National Trust’s historic Long Garden at Cliveden transformed by James Scott and design team

Cliveden is a popular visitor attraction, attracting around 0.5m people annually and well-known for its beautiful gardens, grounds and country house. The estate spans 376 acres, with about 180 acres dedicated to gardens, which are designated as Grade I listed.

Design process

The Long Garden at Cliveden is being updated to reflect both its historic legacy and modern ecological considerations. Earlier this year, The National Trust invited Accredited Supplier, The Garden Company's, MD James Scott and his design team to produce a new design.  The transformed Long Garden will reflect the original design work of Norah Lindsay (an early 20th-century garden designer) whilst introducing the dynamics of a more contemporary planting style. It was also part of the design brief to address several environmental challenges.

The new design includes some key changes: replanting four central flower beds with a more modern scheme, replacing the central path – currently covered with artificial grass - with indigenous sawn York stone paving and replacing the old box hedging with more resilient Yew hedging.

The new planting scheme for the central flower beds has a main season of interest from spring to autumn, and consideration has also been given to the winter months. Given the seasonal interest required for year-round National Trust visitors, particular emphasis has been given to plants that have several attributes at different times of year – for example, winter seed heads as well as summer flowers.

James commented:

‘It’s been a true privilege to follow in the footsteps of Norah Lindsay, a pioneering figure in garden design. Lindsay was known for her bold and dynamic planting schemes, and we’ve strived to honour that ethos throughout our work. At the same time, we've considered how she might have been inspired by current planting trends, such as the use of grasses to bring a more naturalistic feel. Our aim has been to celebrate Lindsay’s original vision while introducing the energy and diversity of a modern herbaceous perennial scheme’.

The new sawn Yorkstone path will be wider, providing more space and accessibility for visitors. Hand-dressed edges will create a more crafted and aged look, aligning with the aesthetic of the Cliveden estate and the house’s Victorian heritage.

Paying homage to the work of Norah Lindsay

Norah Lindsay significantly influenced garden design and planting between the wars. She honed her skills in her own garden at Manor House, Sutton Courtenay, which is considered one of England's most beautiful gardens. Lindsay drew inspiration from Italian gardens, but her own designs featured an informal style, characterized by a lush abundance of flowers framed by trimmed hedges. She often contrasted light and dark, using colourful flowers against darker backgrounds.

Next steps

The new garden design will be implemented over the winter months, with the newly transformed Long Garden set to welcome visitors in the coming year.

James Scott and The Garden Company

James Scott, a Fellow of the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) and Designer Member of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), founded The Garden Company in Hertfordshire in 1991. Since then, he and his team have created bespoke, handcrafted spaces that bring clients’ garden dreams to life. As Managing Director and Principal Designer, James oversees all work, ensuring the highest quality standards as an SGD-Registered Practice.

James has led his team to win numerous national awards, including an SGD Design Award, a Homes and Gardens Design Award, and over 25 BALI Awards including a Special Award in 2022 for Best Design-and-Build Project.  Pro Landscaper named James recently as one of the 25 Most Influential People in landscaping. His expertise is also recognized through his roles on the SGD Accreditation Panel, SGD Awards judging panel and as a judge for Pro Landscaper’s Project Awards.

James is committed to creating sustainable gardens that celebrate nature and positively impact the environment. His passion for plants began in his youth in the Cotswolds and developed further with his studies at Merrist Wood College. Under his leadership, The Garden Company consistently delivers exceptional garden transformations.

The Long Garden, Cliveden

The Long Garden is set in the grounds of Cliveden, an English country house and estate in the care of the National Trust in Buckinghamshire. The Italianate mansion crowns an outlying ridge of the Chiltern Hills. The main house sits 40 metres above the banks of the River Thames, and its grounds slope down to the river. There have been three houses on this site: the first two were destroyed by fire. The present Grade I listed house was built in 1851.

In 1893, the estate was purchased by American millionaire, William Waldorf Astor (later 1st Viscount Astor), who made significant alterations to the gardens and the interior of the house. However, after the early death of his wife, he lived a reclusive life. He gave the house to his son Waldorf (later 2nd Viscount Astor) when he married Nancy Langhorne in 1906. The young Astors used Cliveden for entertaining lavishly. The combination of the house, its setting, and facilities offered on the estate made Cliveden a destination for film stars, politicians, world leaders, writers and artists. The peak of entertaining at Cliveden was between the two World Wars when the Astors held regular house parties. 

In 1942, the Astors gave Cliveden to the National Trust on the basis that the family could continue to live in the house for as long as they wished. After the death of the 2nd Viscount in 1952, his son William took over the house until he died in 1966.  After this, the National Trust took over the management of the estate.