Nestled in the Surrey countryside near Godalming, this internationally renowned five-acre garden is formed by a series of “rooms“ which surround and complement a family home dating from the 16th century. From the old Cottage Garden with delightfully informal planting in a formal setting, to the robust Pergola of Bargate stone by W.D. Caröe, the Arts and Crafts architect and grandfather of the present owners, to the Water Garden, laid out and planted by Gertrude Jekyll in 1911, and the newly designed and planted Centenary Garden, Vann offers inspiration to expert and amateur gardeners alike.

The garden has been featured in numerous magazines, the most recent being Period Living, March 2009, the RHS Journal, The Garden, April 2004, the NFU Countryside Magazine, March 2004 and Haven (Demark) 2008. Television programmes featuring Vann include Grass Roots, Gardeners’ World, Dream Gardens and two episodes of Agatha Christie’s Poirot.

Photography credits: Aliya Seleem, Andrew Lawson, Nicola Stocken Tompkins and Mary Caroe.