On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 21:33:37 -0000, "David Hill"
wrote:

~"................And leads to the next obvious and rhetorical question - why
~didn't they build the garden by a main transport/rail route?
~(answers on a postcard to /dev/null :-) ............"
~
~Like they did with the Eden Project?
~
~Regarding Middleton(Look for Middleton on Google and the gardens come a long
~way down the listings).
~
~It is set in the former 18th century regency park of Middleton Hall in
~Carmarthenshire, a 568 acre estate on the edge of the Tywi valley. The
~Garden enjoys a pollution free environment, spectacular views of the
~surrounding countryside and a rich cultural heritage.
~But I suppose to have it in the middle of an Industrial estate would have
~given it that something extra.......Like pollution and vandals.
~
I'm not doing too well in this thread !

I was actually thinking of Wisley when I wrote this bit. Bang by the A3/M25
junction (ok so the M25 wasn't there when it was first dug) but it doesn't
seem to suffer. The noise in Portsmouth Field can be a bit distracting, but
that section is the trials ground and not that many folk go there anyway.

And you can't shift for people most of the year.

Ryton's near the M6, if we want a fairly recently created example.

The one thing Ryton and Wisley have which poor Middleton doesn't is the
backing of a national society with 1000s of subscribers behind it. I rather
hope that the rescue plans involve some kind of partnership with one of
them, but I suspect that's hoping for way too much.

Can you imagine - a botanic garden which is totally organic? The walled
garden already is... dunno about the rest.

I think I'll pop a panoramic (stitched) photo of the walled garden up on my
website. It's quite spectacular, and I suspect if it'd been open at the
start, Middleton might be doing better.




--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!