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| Taunton House |
| Reg visits a faithfully restored colonial house in New Zealand. |
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New Zealand is renowned for its rolling hills and lush green paddocks. This nineteenth century stone cottage is a perfect example, sitting on more than seven hectares of beautiful gardens and pastures. It's hard to imagine it's just twenty minutes from the city centre of Christchurch.
Barry and Lyn Sligh live at "Taunton Gardens" with their four children. The property is situated near Lyttelton, on the edge of Governors Bay. Barry bought the property in 1971 and has spent the past 30 years improving the homestead and establishing the gardens and nursery.
Taunton House was built in 1853 for an early pioneer named Charles Vigours from Taunton, Somerset. Despite being 120 years old when Barry Sligh moved in, the home was in good repair. However, a brick extension had been added which needed to be rectified.
When Barry married Lyn in 1990, they had a readymade family and needed a larger home. So, they decided to extend the stone cottage without compromising its authenticity. With a hammer in one hand and a chisel in the other, Barry started the extensions, building stone walls in exactly the same way the original section was made. It took him about 3 ˝ years to build two end walls, both 45 centimetres thick.
Over the years Barry had collected all kinds of materials, which he knew would work well in the house and the extensions enabled him to finally put them to good use. A large slab of marble was used to make the bathroom vanity and kauri floorboards bought at the auction of a rundown shed were also used. They even recycled an old toilet from an Akaroa boarding house.
The extended house has a large kitchen, comfortable living/dining area, a small formal dining room, four bedrooms and a roomy bathroom. The décor is country and totally at home with the rustic kauri and matai floorboards and oregon ceiling beams. Barry also found some elm dining chairs in an abandoned miners' hut in Blackball.
Lyn took on the role of interior decorator. She chose pale coloured furnishings to contrast with the rich timbers used throughout the home. Windows are scarce, so she has used the lack of natural light to create cosy nooks for relaxing through the long winter.
With long, chilly Canterbury winters, heating is a huge consideration. The stone walls trap a lot of the heat, with those behind Barry and Lyn's bed warmed by the woodburner in the downstairs kitchen.
The house was finished in 1979, but work at Taunton was far from over. Next, Barry tackled the garden, which now covers 3 ˝ hectares. He spent two years planting more than 1000 trees as a backdrop for garden, then started closing the garden in with pretty flowers and shrubs. He used the natural contours of the land to determine where to position the plants, which include rhododendrons, magnolias, maples and cornus trees. At the sea end of the property, there is a pond and island.
A walk through the garden reveals a maze of winding paths, which lead to features like an amphitheatre filled with hostas, large ponds and a peaceful garden seat underneath two beautiful michelias.
The garden is Barry's hobby, although Lyn is happy to water the plants and mow the lawn. They are both keen to share their beautiful garden with the public, so it is open to visitors from September until April. They also operate a nursery, which is open all year round.
Barry is renowned internationally for his rhododendrons. He recently launched his own hybrids, which he named Petticoat Lane, White Linen and Taunton Lace. These rhododendrons are favoured for their ability to withstand the harsh Canterbury winds.
Barry has travelled to Nepal to buy rare seeds for his garden. He hopes one of the children will inherit his passion for the garden and eventually take over the business. If young Tom's green thumb is anything to go by, he may be the one to do so.
The town of Lyttelton is on the edge of Governors Bay. It's located on the east coast of the South Island and in the Canterbury region. The Port Hills surrounding Lyttelton Harbour rest on the Christchurch skyline and form part of an extinct volcano.
With its beautiful harbour, Lyttelton was the first port of entry for English ships coming to the new settlement of Canterbury, with the first arriving in 1850. At the turn of the century, the township became the base port for Antarctic expeditions. |
More Info
Taunton Garden is open from September to April, closed Mondays. Admission NZ$5. The specialist nursery breeds Hostas, Arisaemas, Trilliums & other rare plants, and has export facilities. For more information contact Barry Sligh:
E-mail: taunton@clear.net.nz
Fax: +64 3 3299 546
www.tauntongardens.co.nz
Garden & Scenic Tour of New Zealand escorted by Barry Sligh - Nov./Dec.
For more information on the Christchurch area contact Tourism New Zealand.
Ph: 02 9728 5801
www.purenz.com
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Disclaimer
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