 |
| Bateman's Borde Hill Great Dixter High Beeches Gardens Highdown Gardens Leonardslee Gardens Merriments Gardens Nymans Garden Pashley Manor Gardens Petworth Sheffield Park Gardens Standen Wakehurst Place |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The present house and garden reflects most strongly the influence of Leonard Messel and his wife Maud who inherited in 1915 and had three children. One of these was Oliver, one of the most creative theatre designers of his day, whose nephew was Lord Snowdon.
In total three generations of the Messel family have lived at Nymans, from the late 1800's until 1947 when the house was tragically destroyed by fire. Subsequently the surviving rooms were still used, occasionally to entertain friends and as a base from which to run the garden. Following Col. Messel's death in 1953, Nymans became one of the first gardens to be transferred to the National Trust. Today the ruined house still provides a romantic background for the garden and the remaining Messel Family rooms are open to the public.
The garden covers approximately 30 acres set on the side of a valley at 500 feet and although partly sheltered by the woods of the Sussex Weald, suffered much damage during the Great Storm of October 1987, loosing 486 mature trees and many of the shrubs. The restoration of the garden continues within the overall plan laid out by Ludwig Messel.
The garden is laid out in a series of rooms the different levels connected by stone steps or grassy slopes, the 'rooms' are separated by hedges walls or trees which provide shelter for the rare and exotic plants for which the garden is renowned. The individual gardens include the Wall Garden (the oldest), The Knot Garden, The Rose Garden, The Top Garden, The Sunk Garden, The Pinetum and several others. The garden has been designed to surprise and inspire all year round but as usual is at its very best in the spring and summer.
Nymans is situated at Handcross in West Sussex, accessed by the A23 and B2114.
| *Link to official site for viewing Visitor Information* |
| Nymans June 2005 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Nymans June 2006 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Nymans July 2008 | ||
 |
 |
 |
| Nymans August 2011 | ||
 |
 |
 |