Cloister

At first glance, this cloister seems to have been in this landscape for ages, yet every stone in it was placed according to William Christie’s design. Recreating this iconic form of European architecture is territory in which he excels: reaching into the past to bring heritage back to life, while at the same time playing with the rules and incorporating his own personal touches.

Gardener's word

The rose that clothes the side of the house is ‘Mme Alfred Carrière’, whose perfume fills the cloister. During the summer pots of pelargoniums are stood around the cloister. William Christie has a large collection of these South African plants that were also popular with gardeners when they first arrived in Europe during the 1630s.

John Hoyland, advisor for garden design at Glyndebourne and William Christie's friend