.: The Gardens at Vergelegen

We were invited to Vergelegen for a tasting of aged wines and parked quite far away from the tasting venue,
but the long walk allowed us to enjoy the beautiful Vergelegen gardens, modern and historic

This is the entrance to the Stables Restaurant and Wine Tasting Centre through the Sundial Garden

Cutting through the tall Bamboo forest, you come to an open area with a pond and magnificent trees
On the property are five historic camphor trees, which were planted in 1700 and declared National Monuments in 1942,
a 300-year old English Oak, a White Mulberry, also dating back to 1700, and the “Royal” Oak, planted in 1928,
a descendant of King Alfred’s oak trees at Blenheim Palace

A restful place

The rose garden was in full flower

The historic Manor House, built by Willem Adriaan van der Stel in the early 1700s,

and beautifully restored by Lady Florence Phillips in the early part of the last century, c.1920

The camphor trees could be an inspiration for the Ents in the Tolkien "Ring Cycle" books

Looking through them to the large grass area,
where a huge stage will be erected for the annual RMB Starlight concert, to be held again this March after a Covid hiatus