThroughYear#slideshow/

And on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee – our own flower show

Summer half term seems a good time to offer another slide show of our garden.

 https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/GardenJune52012#slideshow/5750532007172046642

Looking back towards the house.

The view from the kitchen window.

On this first sunny day...

I sneaked out of my study to take some random photos with my iPhone.
Click on this:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/GardenMay212012?authkey=Gv1sRgCLOX1az285DYeg#slideshow/5744981177224117938

Surroundings, activities, sights.

Billingshurst is 6 miles Southwest of Horsham.

The house, set in the centre of the village, has a supermarket, butcher, baker, farm shop, vintners and many restaurants within walking distance.

The railway station is ten minutes walk via the churchyard and a park. Trains through the day run twice an hour (with exceptions) and it is just over an hour by train to London Victoria.

Behind Causeway Cottage, St.Mary`s church has a 13th century west tower. The church was largely re-built in the 15th century when a broach style spire was added, the Nave has a 15th century wagon roof with a pattern of square panels and carved bosses at the intersections. The church clock is an exact half-sized replica of the ‘Big Ben’ clock.

Bluebells in the Mens and the Cut, Wisborough Green.

About 5 miles away to the west lies The Mens and The Cut, a large expanse of ancient forest commonland owned by the Sussex Wildlife Trust. It is unmanicured, being mainly beechwood on a clay hill slope into which are cut, by small streams, deep gulleys up to 50 - 60 feet deep leading down from the hill at Bedham. This extensive wild landscape is largely unpeopled, gently dramatic, especially during the spring, with bluebell and early beech leaves and with beech colours in autumn.

The South Downs are about ten miles away across the Arun floodplain. The river Arun is tidal as far upstream as Pulborough, ideal for canoeists who want to run with the tide in both directions (ie. to Arundel).





To view slideshow of nature in this area, click link below:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/AREAWILDNATUREPICTURES#slideshow/5740083912536983906

Sport and Leisure.

Swimming – There is a sports centre at the Weald School (5 minutes) with a four-lane swimming pool.

Horsham has a full-size pool and water-leisure facilities in its park.

Real Tennis – Petworth House Real Tennis Club is 9 miles away in the grounds of Petworth House.

Tennis, badminton, squash – There are clubs all over the area.

Mountain biking, walking – The South Downs and the hangers on their northern edge provide many rides and walks. Leith Hill and Box Hill and North Downs to the north. Numerous woodlands (West Sussex is the most heavily wooded county in England).

Golf – The West Sussex Golf Club at West Chiltington, West Chiltington Golf Club, Cowdray Golf Club at Midhurst, Slinfold Golf Club are a few of those in the area.

Horse Racecourses – Fontwell Park and Goodwood,

Historic Car racing – Goodwood House.

Country homes and gardens and historic sites.

To the South: 

Parham Park (Elizabethan) near Storrington, Pulborough and Amberley Wildbrooks, Amberley Castle and Chalk Pits Museum,  Arundel Castle & Cathedral, Arundel Wildfowl Trust, Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring on the Downs north of Worthing.

To the Southwest:

Bignor Roman Villa, Stansted Park and Fishbourne Roman Palace near the Roman city of Chichester, Goodwood House and the Weald and Downland Museum and West Dean Gardens to the north of Chichester.

To the West (off A272):

Petworth House, Cowdray House ruins at Midhurst, Uppark.

To the Northwest:

National Trust properties Blackdown, Devil’s Punchbowl and Winkworth Arboretum, Hascombe Court, Ramster and Feathercombe Gardens.

To the North:

N.T. properties along the North Downs, Leith Hill Tower, Hatchlands, Polesden Lacy, Hackhurst Down and BoxHill.

To the East: 

Nymans Garden, Wakehurst Place,  Borde Hill Gardens, Sheffield Park. Bluebell Railway.

To the Southeast:

Causeway Cottage secluded garden

Garden is very picturesque, described by one garden designer as a “fairy-tale” garden. From the kitchen, it slopes upward and is nearly feet by 36ft wide maximum.

Up two steps from the kitchen door to a patio of ancient flags with a rockery beyond and steps through it to the lawn. An old stone flagged path curls up the garden, through a pergola on the left, then sweeping to the right to reach a 10ft square study hidden in a nook at the end under an ancient apple tree.

Garden is east to west, receiving sunlight all day long, and is very private, though in centre of village, because elevated with a 6 ft high fence surround and heavily shrubbed with bushes and trees. The top left corner has quarter-octagonal summerhouse catching the last rays of evening sun.

The pergola has clematis, climbing roses, a young vine, a potato-vine and wisteria growing though into the trees behind. On this north side the garden is elevated 15 feet above the street level. On south and east sides, it is level with neighbouring gardens.

Numerous rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and acers line the southern side of the garden,  with clematis climbing through the trees and bushes. The lawn down the centre curves with double semi-circular beds of bushes on the southern side.
There is a shaded seat here, and another under the pergola facing it on the north side. Another wrought iron and wood seat at far eastern end of garden looks back towards the house.

At the front, on the left side of the house, a wrought-iron gate leads up steep steps to inner gate and a brick pathway leading up the left side of the patio and rockery then curling up slope to join main path before reaching garden shed on left side with trellises on all walls with a variety of clematis.


(For pictures of interior, see agent’s website. Url at top)

To see a slideshow of the garden and its plants click link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/116922605845018607478/CAUSEWAYCOTTAGEGARDENPICTURES?authkey=Gv1sRgCMiU8_fn_O6SqQE#slideshow/5740062510705371730

The view towards this row of houses from the road is much photographed. The triangular green slopes sharply upwards to right from the road junction, with three medieval and, at the top, one Georgian house, leading to the church whose steeple protrudes over the rooftops.