MY FAVOURITE VIEW
Yoga and nutrition guru Julie Montagu
Yoga and nutrition guru Julie Montagu loves the gardens at her family home Mapperton
My husband Luke and I took over running his family home Mapperton
House last year. It’s a Jacobean manor house set in a valley in the Dorset countryside, a truly magical place. It has been used as a film location many times, including for the version of Jane Austen’s Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow. There are 15 acres of gardens, stretching from the croquet lawn through the more formal topiary and down to the wild garden, which is filled with a wonderful collection of specimen shrubs and trees. We are just a few miles from the Jurassic Coast, too. We split our time between here and London, together with our four children. I love sitting on the stairs just down from the Orangery and gazing out over the garden, enveloped by the lovely scents from all the flowering bushes and plants. Even in the winter months, I still like to go there to breathe in the crisp fresh air. I only go there on my own, when I feel I am in need of some space and nature. It makes me feel so happy.
All the seasons of the year are magical here at
Mapperton. In spring and summer, everything is just starting to burst into bloom – including the wisteria – and in the autumn the colours in the arboretum are truly magnificent. The gardens are changing constantly and each new incarnation is so beautiful – I find it so inspiring. I love to do yoga in the gardens before the
gates open to the public. Exercising in such a glorious setting really kick-starts my day and fills me with positive energy. I also love picking herbs in the garden and using them to cook healthy dishes.
We recently opened up the house to the public for the
first time. We are renovating one of the stable blocks to include a huge event space, a new restaurant and re-building the gift shop to make it much larger than the current one. And you just might see a ‘tortoise’ attraction for the children. The British Flower School also runs flower arranging and gardening courses in the stable block, working with the best of British flowers.
The garden is a contrast to my somewhat crazy life and
routine elsewhere. I’m used to cycling around London, teaching yoga, and moving from one meeting to the next. It can feel very chaotic at times, so the garden gives me the perfect escape and I feel so relaxed there. I enjoy being alone and switching off every device
– it’s a wonderful thing. I love the outdoors. Even in the rain or the cold, I like being outside. I truly believe that fresh air, a good walk and a good view are the best recipe for de-stressing. I make a point each and every day to walk for at least 20 minutes, and the gardens here are the perfect escape from the pressures of daily life. Mapperton is my little slice of heaven. The gardens are located two miles from Beaminster and are open until 31 October, Sunday to Friday, 11am-5pm. For more information, visit mapperton.com.