Little Sodbury Manor, South Gloucestershire, England

A long drive leads to the house from the north. Access to the garden is via a small door on the west side of the house, leading to a large grassed terrace with flowerbeds edging the house. This was once the courtyard. There is a drive leading out to the south.

Flights of stone steps lead down to two further grassed terraces, divided by dense bow hedges and stone walls. Two finials from the tower or buttresses of St. Adelaide's church stand on pillars on either side of the first flight. There are other decorative pieces and a statue on the terraces, all of concrete and fairly modern.

Below the terraces is the Tudor bowling green, which is entered via a stone gateway on the south side. The two flights of steps leading up to the lower terrace are overgrown.

The enclosed area to the south of the bowling green was the kitchen garden, but is now planted with trees including mulberry and medlar. A hazel hedge runs along the north wall, forming a covered walk. The new kitchen garden is a smaller area to the south of this.

The whole of the rest of the garden is grassed and planted with a wide variety of trees, including Scots pine, birch, copper hazel, blue cedar and handkerchief trees. There are also many bushes and shrubs.

The ponds in the far north-west corner of the garden are completely overgrown. The largest pond still exists, although it is in need of renovation. The owners are concerned not to disturb the wild flowers, including flags and snakeshead fritillaries, by their improvements.

The garden has been undergoing extensive renovation since 1985, when the present owners took over occupation. Most of the planting has been done in the last 20 years, and many unusual trees and shrubs have been added recently.