Great Dixter facts for kids
Great Dixter is a famous house and garden located in Northiam, England. It was built a long time ago, between 1910 and 1912. A famous architect named Edwin Lutyens designed it. He took an old house from the 1400s and another old house from the 1500s and put them together. Then he added new parts to create the Great Dixter we see today.
The house is considered a very important historical building. The garden is also very special. It's known for its beautiful plants and how they are cared for.
The House at Great Dixter
The first house on this spot was called Dixter. It was built in the mid-1400s. In 1909, a businessman named Nathaniel Lloyd bought it. He then bought another house from the 1500s that looked similar. This second house was moved all the way from Kent!
Lutyens combined these two old houses with new parts he designed. This created a much bigger home, which they named Great Dixter. It looks like a classic medieval manor house. It has a large main hall, a living room (called a parlour), a private upstairs room (called a solar), and a hall for the common people (a yeoman's hall).
The Famous Garden
Nathaniel Lloyd and Edwin Lutyens started the garden at Great Dixter. But it was Nathaniel's son, Christopher Lloyd, who made it truly famous. Christopher was a well-known garden writer and TV personality.
The garden is designed in the Arts and Crafts style. This means it mixes natural beauty with skilled craftsmanship. You can see amazing topiary (plants shaped into fun forms), a very long flower border, an orchard, and a wild flower meadow. The garden is full of plants, but it's also very organized. Christopher Lloyd loved to try new things with plant shapes, colors, and combinations.
Today, the garden is looked after by Fergus Garrett. He worked closely with Christopher Lloyd for many years. Fergus has added new and exciting ideas to the garden's planting.
Keeping Great Dixter Alive
The house and garden are open for people to visit every year. You can come from late March until late October. There's also a plant nursery that's open all year round.
In 2003, Christopher Lloyd created the Great Dixter Charitable Trust. He wanted to make sure Great Dixter would be protected and cared for after he passed away in 2006. A big part of the trust's work is education.
They offer special programs for students every year. This helps make sure that the skills needed to care for such a complex garden are passed on. They also hold workshops, lectures, and study days often. These events teach people about gardening and the history of Great Dixter.
Images for kids
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Porch
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Detail of porch
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Front door inside porch
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Oast houses
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Roof beams inside thatched barn
