Visi – August 2019

BELOWLEFTThispond

• hauledto theParabola
  fromelsewhereon the
  estate– usedto be a cider
  millin whichappleswere
  crushedbeforethejuicewas
  extractedto makecider.
  Thechairsarefromthe
  DanishbrandHAY’sPalissade
  outdoorfurniturecollection.
  OPPOSITETheViper
  suspendedwalkway,made
  of curvedsteelandtimber,
  windsthroughthetreetopsin
  theDeerPark,offeringviews
  of theSomersetlandscape
  beyondtheestate.It was
  designedandbuiltby thetwo
  SouthAfricanswhocreated
  theBoomslangwalkway
  at Kirstenbosch,architect
  MarkThomasand engineer
  HarryFagan.

hetalentsofSouthAfricanstyle-setterKarenRoosarealreadylegend-
ary.Nineyearsago,thisvisionaryandherhusbandresurrectedthe
previouslyneglectedBabylonstoren farm near Paarl, which today
drawsvisitorsfromallovertheworld.
In2013,thecoupleboughtHadspenHouseanditssurrounding
120 hectaresoflandinSomerset,EmilyEstate– a propertythatonce
belongedtogenerationsofEmilyHobhouse’sfamily.WiththehelpofFrencharchitect
PatriceTaravellaandatheatrefullofskilledartisans,Karen,thecreativedirector,re-
shapedtheestateintogardens,potagers,lawns,ponds,woodenwalkways,hornbeam
hedges,anda mazeof 460 appletreesinspiredbygardensofthebaroqueperiod.They
makeciderontheestate,andthere are restaurants, a garden shop, and a hotel and spa

• duetoopenon 29 August.
  Renamed forthe protected newts thatoccurhere, The NewtinSomerset fuses
  2000 years ofBritish horticultural fashions and traditions with contemporary South
  African design.

LOCATION

TheNewtin Somerset

is on aworkingcountry

estatebetweenBruton

andCastleCaryin

south-westEngland

HOWTO GETTHERE

Travelby trainto

CastleCarywithGreat

WesternRailway,or find

roaddirectionson the

website

VISITINGHOURS

1 May– 30September

10 am– 6 pm; 1 October–

30 April 10 am– 4.30pm;

lastentrance 1 hour

beforeclosing

ENTRANCEFEE

Adults£15,children£7

WEBSITE

thenewtinsomerset.com

visi.co.zaAUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019 50

�ISIUK COUNTRY ESTATE