Waterperry Gardens

Most of us notice the brown sign southbound on the M40 and think, “One day, I’ll take a detour to check it out.”

I’ve thought that so often.

Today, I did drive down the little lanes to spend a peaceful hour in Waterperry Gardens where Beatrix Havergal established her School of Horticulture for Ladies from 1932 to 1971.

There are 8 acres of landscaped gardens, with a pleasant tea shop and, although there were no blue skies, it was still delightful. Very well worth pausing on the journey (There is a charge of £8.50 and the assistant didn’t even give me a map....I had to go back.)

I needed to be in a peaceful frame of mind - the spur from the M 23 leading to Gatwick was closed and there was a slow and devious detour to get to the South Terminal.