A unique and historically important 17th century Manor House within the lee of the South Downs, required both a garden which recognised the history of the Manor which includes the ruins of a 13th century church within its grounds and one which would sit well within its glorious setting where the rolling South Downs are so close they almost feel part of the garden. The unusual proportions of the house - tall and slender - over looking the tumbled down medieval church evoked a magical feeling reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. The entrance felt it needed a formal garden to acknowledge its grandeur with a touch of whimsy. The use of topiary in different forms and plants species worked well to combine the history and elegance of the Manor with a smattering of the surreal! The gardens at the back of the Manor are approached through an archway which frames the spectacular view and stops the visitor in their tracks. A walled garden with formal parterres was created as a nod to the formality and history of the house but was planted with an abundance of tall and billowy perennials and shrubs to provide movement and flow in recognition of the countryside of which it is part. The transition from the formal gardens to the fields and hills beyond is provided by sweeping and undulating hornbeam hedging, native trees and an orchard within a grass meadow.