Glorious Gardens designs gardens in the West Chiltington area.

West Chiltington is situated in the Horsham district of West Sussex on the edge of the South Downs. Located between Pulborough and Storrington. The village has sunken tree lined lanes and the attractive, unaltered 12th Century church of St Mary’s with an oak shingle covered spire and ancient wall paintings.

The village is most well-known for is the vineyards within parish boundaries: Nutbourne and the internationally known as Nyetimber. The latter is based at an old manor that has history tracing as far back as the village itself, mentioned in Domesday Book under its Anglo-Saxon name of Nitimbreha, meaning new wood. In the 1500s the estate belonged to the Priory of Lewes before the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when it became the property of Henry VIII. The king gifted the estate to Thomas Cromwell, before passing it to Anne of Cleeves as part of their marriage annulment. To this day, the estate produces much-loved wine that is shipped across the world. Glorious Gardens brings in the local area’s history into their garden designs.

Located just outside of W est Chiltington is Highdown Gardens, it was created by Sir Frederick and Lady Sybil Stern. They joined collectors’ syndicates to hire plant hunters to go on dangerous collecting expeditions around the world, many in China. They purchased and swapped thousands of seeds and cuttings. Stern set up a laboratory in Highdown Tower to count plant chromosomes. He shared his experiences in public lectures and his book ‘A Chalk Garden’. After Stern’s death, in 1967, the Gardens have been managed by Worthing Borough Council. Today, the Gardens are a living library. The original plants collected by the Sterns, that have survived, hold vital genetic material for plant breeding. With this unique pedigree Highdown Gardens was recognised as a national Plant Collection in 1989 by Plant Heritage. Glorious Gardens uses the surrounding gardens such as Highdown Gardens as inspiration for their designs.