Coughton Court

Emerging into the central courtyard, you can then either visit the gardens, or the two churches. The church closest to the house dates from the early sixteenth century. Anglican, and dedicated to St Peter, it contains the tombs of Sir George Throckmorton and his wife Katherine Vaux, who lived (with their nineteen children!) in the first half of the 16th century. The other church, further from the house and dating from the 19th century, is the church built after the Roman Catholic Relief Act of 1829 which finally lifted most (although not all) restrictions on Catholics.

The gardens are spectacular. The current member of the Throckmorton family who lives at Coughton (Mrs Clare McLaren-Throckmorton) and her daughter, Mrs Christina Williams, have lavished an amazing amount of care and attention on the gardens. Mrs Williams has won two gold medals at RHS Chelsea, and it is not hard to see why.

There is a Walled Garden, which is a profusion of traditional cottage plants, laid out in bewildering abundance; a Lime Tree Walk; sunken gardens; a Bog Garden, and a Riverside Walk, which skilfully blends the formal into the informal woodland.

For anyone even remotely interested in gardens, we cannot urge a visit strongly enough!