Travel time again! I can’t believe how fast a year has gone by and how things have changed! Talk about a New York minute 🙁 Of the gardens we visited in Wiltshire last April, this was my favourite. Quirky, eclectic and slightly untidy like me 🙂 Heale House has 8 acres of an Arts and Crafts style garden with an authentic Japanese Tea house, bridge and various garden areas. It is situated beside the river Avon in Middle Woodford just outside of Salisbury. The house dates back to the 1600s and has been occupied for many generations by the Rasch family who have built up the many layers of this wonderful garden. The Rasch family still live there and the house and parts of the garden directly surrounding the home are private but there is more than enough to while away a few hours in this delightful space.
One of the many sparkling Avon tributaries that flow through the garden.
There are both stone and wooden bridges that allow you to meander through the greenery.
The famous Japanese Tea house and red Nikko bridge.
Beside the wandering streams and fern covered banks is the walled garden with vegetable plots, pergolas and fruit trees trained onto rather interesting frames.
The house and formal gardens surrounding it are closed to the public but equally lovely to view from a distance.
And of course there are the wonderful animals that occupy the garden from peacocks to pigs 🙂
Later on the bridge is draped with wisteria and roses bloom in June. There is a tent with tea and treats if you are peckish. When we were there in mid April there was almost no one else. This is a hidden gem of a garden and worth visiting in any season.
Let us dream for a bit longer, be kind to your neighbours (from a distance!) and for those of us lucky enough to have a garden of our own take the time now to wander through and appreciate small wonders. Mother Nature can be cruel and giving at the same time. We will survive.
Stay safe and healthy everyone 🙂
Garden Graces 
Gads! Peacocks! . . . and pigs? They must be well trained.
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It sounds like you had a truly enchanting visit to Heale House! The garden’s mix of Japanese design, natural beauty, and quirky charm must have been a wonderful escape. I can picture the serenity of the streams and blooming magnolias—what a perfect way to recharge in nature. The hidden gems, like the tea house and wisteria-covered bridges, sound magical. Thanks for sharing such peaceful memories—it’s a great reminder of how beautiful and restorative gardens can be. Stay safe and keep dreaming of your next adventure!
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