Garden Festival ticket holders will enjoy this old-fashioned garden with expansive grounds where there is an abundance of history.  Paul and Lynne’s existing house was built in 1877 by William Reynolds; then in the 1920s the Reynolds family sold the house to Miss Norton. Paul is the third generation of his family to own and live in the house since 1943 which was bought by Jonathan (Paul’s grandfather) who acquired the house for his son Rex (Paul’s father) who had returned as a prisoner of war in World War II.  In earlier times it was the home of a creamery, producing Anchor butter.

Paul’s parents were keen gardeners and developed a rose nursery onsite.  In 1971 the World Rose Convention was held on the property attracting a large number of people. The main house and stables are protected by the Historic Places Trust and aligns with the Cambridge town belt which the family leases.

Paul and Lynne welcomed me warmly on the day of my visit, and we spent over an hour together at the kitchen table where I learned of the property’s history, the way the family has contributed to Cambridge and the wider community, and their absolute love of the land and ways to conserve the natural heritage.

Many garden beds surround the house and extend further around the property.  Lynne is modest about her gardening ability but when I visited previously during the summer, the garden was a blaze of colour so visitors will enjoy this vibrancy at the Garden Festival.

Magnificent old trees dominate the property and were planted around the time the house was built. These trees provide beauty and shade for the many events that have been held – weddings, 21st parties, family reunions, and museum visits.

The property hosted Sir Keith Holyoake in an official visit to Cambridge, has featured in a US film shoot, NZ bank campaign, and has been painted by several artists and photographed by a number of wedding photographers.

The garden you will see on 10 November stands out as unique from others included in the Festival – in that you’ll be able to wander through the farm buildings on site  - see the range of machinery and other farm implements and learn of the local history - viewing the photographs and accounts of times gone by and how the house and land have contributed to Cambridge’s past. You may even like to enjoy an ice cream or a coffee as you sit admiring the surrounding heritage house and garden.

Bev Maul-Rogers