On Friday 5th May twenty-three members thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful Spring day visit to Lukesland Gardens at Harford. The gardens are owned by Rosemary Howell who is ably assisted by her son, John and his wife Lorna.
The weather was perfect with partial sun and clear skies and the beautiful colours of the Camellias, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Magnolias and a wealth of internationally sourced trees made it a truly unforgettable experience.
The Lukesland Estate consists of a total of 24 acres and rather amazingly the gardens are maintained by members of the Howell Family and only two part-time gardeners.
Due to spasmodic flooding from the Addicombe Brook which flows through the Estate in a North/South direction there has been a certain amount of remodelling in the garden where we thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Brook cascading over various waterfalls and filling ornamental pools before eventually joining the River Erme.
At the end of the afternoon we all congregated in the “Old Billiard Room” for a very welcome cup of tea and a slice of homemade cake. Everyone agreed it had been a very special visit and is without doubt one of Dartmoor’s best kept secrets.