Jane Moore
1 Aug 2025
The English Garden - At Mellowstones, both owner and designer have worked together to make the most of a challenging hillside site that offers far-reaching views over the Frome Valley and interest on every level.
A house with a garden precariously perched on a rocky hillside would not be most people’s idea of a perfect spot, but owners Jackie and Neil Kennedy spotted the potential of Mellowstones, near Bath, immediately. The location spoke to them with its magnificent uninterrupted views across the Frome Valley, sunny south-facing aspect and fringe of deciduous woodland.
“Luckily you could see two existing terraces and what had been here before, and I had a good idea of what I wanted,” says Jackie. But the first designers she approached balked at the challenge presented by the 1:3 slope, especially when they realised
they wouldn’t be able to bring in earth-moving equipment to recontour the garden. “There simply isn’t any access. Everything needs to be done by wheelbarrow,” says Jackie. “Then Fi came along, and it was instant – she just got it.”
Read full article at www.theenglishgarden.co.uk