Missing garden of Rutland

Returning from our second stay on a wonderful campsite overlooking Rutland Water in September last year, we were so pleased to have the October edition of MMM on our mat on our return. What a coincidence when we found Rutland mentioned in the weekend travel article by Joyce Hopewell. Then, in the November issue, Paul Knight gave his view in the Your Campsite Reviews section on Rutland, too.

We only discovered this beautiful county last year and, having visited in August, we returned in September and were lucky enough to see the newly fledged ospreys nesting in the nature reserve.

It’s less than two hours away from our home in Suffolk, and just the perfect distance if we’re on our way north, or just fancy a few days away. It’s absolutely lovely, as the travel writers stated, and is now our favourite go-to place to stay when the weather is bright.

However, I feel there’s one visit your travel writers missed out on that I believe many readers would like and that is Barnsdale Gardens. Many readers will know the gardens as Geoff Hamilton’s whilst he presented Gardener’s World from 1979 to 1996. His son now runs the gardens and they are kept as Geoff made them all those years ago. The café there does great snacks, too, including afternoon teas.

I can’t wait for the weather to improve when we shall be on our way back to Rutland.

We have subscribed to MMM since buying our ’van in 2017 and it’s always a treat.

Tricia Whiting

ED Barnsdale Gardens is signposted off the A606 between Stamford and Oakham barnsdalegardens.co.uk