We were delighted to be invited to celebrate the newly restored, fully accessible Long Garden at Cliveden National Trust. Its innovative climate-adaptive planting pays homage to Norah Lindsey’s original early 20th-century designs for the Astor family. Dodging the rain, the Long Garden was stunning, and we managed to see it at its best. All the plants began their life in small pots, and what can be seen today is a year of growth. A beautiful stone path has replaced the last remaining piece of AstroTurf in the National Trust! The old path was removed to replace it with sawn York stone for improved accessibility due to heavy foot traffic.
Norah Lindsey was an influential garden designer in the early twentieth century. She was “known for her bold, dynamic planting schemes that emphasised contrasts in height, texture, repetition, and thoughtful use of colour.” Norah Lindsey’s design for Cliveden in the 1930s was asymmetrical, which the current garden reflects. The distinctive topiary remains along with the statuary that was sourced from across Europe, some of which is 3000 years old.
Waldorf Astor’s Papers provide a vivid picture of the estate, gardens, house and furniture. There are wonderful stories of the staff at Cliveden and the change in staff attitudes and expectations in the 1920s. Estate Manager Hubert Smith and Head Gardener Glasheen did not get on well at all! The complaints from the Dairy are considerable! Much of the refurbishment and furniture purchasing for the house between 1906 and 1907 was done by Captain Harry Lindsay, who was the estranged husband of Norah Lindsay. He refurbished and managed repairs for Cliveden in 1906-1907 and continued managing projects thereafter. However, following World War I and the heady days of the 1920s, the 1930s were a lean and expensive time, marked by significant expenditure that began to cause real concern, particularly regarding death duties. The subsequent handover of Cliveden to the National Trust is documented in a great deal of detail, which is often complicated by the presence of the Canadian Hospital and its future. Much negotiation is with Lees Mills. You can also find the first NT visitor Cliveden ‘green book’ dated 1947.
We also heard from Robert Miles, General Manager at Cliveden, Anthony Mason, the Head Gardener and James Scott, the Principal Designer. You can find out more about the history of the Long Garden at Cliveden and the restoration here, alongside some wonderful photographs of the garden over the years. It was wonderful to see a new perspective on the garden in 2025.
Norah Lindsay can be found in the Nancy Astor Papers held at the University of Reading Special Collections.
There is also a lot of information about the development of the Cliveden estate between 1893 and 1952, including the decision to hand it over to the National Trust, in the Waldorf Astor Papers.