A Secret Garden
DON LINKE
One of the delights of living in St Leonards and Hastings is discovering secret spaces often hidden away in plain sight, undiscovered gems that we can stumble across even after years of walking on by. A perfect example of this is St Benedict’s, the grand Victorian house and gardens of the Russian Orthodox Church at 83 Pevensey Road in St Leonards.
The house and adjoining chapel has been the spiritual base for the local Russian Orthodox community for some years, and the small chapel is filled with a dazzling display of icons and decorative items collected over many years. It is truly a feast for the eye and the surprise of it can literally take your breath away.
However, if you prefer a more nature-based experience the gardens at the rear of the house are a real horticultural delight; for gardeners, nature lovers, children and I daresay even writers and artists. All can wander the four distinct sections of the formal gardens and lose themselves in a world of imagination and inspiration. The gardens are a joy for romantics who like to be surrounded by beauty – to perhaps steal a kiss from a beloved under the shade of the sprawling medlar tree while dreaming about owning a magical space of their own.
The gardens, 30 years in the making, are lovingly cared for and feature seasonal flower beds, a walled potager-style vegetable garden, ornamental shrubs, established fruit trees, ponds and fountains, a wall-mounted greenhouse, garden statuary and lots of quirky nooks and crannies to discover. Now is a particularly good time to visit with spring blooms being riotous and colourful and new growth promising summertime glory.
From May, the gardens, chapel and period-perfect Victorian house will be open for visitors between 11am and 4.00pm every Saturday, weather permitting – and on Sunday 31 May there will be an evening performance of Russian songs and piano music.
Guests are welcome to wander the gardens and enjoy a cup of tea and homemade cake outside on the terrace or just to sit in the shade and read a book. There is a small entrance fee of £2 per person (children free), with all money raised going toward the purchase and refurbishment of a new Orthodox chapel in Albany Road.
For more information check the St Leonards on Sea is the place to be! Facebook pages or call Fr Aleksandr on 07725 819852
We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. You can also support local journalism by becoming a friend of HIP. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.
Leave a Reply