25/09/2026
There’s so much more to this view of Brympton than first meets the eye… 🌿
The beautiful South Front was created in the late 17th century by Sir John Sydenham, transforming this side of the house into a spectacular garden-facing elevation. Dating from around 1670, its classical design was influenced by the work of Inigo Jones and John Webb - and it was designed to look out across a very different garden to the one we see today.
Back in the early 1700s, the view from here would have taken in a formal terrace, bowling green, wilderness and ponds. An early engraving by Knyff shows just how carefully the gardens were laid out around the South Front (slide to picture 3!)
The gardens have continued to evolve over the centuries. In the 19th century, Lady Georgiana Fane created the present South Terrace and planted extensively across the estate. The terrace we see today is itself Grade II listed and replaced an earlier, much simpler terrace.
Then came one of the most fascinating chapters in the garden’s story. In the early 20th century, Violet Clive spent around 30 years collecting plants and developing the gardens. She even brought plants and garden features from her brother’s garden in Kyoto back to Brympton, giving parts of the garden a wonderful connection to Japan 🌿🇯🇵
And perhaps the most amazing thing of all is that the gardens we enjoy today still sit within the framework of that much earlier formal garden.
Brympton’s park and gardens are Grade II* registered for their special historic interest - a landscape that has been evolving for hundreds of years, but still retains so many clues to the people and periods that shaped it.
So next time you look at this beautiful South Front, remember… you’re not just looking at a pretty view. You’re looking at centuries of history. ❤️
Images Tom & Lizzie Redman | UK wedding Photographers
