With such a beautiful transformation having recently taken place to Crossbasket Castle itself, it was only fitting that the grounds received a makeover too. AND then some! In the last fortnight, gardeners and landscapers have being working tirelessly at Crossbasket Estate to give the gardens an overhaul, fitting of a five star exclusive wedding venue. The transformation is quite remarkable and left me in awe, having remembered what was there before. In particular, a secluded and tranquil garden has been created around the tower, private for the enjoyment of the happy couple(s) being married there.
However, it’s the garden in front of the Castle that has received the most amazing transformation! Gone is the small, concrete planter that sad, sadly in the middle of broken slab pathways. Gone are the weeds pictured by Jim Brown in 2007. Instead, a large ornate fountain adorns the front gardens, once where the tennis courts were located. A cross feature is retained, perhaps as a gesture and nod to the effort that went in by the workers creating the original paths. New planters, plants and shrubs are spaced out evenly, providing a most unique and pretty backdrop for the multitude of wedding photographs that will inevitably be taken here. The gardens were needing this kind of makeover for several decades. Today, I tip my hat to the owners and their vision. Well done! Crossbakset is certainly going to put Blantyre on the map.
Want to know more? You can follow Crossbasket’s venture on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/crossbasketcastle?fref=ts and of course I’ve published the entire history of the Castle from origin to renovation here https://blantyreproject.com/blantyre-shop/