At High Beeches (near Handcross in West Sussex), autumn feels gentle with a tapestry of copper, gold and amber woven down the valley. This 27-acre woodland and water garden is rich in both native and exotic species. The gardens have a soft elegance about them and despite what has been well over a century of careful planting, it feels effortless. As you walk down the steep valley, you’ll be struck by how quiet it is here.
Winding paths, glimpses and views of the Sussex landscape beyond and water reflections provide a soothing and timeless rhythm. It was the first garden in the area to be developed by the Loder family and therefore marks the beginning of a remarkable legacy.
Sir Robert Loder, 1st Baronet (1823–1888).
Sir Robert was a landowner, magistrate and former MP for New Shoreham. He purchased The Beeches in 1846, laying out formal gardens around the house (no longer there) and setting the stage for generations of Loder horticultural excellence. Whilst not much is known about Robert the man, his interest in plants was clearly infectious. He had 10 children and High Beeches was their childhood home.
Sir Robert’s middle son Wilfred was the one who really started to develop High Beeches and he planted in the woodland below the house. His son, Colonel Giles Loder, designed the celebrated woodland-and-water garden in the early 20th century. Guided by neighbour and naturalist John G. Millais, Giles adopted principles that still shape High Beeches today “Don’t overcrowd and only use the best plants”.
Autumn at High Beeches
High Beeches is famed for what many consider the best autumn colour in Sussex. From late September to late October, colour glows from acers, liquidambars, nyssas, fothergillas and disanthus, set against the structural greens of conifers. Pools and streams mirror the reds, coppers, and golds, doubling the spectacle.
The award-winning Nyssa sylvatica ‘High Beeches’, recipient of an RHS First Class Certificate in 1968, is a star of the show. Beneath the trees, swathes of cyclamen offer a painterly contrast to the fiery canopy. Uniquely, the garden has naturalised Willow Gentians, adding late-season blue to the autumn palette.
“Don’t overcrowd and only use the best plants.”
In conversation with Head Gardener at High Beeches, Elliot Chandler
When Sir Robert Loder first arrived at High Beeches, what would he have found?
As far as we know, very little. He bought the estate in 1849, and at that point all that was here was a small villa, perhaps with some lawns around it. Beyond that, it would have been mostly woodland. The estate was much larger then than it is now and the garden area we see today was only a fraction of what he owned.
It would have been a mixture of farmland, grazing land and oak woodland, mostly managed for timber. Historically, the area was also used for iron extraction, smelting and small-scale quarrying of clay and sandstone. So really, when Sir Robert arrived, he would have encountered a mixed but predominantly wooded landscape.
Not much seems to be known about Sir Robert himself. Why did he come here?
He was extraordinarily wealthy, owning land not just in Sussex but across the country and abroad. With ten children, he was probably looking for a family seat in a comfortable parkland setting, close enough to London but in beautiful countryside.
He built a new mansion on the estate and landscaped the immediate surroundings, but he doesn’t seem to have developed the wider garden very much. That work really began with his son, Wilfred, who planted rhododendrons in the woodland, and later with his grandson, Colonel Giles, who shaped the garden into what we recognise today.
And what about the wider family? We see the brothers’ gardens at Wakehurst and Leonardslee, what was the trigger for this family creation of epic gardens?
It was very much the spirit of the age. The brothers grew up in the countryside and each wanted their own estate. Having properties close together made sense, and there was probably some friendly competition between them.
The late 19th century was a thrilling time for plant collectors, expeditions to China and Japan were bringing back a stream of remarkable new species. For wealthy families, showing off rare plants was a way of displaying status. It was very much the trend of the era. Each brother wanted the best landscape, the newest and brightest introductions, and the finest gardens.
Colonel Giles seems to have had a very different vision from his uncles. What set him apart?
Yes, his approach was more thoughtful. Whereas Leonardslee became a dense collection of as many plants as possible, Colonel Giles designed High Beeches with space, calm, and balance. He was influenced by Arthur Soames at Sheffield Park, particularly with autumn colour, and by John Millais who encouraged him to think in terms of views, vistas and careful plant placement. Giles used a three-layer approach—ground layer, shrub layer, canopy—giving every plant room to grow to its full potential. He created ponds to reflect trees and designed sightlines across the valley. That ethos still defines the garden today.
Fast forward to the 20th century, the Great Storm of 1987 must have been devastating.
It was. Wakehurst lost about 80% of its planting, though it was more exposed on the hilltop. High Beeches fared better, but we still lost many of the large trees at the east end and the top of the garden: larches, beeches, some oaks, and ornamental trees. The sheltered valley floor was less affected, so many of the old oaks survived.
Clearing up was slow because of the terrain, but remarkably, if you walk the garden today you wouldn’t immediately know a storm struck. Some areas remain more open, and in places that has actually enhanced views and allowed new sun-loving plantings. Still, we’re mindful about what trees to replant, since exposed areas will always be vulnerable to future storms.
Looking ahead, what’s the vision for High Beeches?
It’s a balancing act. We want to preserve the atmosphere and ethos created by Colonel Giles: plants grown to their full potential, space around them and the garden working with the landscape. At the same time, we’re planning for the challenges of climate change: wetter winters, hotter summers, stronger storms.
Plant availability is another challenge. In Giles’s time, seeds and plants poured in from overseas. Today, with biosecurity regulations, sourcing rare or specialist plants is much harder. So the future means carefully finding and choosing plants that can thrive for the next hundred years while still maintaining the spirit of the original design.
For visitors this autumn, what should they look out for?
Honestly, the whole garden is stunning in autumn. Because it’s open and sunny, the colours really glow. We have a wealth of maples, liquidambars, swamp cypresses, cherries, and oaks.
One highlight is the Nissa ‘High Beeches’, a tree first identified here, with its golden autumn colour. We also have disanthus with its deep purple leaves, and Fothergilla from North America, which turns a vivid cherry red. Add to that the fungi that thrive here in autumn, and it’s a spectacular season to visit.
For the full Loder Two Day itinerary, details of all the gardens and interviews with the teams, visit:
