Custodians

Set within the North Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this four-acre site is shaped by its chalk landscape, long views and mosaic of meadow and woodland — a place that calls for careful custodianship over time.

Guided by the spirit of the Arts and Crafts house, which is being sensitively reimagined by Campbell and Co, the garden connects architecture and landscape. Structured close to the house and looser at its edges, it unfolds in sequence — terrace, upper lawn, lower lawn, meadow, woodland — gently drawing the family outward.

Terracing, steps, lawns and ornamental planting address the challenging levels between house and garden and frame expansive views to the existing majestic Sequoia and the Mole Valley beyond. The upper and lower lawns provide generous open ground for play, informal games and larger family gatherings, while seating and dining areas are positioned to enjoy the outlook and shifting light throughout the day.

Beyond, productive and restorative spaces sit within the landscape: a shaded garden around the studio; a kitchen garden and orchard; and a sauna and natural swimming pool set within woodland clearings.

In collaboration with Silva Woodland Management, we are shaping plans to carefully enhance the existing meadow and woodland through light-touch intervention and ongoing care. Mown paths weave through long grass, linking simple seating areas and a new wildlife pond that strengthens ecological diversity and creates another destination. Woodland is extended and edited to enrich habitat: understory planting is diversified, woodland-edge conditions developed, and deadwood and timber piles retained. Boardwalks thread through the trees, encouraging exploration while protecting the forest floor. Informal clearings create space for camping, campfires and stargazing, inviting curiosity and moments of adventure.

A landscape that draws the family out while quieting giving back to the land and future proofing it.