***************************************************************** * Gardens-Guide.com * 250,000 UNIQUE VISITORS in 2011 * 2,000 garden pages viewed per day from March to September 2011 * * 1,000+ Page Views! - One-Quarter of all gardens listed on Gardens-Guide.com * were EACH viewed more than 1,000 times in 2011. * * 500+ Page Views! - HALF of all gardens listed on Gardens-Guide.com were * EACH viewed more than 500 times in 2011. * ***************************************************************** *** UPDATE FORM *** Long Close 1) Please COPY the entire FORM BELOW 2) Make any changes in BRIGHT RED -OR- mark changed Section Headers with: *** 3) email the ENTIRE FORM UPDATED backto us: wd (at) armchair-travel (dot) com **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** *** also - SEARCH ENGINE BOOSTING for both YOU and Gardens-Guide.com *** If your webmaster could place a link from your own website directly to your page on Gardens-Guide.com, this will improve it's rankings in Google and other search engines. Please use the following format and info on your own site to link to your page in Gardens-Guide.com: at Gardens-Guide.com http://www.gardens-guide.com The premiere directory of open gardens in the UK and Ireland today Ask your friends and suppliers as well to link to your page in Gardens-Guide as well. Every link we get into your page helps rankings for both of us in search engines. **************************************************************** **************************************************************** **************************************************************** Garden Name: Long Close Last Modified: 23-02-2012 Garden ID: 0237 pic: 0237_Longclose.jpg NOTE: If this says "missing", then please send us a picture for your page which is at least 1000 x 1000 pixels in size. Thanks! Owner: Mr. J.T. Oakland and Mrs. P. Johnson Address: Main Street Woodhouse Eaves Loughborough Postcode: LE12 8RZ County: Leicestershire tel: 01509-890616 fax: website: www.longclose.org.uk email: longclosegardens //at// talktalk.net English Heritage Grade: Opening Times: Apr - end July and Sept - mid-Oct; Tues - Sat; & BHs 9.30am - 5.30pm. NGS Days: Sat 14 th May (2-5), Sun 15th May (11-4) Visitors also welcome by appointment Best Times of Year to Visit: To see: National Collection: National Garden Scheme days: Yes Comments: Sat 14 th May (2-5), Sun 15th May (11-4) Parties / Coaches: Yes Comments: Viewing by Appointment: Yes Comments: group visits by appointmnt House Open for Viewing: no Comments: Admission Prices: Adult £4; Child £0.50. Must be accompanied by adult. Parking: Yes Lavatories: Yes Disabled Access: No Shop: Yes Plants for Sale: Yes Lunches: No Teas: No Refreshments: No Picnics: Yes Dogs allowed: No Only on Lead: No Events: Yes Other Facilities: Spring mini-plant Fair. Teas & Light refreshments on NGS days and for groups by prior arrangement. Limited access for the disabled. DIY Tea-making facilities available. Guide dogs only. Features: Five acre garden and wild flower meadows. Spring bulbs, magnolias, rhododendrons, azaleas, herbaceous borders, potager, lily ponds and parterre. Many rare shrubs and trees. New woodland walk. Designer: Description of Garden: A secret garden hidden behind a high wall which protects the many rare plants that thrive there is to be found in this charming Leicestershire village. The terraced lawns, flanked by herbaceous borders, lead to a fine informal woodland garden, underplanted with bulbs, magnolias, camellias, massed rhododendrons, azaleas and other flowering shrubs. Elsewhere there are three lily ponds, a parterre, a potager and a large collection of penstemons. The adjacent wildflower meadow is also pretty in late spring. Organic methods are used in both the garden and the meadow and there is an abundance of wildlife. History: The house dates from the 17th century or earlier but the garden was started in earnest by a Col. Heygate who, in the early 1930's purchased the whole of the Waterer's stand of rhododendrons and azaleas when the Royal Agricultural Show came to Leicester. He left his gardener to guard it overnight and collected it by horse and cart the next day! This formed the perimeter of the garden. After WWII George and Marian Johnson bought the property and planted many interesting trees and shrubs and then began to open the garden to the public in the 1950's. The present owners, Mr. J.T. Oakland and Miss P. Johnson, took over the care of the garden fifteen years ago and it since then it has been regularly featured in the Press and on TV. They purchased the property in 2000. Local Inns: Three good inns serving food in village. Accomodation: Good B & B in next village Hotel in Loughborough Restaurants: Two good restaurants in village. Village/Town/Sightseeing: Beacon Hill in village Woodhouse Eaves Bradgate Park Newton Linford