From squashes and cow sheds to walled gardens. Barrington Court presents a spectrum of variety whatever the season.

Whet your appetite with these five highlights from the garden:

From the plot to the plate in one easy step

© Barrington Court / Helen Appleyard

Yellow raspberries and ornamental gourds are just a few of the plants you may find in the Kitchen Garden. Seasonal favourites such as pears, plums, peaches, squash, courgettes, and onions are also grown in the gardens. The fruit and vegetables produced here are all used in the restaurant or sold through plant sales.

Has a bus stalled?

© Barrington Court / Helen Appleyard

These curious buildings date from around the 18th century, when the walled gardens didn’t exist - instead there were animal pens and a farmyard. The name Buss-stalls comes from 'buss',which is an old Somerset word for 'calf'. The Buss-stalls offer a chance to imagine the Court as a bustling farm. They are a fitting reminder that this peaceful estate has undergone many changes.

An English-Italian Garden

© Barrington Court / Helen Appleyard

Garden designer Gertrude Jekyll was involved in the creation of this area. Though she did not design the garden, she added her own ideas to the plans. To wander past the sunken lily pond and passed the raised flower beds, is to be transported. Inspired by an Italian garden, this was the first of the walled gardens to be created at the Barrington Court. The Lily Garden boasts a large raised patio that stretches into the garden from the side of Strode House. The peace and seclusion offered by the surrounding walls make it possible to understand why the Lyles wanted this style of garden.

A Model Estate

© Barrington Court / Helen Appleyard

The orchards, arboretum and avenues mean Barrington Court is populated by a wide variety of trees, providing changeable colour to the grounds throughout the year. The avenues produce a sense of unity, as they extend from the Court House, connecting it to the furthest building on the estate. This 1920s plan is careful not to crowd the Court House. It allows the house to feel secluded from the world yet not hidden.

An eye for tradition

© NTPL / Neil Campbell-Sharp

The combination of 1920s, Tudor and Stuart architecture works well, largely due to the fact that the 1920s development was part of the Arts and Crafts movement. This movement rejected mass production and modern materials in favour of the local and the hand crafted. The same local stone was used in both the earliest and most modern buildings, including the Court House and the kitchen garden.