Iford Manor

Unless it’s a book devoted solely to one garden, both print and digital articles featuring photographs of some of the most beautiful gardens in the world are necessarily limited in the detail they can show because of space constraints. With that in mind, I thought it would be worthwhile to feature a different garden, say every month or so, here on the website where I have the space to include a large enough gallery of photos, in a large enough format, to showcase some the best elements that those gardens have to offer. The idea is to feature both public and private gardens that I have photographed both here in the States and abroad. And, I can’t think of a better garden to kick off the series than one of my favorite gardens in England, Iford Manor.

Iford Manor is located in Wiltshire, England and portions of the manor house that dominates the 900-acre estate date to the late 15th-century. Landscape architect and garden designer, Harold Peto acquired the property in 1899 when he began developing the gardens that surround the house. During his lifetime, Peto designed gardens both in England and in France and he was a strong devotee of the Italian style of garden design where structural elements and architectural features play a prominent role, often overshadowing many of the plantings themselves. The gardens at Iford are a prime example of Peto’s interpretation of Italianate design. The garden features a number of terraces including a colonnade-lined grand terrace , a loggia, the Cloisters—where regular concerts and arts events currently take place— and many architectural ornaments that Harold Peto brought back with him from his world travels.

Iford Manor has been under the private ownership of the Cartwright-Hignett family since the mid 1960’s. Since taking ownership, the family has been engaged in an extensive restoration and enhancement of the garden. Recently, Steve Lannin (formerly of Mapperton House and Gardens) has been hired as Head Gardener at Iford.

For more information on Iford you can visit their website here.

The photos in the gallery were taken in late morning during the month of September. All were photographed with a Nikon D810.