Thursday 9th June saw the first outing of the Farnham Society for 2016.

Our destination was Bowood House near Chippenham, Wiltshire. After coffee we had an opportunity to visit the house. This was originally the service block for the “Big House”, demolished in the 1950s. The current property was an E shaped building with an orangery added across the front in later years to hide the service block from the main house. The orangery is now a sculpture gallery and an exhibition space. Currently there is an exhibition devoted to the work of Lancelot Capability Brown. The grounds at Bowood are considered to be some of his best work. The house contains many treasures including Napoleon’s death mask and jewellery given to the fifth marquis who, being down on his luck, had to get a job –as Viceroy of India.

After a particularly good lunch we were taken on a guided tour of the private walled gardens. There are four one acre gardens leading one into the other and these were looking magnificent. We visited the vegetable garden, the cutting garden, the wild flower garden and the glass house garden. Finally there was an opportunity for some to visit the lake and view the cascade. Members were astonished to learn that the grounds are managed by a team of just four gardeners. Everyone was sorry to have to board the bus back to Farnham after such a magnificent day out.