Dropping down to Derwentwater

The gardens of High Moss, Portinscale, Cumbria The home of Peter and Christine Hughes Non Morris visits a much-loved, Historically fascinating Arts-andCrafts garden, which has been imaginatively brought back to life

- Val Corbett

HIGH MOSS, an imposing white house with a distinctive double-gabled roof, looms splendidly at the very top of its steeply terraced garden. From the south-facing rear, there are exhilarating 180° views out to craggy Grisedale Pike and Catbells. From the bottom of the garden, it is a mere five-minute walk to the gorgeous expanse of Derwentwater itself.

The key quality of an Arts-and-Crafts garden is its close relationship to the house. As Peter and Christine Hughes began to unravel the history of their home and breathe new life into its tired terraces, they became utterly bound up with the project. For Mr Hughes, the challenge of restoring the garden has led to a Masters in Garden History and, since 2020, the chairmanship of the garden-history and conservation charity the Gardens Trust.

Work began on the 4½ acres of garden six months before the couple moved here in 2009. As they were renovating the house and coming to terms with the way it is spread over multiple levels to cope with the steepness of the site -'it's all half-landings,' notes Mrs Hughesthey were delighted that experienced local gardener Tom Attwood came to help. The plan was to note existing plants, working outwards from the house, but it was not long before entire borders were stripped and replanted.