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A visit to a hidden Somerset gem – 4th June 2025 Words and Pictures by Dominic Weston ‘Gardeners’ World’ didn’t do it justice, and in an age when so much on our screens is ‘improved’ beyond the real thing, it was with a real sense of wonder when I wandered through the gardens and grounds of Caisson House, near Bath on an early June evening this year. It wasn’t our first visit. We’d been tipped off by Flip that this was a garden not to miss — especially since it only began welcoming visitors in 2024. Our first trip was in April, for the tulip season. The standout memory? Drifts of white tulips underplanted in a blossoming orchard — a vision of spring. The real sense of wonder, though, was how much the garden had changed in just a few short weeks. Not only had the raised beds in front of the former headquarters of the Somerset Coal Canal filled out, but a whole new set of colours and forms had come to the fore: Roses, Foxgloves, Alliums, Borage, Astrantia, all tussling for attention. Around every corner there was a new perspective, a surprising framing, a new focus that drew your attention. Not in a showy ‘aren’t I clever’ way, but in a series of enticing revelations that drew you naturally from one spot to another and another, and quietly magical. Many gardens open to the public offer imaginative planting. Some sit in spectacular landscapes. Few manage both with the quiet confidence and beauty of Caisson. Nestled on the side of a wooded valley dotted with the historic remains of dry canal locks, it feels… Read More »Caisson House & Gardens: Simply the Best