EVOLUTION OF FANCROFT GARDENS

 

There is good evidence of gardening activity around the dwelling house at Fancroft Mill since at least the mid 1800’s.

However, the current extensive complex of gardens were created primarily by previous owner, Garden Architect, Angela Jupe.

Her untimely death at her home in Bellfield , Shinrone in 2021 caused great sadness to her large circle of friends, neighbours, colleagues and admirers.

 

 

 

GARDEN HOUSES.

 

The GLASS HOUSE: this lovely structure has undergone major repairs in 2018. It is now home to a Clematis armandii with fragrant March blossoms which are followed later in the year by the perfume from a vigorous Jasmine officinale.

The TURRET is a really pretty and practical addition to the Walled garden.

In the RIVER CABIN, a photographic display reveals something of the beauty of flower, foliage and garden vistas throughout the four seasons

 

 

 

GARDEN FAVOURITES

In excess of 1 km of paths wind through herbaceous borders, fruit paddocks, walled garden, woodland, grass garden, courtyards and river side paths. Springtime brings on the long established Jeffersonia diphylla and some stunning double Hellebores as well as more recently introduced elegant Snow Goose Erythronium and later Himalayan Poppies ,Meconopsis under a venerable old apple tree. Swathes of snowdrops, on which Angela was an acknowledged expert, are followed by carpets of Narcissi gradually giving way to graceful Camassia and Fritilllaria meleagris , the dainty spires of wild orchids and irises all naturalised in the Quince paddock.

 

 

 

The herbaceous borders vary in texture, fragrance, colour and atmosphere throughout the year. Stately Telekia with dramatic late summer yellow flowers yield interesting seed heads for Winter household decoration. Parallel rows of Nepeta, Six Hills Giant, a favourite of the Lesser Tortoiseshell butterflies and where bees are very busy on warm summer days, lead to the Glass House. Espalier fruit trees , their wires carried on handsome columns with leaded caps, frame the vista.

In early autumn, Toad lilies, Tricyrtis formosana are in full flower and the numerous Spindle trees are festooned with orange seeds in candy pink fruits lending a wonderful exotic touch to the Irish hedgerow. The Stream is inhabited by numerous little Brown trout and the Kingfisher is also a resident... an occasional magical flash of blue.

 

 

BEAUTIFUL STRUCTURES

Fancroft abounds with beautiful structures , many of them attributable to Angela Jupe’s keen eye. Numerous interesting gates guard handsome gate ways while quirky stone steps lead up the side of the turret. The more recently acquired intact quern stone in the Walled Garden echoes the circular motif of box hedging, paving and lovely moon window which affords a view of the stream and lawns to the South of the house.

The Cockerel stands permanently alert on sentry duty on the gate post to the main gardens. A lovely old well in the inner courtyard is home to a few goldfish. Two marvellous stone tables furnish this area while in the outer courtyard a pair of millstones, removed in the 1883 reequipping of the mill, stand against the wall draped in lilac Aubretia.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

PHOTO GALLERY