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The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Country diary: A paradise inside four walls
Any garden is a special thing, but a walled garden? That's something truly special: an outside that is an inside. When Tara Fraser and Nigel Jones first came to view this semi-derelict Regency house in 2016, they had no idea Ashley Court included a walled garden. 'We saw this wooden door and pushed it open – and there it was. Just like The Secret Garden. Total jungle.' Nine summers and countless hours of labour later, and it is transformed. Nigel opens the door; I follow him and have to stop at the threshold as I catch sight of it. The garden is Tardis-like, bigger on the inside somehow, and bounded by high walls – stone on the outside and lined with brick – in a loose squareish shape that undulates with the lift and dip of the land. The veg beds and paths give it the feel of a patchwork coverlet laid over a sleeping giant. 'No self-respecting Victorian kitchen garden would be so ridiculously slopey,' saya Tara. It's one of the reasons why they believe the garden predates the house to before the 1800s. Not only do the high walls act as a physical barrier against deer and rabbits, they retain the heat and shelter the plants from the wind, such that the garden sits in its own microclimate. In winter, the cold air can escape through a rectangular frost window at the lower end (it pours out, apparently, like a white ghost, into the surrounding woodland). Hard to imagine on a day like this, with bees and demoiselles zipping about, buttercups shining, bathed in warm spring sunshine. Beans have begun spiralling their way up bamboo wigwams, gooseberries are as hard as marbles but growing plumper, more translucent every day. Ancient espaliered pear trees reach out to each other with gnarled fingers. Clumps of chives have gone to flower, their purple tufted hairdos like something out of Dr Seuss. Filled with all of these photosynthesisers feasting on the sun, this garden really is paradise. The word itself comes from the Avestan word pairidaēza, meaning walled enclosure. How fitting that the walled garden is both how we imagine heaven, and the very place on earth where that image took root. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
Leader Live
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Leader Live
'Real improvement' - What you think of changes made to Wrexham's high street
Over the last few months, funding secured from UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund, the Welsh Government Transforming Towns Fund, Safer Streets Fund and Active Travel Fund has allowed the council to make High Street and Wrexham City Centre, they say, 'more inviting and pedestrian friendly'. As part of these improvements as of Monday, April 14, there is now just one point of entry only to the city centre. That is via Yorke Street with access provided between 6am and 11.30am daily, with bollards in place to restrict vehicle access otherwise. The change has drawn mixed reviews from business owners and residents alike. Within just a few days, several crashes were reported to Wrexham Council at the scene of the bollards. Last week, the Leader took a trip into the city centre to see what life is like since the change was made and spoke to some of the local business owners and residents. Since then, more of our readers have been getting in touch to give us their views. Nigel Jones said: "It works in Chester, why can't it work in Wrexham. Waiting for seating outside the pubs and nice brollies and decor, not cars whizzing back and to." Trevor Coxon told us: "Absolutely brilliant. I was getting sick of the boy racers tearing through the city centre risking injury to pedestrians. Now something needs to be done about Hill Street and Regent Street and pedestrians can breathe again!" TOP STORIES Glyn Chaplin added: "Changed the atmosphere completely, real improvement." John Davies said: "It's great." Alun Jones said: "Looks very pleasant. Hope Street soon I dearly hope." Chris Cousins said: "All the complaining is not going to change the council's decision. People should get used to it. It's a good thing as we won't have cars coming up the street and will be able to walk safely." Others were not so pleased about the change however, like Jane Prescott who said: "We've talked to a local business owner in the town centre and a lot of the time he can't get his delivery done at the given times. He is strongly thinking of moving out of town centre completely, somewhere with car park and 24/7 access."
